20" Blizzak LT winter usage summary

[Andystroh]

Hi folks - just wanted to provide some details as I take off my winter tires for the season. These were the Blizzak LT 275/65 R20.

Miles: 8760
Efficiency: 2.04 mi/kWh
Tread wear: 3/32 (tread depth is now at 14/32, originally 17/32).

I am pretty impressed that these did not wear down more, considering in the Colorado front range you do a lot of dry pavement driving on snow tires. For comparison, my 20" All terrains wore down 5/32 after 7200 miles (originally 13/32, now 8/32). Wear was pretty even across the board, most of the driving was in all purpose/snow mode.

EDIT: reminded below, it is probably worth mentioning in the warmer weather I was seeing basically an identical efficiency to the Pirellis (2.2 mi/kWh). I believe it is just the cold weather that led to a lower efficiency, the tires did not have an appreciable impact.

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[SolartoEV]

I am taking mine off this week and should have about 8000 miles and cant wait to compare. My winter average in western NY was 1.97

 

[jjswan33]

Very nice. You got better efficiency with those this winter than I did with the 20" Pirellis in OR.

 

[Andystroh]

Very nice. You got better efficiency with those this winter than I did with the 20" Pirellis in OR.

We also get the lower air resistance benefit here . But really it doesn't seem like they have much of an impact on efficiency. In November when I put them on, I was getting 2.2. Last week (first warm weather week here in Colorado) I was also getting 2.2, so right on what I see with the Pirellis. I think the cold temps were the driver of the lower winter efficiency.

 

[goldburger]

Very nice. You got better efficiency with those this winter than I did with the 20" Pirellis in OR.

Also better efficiency than my 21” tires in Los Angeles non snow weather

 

[Dark-Fx]

I saw as low as about 1.55 mi/kWh on the freeway with my 22" nokians and as high as 1.95 mi/kWh doing the same route in different weather (85 mph highway). We're "officially" out of winter so I've swapped back to my summer 22s now.

 

[Andystroh]

I saw as low as about 1.55 mi/kWh on the freeway with my 22" nokians and as high as 1.95 mi/kWh doing the same route in different weather (85 mph highway). We're "officially" out of winter so I've swapped back to my summer 22s now.

Good to know, definitely a lot of variability, we track most trips and typically ended up around 2.0 mi/kWh. Although I don't think I hit 85 mph on the snow tires except maybe once or twice!

 

[Dark-Fx]

GOod to know, definitely a lot of variability, we track most trips and typically ended up around 2.0 mi/kWh. Although I don't think I hit 85 mph on the snow tires except maybe once or twice!

I definitely agree tire change didn't seem to make enough difference in range loss. Temperature is the biggest factor. Tire change definitely would with my Bolt EV though.

 

[SolartoEV]

Didn't see any different than my 20" AT that i kept on until the middle of December. My 26,000 mile average is 2.19. Temperature seems to big the biggest factor. I also park in a heated garage.

 

[CharonPDX]

Very nice. You got better efficiency with those this winter than I did with the 20" Pirellis in OR.

Same. 20" Pirellis, and I'm at 1.7. Living near the top of a hill doesn't help. In the cold, I don't get any regeneration going down the hill, but I have to spend all the energy coming back up. So every grocery trip, doctor visit, fast food trip, down then back up. Should be better soon once it's warmer (for more than the one or two days of "false spring") so I can get more regen going down.

 

[Franksmartin]

Do you swap them yourself or at a shop? I'll be getting a winter tire/wheel set for next winter, thinking about getting the EV1 bottle jack and do it myself but then I can't balance the tires...

 

[moosehead]

Thanks @Andystroh. You must have been rewarded with some tremendous powder days this season. Nicely done.

 

[Andystroh]

Do you swap them yourself or at a shop? I'll be getting a winter tire/wheel set for next winter, thinking about getting the EV1 bottle jack and do it myself but then I can't balance the tires...

We had it done at a shop, we put them on the same wheels.

Thanks @Andystroh. You must have been rewarded with some tremendous powder days this season. Nicely done.

Thanks, yeah we have had a good winter. Hoping we get some good weather thing spring for some great spring skiing

 

[kylealden]

I made the same swap, and saw 1.78 mi/kWh over about 4000 miles this winter, down from my lifetime average of around 1.9. That reflects a heavy bias towards actual winter driving, namely lots of trips up and over mountain passes, driving through blizzards, playing in powder, etc. I also had skis and/or my RTT mounted for probably half of those miles.

All other things being equal, I haven't seen any appreciable difference between the Pirellis and the Blizzaks in efficiency - both are capable of beating the manufacturer estimates under good circumstances. But the Blizzaks were outstanding in the snow. I cruised through several drives where the ditches were littered with other vehicles. Great upgrade for the winter.

I just had the local Les Schwab swap out the tires on the same rims (including the spare), but at some point I'll probably get a new set of rims once my ATs wear out so I can make the seasonal swap myself (and because I grimace every time I watch Les Schwab lift the truck teetering between two floor jacks and a lift )

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