Bridgestone urges EV drivers to choose tyres wisely

After picking the brains of 2,000 motorists in a YouGov commissioned survey, Bridgestone discovered that just eight per cent of respondents know the differences between tyres tailored for electric vehicles (EVs) and standard tyres. It has thus decided to educate motorists on the benefits – including financial – of these specialised tyres.

Of the 2,000 motorists surveyed, 47 per cent indicated they will be switching to an EV to save on high fuel costs, with 56 per cent sold by the environmental benefits of driving an electric car. If and when they make the switch, they’ll be joining the 477,000 EVs already on UK roads. These drivers need to be aware that their vehicles are heavier than conventional cars – and this weight is carried by the tyres. Without adaptation to compensate, non-EV tyres are much more likely to wear quicker and won’t last as long.

“What’s clear from our survey is that very few motorists are aware that there are tyres specifically designed for electric vehicles and even fewer know the benefits of them,” comments Andrea Manenti, vice-president of Bridgestone’s North Region. “While 47 per cent want to change to save on fuel, many of them run the risk of eating into these savings by making more trips to the garage to replace their tyres over a longer-term.”

EV tyres 11% of OE total

Bridgestone calls its technology for EV tyres Enliten. This utilises fewer raw materials than a standard tyre, and Enliten also contributes to reducing rolling resistance. By doing so, Enliten helps to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in combustion vehicles, while also extending battery life and vehicle range in electric vehicles.

Manenti adds: “All tyres might be black and round, but there are huge differences that very few motorists are aware of, particularly when it comes to EVs. Bridgestone is developing a growing number of original tyre fitments specifically engineered for this purpose.”

EV tyres currently represent 11 per cent of Bridgestone EMIA’s total original equipment line-up for passenger cars – rising from just four per cent in 2019. Bridgestone expects this figure to reach over 20 per cent in 2024.

More UK charging points

Bridgestone’s YouGov survey also revealed that motorists welcome more advances in technology in the future, including the future arrival of airless tyres, which 19 per cent would like to see brought to the marketplace in order to remove the risk of puncture-related breakdowns. The tyre maker is already working towards this goal and has produced an airless concept tyre that features tread upon a unique structure of high-strength, flexible spokes.

In another show of support for the adoption of EVs, 22 per cent of respondents also said they’d like all cars to be zero-emission by 2030, rather than the Government’s existing deadline of 2035. In addition to developing new EV tyre technologies, Bridgestone is contributing to the uptake of these vehicles through its commitment to install up to 3,500 new charging points across Europe over the next five years; the company says it will announce “big plans for the UK” shortly.