C&EN: EV tires wear faster than normal ones

 Via Chemical and Engineering News, this really cool article on EV tire wear (article by Alex Tullo): 

...It turns out that the connection is strong. Issues of weight, torque, and lack of coasting mean that tires on EVs are subject to more stress than the ones on gasoline-powered vehicles and wear out sooner. In response, tire makers and suppliers of polymers and other ingredients are developing new elastomers and introducing new materials so that tire wear doesn’t become a drawback to EV ownership.

One reason for wear is gravity. Because of those bulky batteries, EVs are heavier than conventional cars. For example, a gasoline-powered Toyota Camry weighs 1,500 kg; a Tesla Model 3 comes in at 1,800 kg.

Another is torque. As anyone who has seen videos of Teslas beating Lamborghinis in drag races knows, electric motors apply more force to the wheels than conventional cars do.

And finally, explains Dale Harrigle, chief engineer for consumer replacement tires at Bridgestone Americas, EVs don’t coast—or roll freely—like conventional cars do. Force is almost always being applied to the wheels, either through the car’s electric motors or its regenerative braking system.

“So there’s very little coasting that occurs in an electric vehicle, and that’s part of the reason why the wear life is reduced,” Harrigle says. Between the weight, torque, and lack of coasting, tires on an EV wear 20–30% faster than they would on a conventional car, he estimates....

I love these kinds of articles in C&EN that explain a pretty common yet undercovered aspect of life and chemistry. Read the whole thing!