Car owners report EVs wear through tyres faster – JD Power

Electric vehicle (EV) owners are reporting faster tyre wear rates than they experience on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. And that’s leading to a widening satisfaction gap between original equipment tyres and electric vehicles (EVs) and ICEs, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, released at the end of March. The study shows that EV owners have similar expectations of tyre wear as do owners of ICEs, despite EV tyres wearing faster due to greater vehicle weight and higher torque.

Nevertheless, Michelin ranks highest in the luxury segment for the 21st consecutive year, with a score of 834. Goodyear (812) ranks second and Continental (811) came third.

Michelin ranks highest in the passenger car segment with a score of 823. Goodyear (811) ranks second, followed by Kumho (799) in third.

Michelin ranks highest in the performance sport segment with a score of 833.

Falken ranks highest in the truck/utility segment with a score of 818. BFGoodrich (812) ranks second and Hankook (804) ranks third.

The U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study measured tyre owner satisfaction in four areas (in order of importance): tyre ride; tyre wear; tyre traction/handling; and tyre appearance. The study includes four vehicle segments: luxury; passenger car; performance sport; and truck/utility. The study is based on responses from 31,414 owners of 2022 and 2023 model-year vehicles and was fielded from August through December 2023.

J. D. Power covered 19 different tyre brands as part of its research, namely: BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Dunlop, Falken, Firestone, General, Giti, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Nexen, Nitto, Pirelli, Toyo, Vogue, Yokohama.

“The widening satisfaction gap between EVs and gas-powered vehicles highlights an opportunity for tyre manufacturers and automakers to educate EV owners on the differences in performance,” said Ashley Edgar, senior director of benchmarking and alternative mobility at J.D. Power.

“Additionally, because of the inherent conflict of maximizing vehicle range and optimizing tyre wear for EVs, tyre manufacturers and automakers need to work together to overcome the challenge without completely sacrificing tyre performance in other areas, especially as the EV market continues to increase.”