Tires affect your vehicle’s ride, cornering, stability, fuel efficiency, winter-weather grip, and noise. So they're pretty important, and especially for electric vehicles, where efficiency directly impacts the all-important EV range figure. To make tire shopping for your electric car easier, we've rounded up some of the top choices for replacement EV-specific tires, and we explain how these options differ from non-EV tires.
Picking the Best Tires for Your EV
- The Best EV Tires
- Bridgestone Turanza EV
- Continental ProContact RX
- Goodyear ElectricDrive 2
- Hankook Ion Evo AS
- Michelin Pilot Sport EV
- Why Are EV-Specific Tires Important?
- The Bottom Line When Choosing EV Tires
The Best EV Tires
All of the electric car tires here should be available at any major tire shop or online at a site like Tire Rack. Prices shown are from the tire manufacturer where available, but you may be able to find a better deal for the right tire elsewhere.
Bridgestone Turanza EV
The Turanza EV is a grand-touring all-season tire meant for most driving situations. Like other EV-specific tires, it prioritizes low rolling resistance, which helps electric cars get more EV range out of a charge. Bridgestone also touts this model's 50,000-mile warranty, made possible by a compound that resists wear.
Tire sizes:
- 225/55R19
- 225/60R18
- 235/35R20
- 235/40R19
- 235/45R18
- 245/35R21
- 245/40R19
- 245/45R19
- 245/45R20
- 255/35R21
- 255/40R20
- 255/45R19
- 255/45R20
- 265/35R21
- 265/35R22
- 265/45R20
- 275/35R21
- 275/45R20
- 285/35R22
Price: $268 to $465
Continental ProContact RX
Continental's ProContact RX is another EV-specific grand-touring all-season tire option. In some sizes, it features ContiSilent technology, which means there are foam inserts inside the tire to keep road noise to a minimum. The tread pattern is designed to provide extra traction on wet roads, and the line offers run-flat options, important for vehicles that don't carry a spare tire.
Tire sizes:
- 205/55R16
- 225/45R17
- 225/45R18
- 225/50R17
- 225/55R19
- 235/35R19
- 235/40R18
- 235/40R19
- 235/50R18
- 235/50R19
- 235/55R19
- 245/40R19
- 245/45R19
- 245/45R19
- 245/45R20
- 255/40R19
- 255/45R19
- 255/50R19
- 265/35R21
- 275/35R19
- 275/35R21
- 275/45R19
- 285/40R19
- 285/40R19
- 285/40R20
- 305/30R21
- 325/30R21
Price: $134 to $468
Goodyear ElectricDrive 2
Goodyear characterizes the ElectricDrive 2 as a sporty all-season tire. It’s designed with foam inside to help with noise reduction, and it has a longer-lasting rubber compound than its predecessor to prevent tire wear, good enough for a 45,000-mile tread-life warranty.
Tire sizes:
- 215/50R17
- 215/55R17
- 225/60R18
- 235/45R18
- 225/55R19
- 235/40R19
- 235/55R19
- 245/45R19
- 255/45R19
- 255/50R19
- 285/40R19
- 235/50R20
- 245/45R20
- 255/40R20
- 255/45R20
- 255/35R21
- 275/35R21
Price: $195 to $374
Hankook Ion Evo AS
Another grand-touring all-season tire, this one is from Hankook. In addition to internal foam, the Hankook Ion Evo AS uses sound-absorbing technology in the tread grooves to reduce road noise. The company points out that these tires are designed for both EVs and plug-in hybrids. They have an M+S (mud and snow) rating, so they’re a good option for those who frequently drive when snow is on the road. They carry a 50,000-mile warranty.
Tire sizes:
- 235/35R20
- 235/40R19
- 235/45R18
- 245/35R21
- 245/45R19
- 265/35R21
Price: $258 to $365
Michelin Pilot Sport EV
The Pilot Sport EV is an ultra-high-performance summer tire. Along with noise-reducing foam and a range-friendly compound, it features large grooves to shed water and prevent hydroplaning in the rain. This tire is not suitable for cold, wintry weather, so owners who drive in such conditions for part of the year will need to swap on a winter tire. Owing to its sporty intentions, this model of Michelin tire comes in large-diameter fitments, ranging from 19 to 23 inches, making it a good choice for ultra-high-performance-oriented EVs.
Tire sizes:
- 255/45R19
- 235/40ZR20
- 235/45R20
- 235/55R20
- 245/40ZR20
- 255/40R20
- 255/50R20
- 265/40ZR20
- 265/45R20
- 275/45R20
- 285/45R20
- 255/35R21
- 255/40R21
- 255/45R21
- 265/35ZR21
- 275/35R21
- 275/40R21
- 295/30ZR21
- 295/40R21
- 255/45R22
- 265/35R22
- 275/35R22
- 275/40R22
- 285/40R22
- 285/35R23
Price: $329 to $576
Why Are EV-Specific Tires Important?
EVs have additional tire requirements due to their weight and range limitations. Because the battery in an electric vehicle weighs a lot (often more than a thousand pounds) it increases overall weight, and the tire needs to be built with the durability to withstand that load.
Tread design is also important, as it affects rolling resistance. If you forgo dedicated EV tires in favor of regular tires with conventional rubber compounds and higher rolling resistance, your vehicle may take a hit in range. And that's not something many owners want to compromise on.
As mentioned above, most EV-specific tires employ technology aimed at limiting road noise. Because electric powertrains are much quieter than their internal-combustion-engine counterparts, road noise can be more noticeable, so it's important to keep it in check lest it become annoying.
The Bottom Line When Choosing EV Tires
As long as your new tires meet the load index, size, and speed ratings for the vehicle, they're safe to use. When in doubt, replace your EV’s tires with the same kind that the OEM specified. Automakers put a lot of thought into their vehicles’ tire selection, and getting the same rubber will ensure consistent performance and range on the road.
