How to identify tires based on numbers and letters next to them
width. Aspect ratio. Manufacturing date. This is just a small portion of the information printed on the side of the tire. Do you know how to read them?
You can assume that you can put almost all the tires you need in your car. However, the best tires for your car depend on finding the best balance of many attributes. Many of them compromise on each other, including noise, ride quality, treadlife, dry-raction, wet traction, snow, ice and price grips.
In the case of EVS, the main concern for tire manufacturers is rolling resistance. This is the energy needed to keep the tires rolling. Look at the car still sitting. (If you’re sitting inside and don’t feel like wandering, this exercise requires minimal imagination.) Even if the tires are inflated properly, there is a slight bulging at the bottom where the rubber meets the road. This deformation of the sidewall and contact patch absorbs energy as the tire rotates. The amount of rolling resistance is affected by many factors, including tire compounds, tread patterns, tire wear, inflation pressure, and temperature. Minimizing energy losses maximizes the range of electric vehicles.
EV tires are specially designed to accommodate the higher masses typical of electric vehicles. The battery is heavy. For example, the rear-wheel drive 2025 BMW I5 EDRIVE40 is about 800 pounds more than the comparable gas-powered 530I. Additionally, the torque and power of an internal combustion engine increases with engine speed (to the point), but the instant torque delivery of an electric motor causes a slight slip with each acceleration, such as short burnout from all stoplights, resulting in faster tire wear. Additionally, the weight of the wheels and tires has a direct effect, so caution should be taken when engineering EV tires. The I5 upgrades 25 miles from the standard 19-inch wheels to the optional 21S drop range.
It is also important for EV tires to minimize road noise. Electric vehicles are usually quieter than gas-burning counterparts, as electric motors are quieter than internal combustion engines. This means that the noise generated by the tires is more pronounced in EVs. With all that in mind, here are seven best tires for your EV, as recommended by tire rack tire experts.
Hankook Aeon EVO AS
Tire Rack recently compared nine popular tires from the Tesla Model 3, ranging from dedicated EV tires to high-performance summer rubber. In measured efficiency, Hancook even cared for Tesla’s factory-compatible continental tires. But wet climate shoppers should be careful: tire rack testers say, “Being able to properly separate inputs during turns and not force brakes is important to ensure that it doesn’t drift or step on, and can be a concern for drivers who are not prepared during emergencies.” Multiple customer reviews on the tire rack website have also reported concerns about wet traction, with one reviewer calling the Ion EVO “probably the smoothest tire I’ve ever driven.”
- Guaranteed: 50,000 miles
- Equipment: 15 sizes of 18, 19, 20 and 21 inch wheels
SUV as Hankook Ion EVO
From specific rubber compounds to tread designs, Hankook Ion EVO was developed as a dedicated EV tire from the start. Ion EVO as an SUV targets even heavier EVs, and users report similar experiences to non-souve ion EVOs. Improved efficiency and range, minimal road noise, but in the rain it is an uneasy behavior. Both variations of Ion EVO have struggled to ride on rougher, broken pavements than some of its competitors.
- Guaranteed: 50,000 miles
- Equipment: 15 sizes of 17, 18, 19-, 20-, 21-, 22-, 22-inch wheels
Goodyear Electric Drive 2
Goodyear ElectricDrive 2 takes the ideal of EVs a step further than sustainable ideals, and is built with at least 50% sustainable materials. It also includes foam inserts to help minimize road noise. In the same comparison as Hankook, Goodeear distinguished itself as the quietest participant. It also won praise as the group’s best riding tire. It’s a good commuter tire, but it’s not the best choice for a passionate EV driver. Tire racks pointed to uneasy handling on both damp and dry roads.
- Warranty: 45,000 miles
- Equipment: 17 sizes of 17, 18, 19-, 20, and 21 inch wheels
Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus Elech
Automakers have relied on Pirelli P-Zero to give final touches to sports cars and supercars for decades. And there’s no need to stretch your electricity, as evidenced by the current batch of EVS. It means giving up on enjoying the drive. The ultra-high performance all-season P Zero Elect adapts Pirelli’s legacy of the electric age. It exhibits excellent steering response, and tire rack test drivers point out its “intrinsic athletic ability.” They also praised the snow and ice grip, but struggled when wet.
- Guaranteed: 50,000 miles
- Equipment: 4 sizes of 18, 19 and 20 inch wheels
Toyo Open Country A/T III EV
The presence of all terrain EV tires is just as amazing as the presence of ultra-high performance EV tires. Not only is the Toyo Open Country A/T III EV designed for terrain that electric vehicles don’t think they’ll encounter, but it also has a winter rating, wearing the 3-peak mountain snowflake symbol on its sidewall. These sidewalls are adopted from the regular (non-EV) open country A/T III with revised shoulder lugs and modest lettering to improve aerodynamic performance. Coordinating with the modified rubber compound and the tread design, everything helps make the open country A/T III EV more efficient than the regular counterpart.
- Guaranteed: 50,000 miles
- Equipment: 3 sizes for 20 inch wheels
Continental Procontact Rx
The Continental Procontact RX is not a dedicated EV tire, teeth Factory equipped with Tesla Model 3 performance. So it displays excellent handling and brake grips on both wet and dry roads, and is praiseworthy quiet. Some, but not all, Procontact RX sizes can be used with sound-absorbing foam inserts, cutting out more noise. Also, as you would expect from the original Equipemento Tesla tires, the Procontact RX is one of the more efficient tires that can be installed on an EV.
- Warranty: 40,000-50,000 miles
- Equipment: 34 sizes of 16, 17, 18, 19-, 20, and 21-inch wheels
Mischlam Lymacy MXM4
Another original Tesla tire that is not developed specifically for EVS, the Michelin Primacy MXM4 is what the non-performance model 3 wears when deployed from the factory. In-depth research reveals the difference in the slower, less important steering response and competent, but not prominent, suffering from traction, dry, wet and winter in all conditions. Though not an EV-specific tire, the Michelin Primacy MXM4 nevertheless offers excellent efficiency. It is also surprisingly quiet, especially on smooth roads, with minimal impact noise.
- Warranty: 45,000-55,000 miles
- Equipment: 25 sizes of 17, 18, 19, and 20-inch wheels
Photo by the manufacturer, courtesy of the tire rack
