Range is one of the most frequently discussed topics when it comes to EVs, and manufacturers are constantly looking for new ways to improve it. Tires are undoubtedly one of the biggest factors affecting range, so AutoBild tested eight different models to see how they perform. The test includes both EV-specific tires and regular tires that manufacturers claim are EV-optimized. Does better range always come at the expense of performance? Let’s take a look at the findings.
Extended Range Through Lower Rolling Resistance
As we’ve established, range is important. And while it’s not that difficult to make a tire with great range, the real challenge is achieving that without compromising braking distances, wet safety, and handling. Imagine putting train wheels on a car—the range would be superb, but trains aren’t exactly known for their braking performance.
Yet, through engineering, manufacturers continue to find ways to improve range while maintaining the tire’s driving characteristics. Now, let’s look at the data: the EV-specific Falken e.Ziex (★90) offers the best range, reaching 410 km on the Hyundai Kona, while the worst performer is the Continental PremiumContact 7 (★97), managing just 344 km. The Falken finished fifth overall because it has slight weaknesses in wet performance and mileage, but is overall rated as “good”.
The “green” winner
And that is why the “most economic tyre of the test” goes to the Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV – it’s got great mileage and noise comfort and good range (still 30 km above the Continental) and is made in Slovenia, so there’s also an ecology aspect with not having to transport it long distances.
And now for the biggest surprise—while we all know the Continental PremiumContact 7 is a great tire that has won many tests, when I saw the lineup for this test, I would have guessed it to be the clear winner. However, we hadn’t seen any tests of the Hankook iON evo yet, and it delivered a huge surprise—it managed to match Continental in most of the key disciplines and even outperformed it in mileage and rolling resistance. This ultimately made the Hankook the overall winner of the test, even though range was not taken into account.
Third place was taken by the “green” Goodyear as it lacks a bit on the first two in terms wet handling and braking, the fourth is the Michelin Primacy 4 (★82)+ (★76), which is now replaced by the Primacy 5, which would have performed better but our guess is that it wasn’t available at the time of the testing. According to Michelin, it should have improved wet braking abilities as well as the mileage, which would help it rank better in the test.