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Help Me Decide EV Tires

kanundrum

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2019 Hyundai Ioniq EV
Stock Size: 205/55/16

The current tires are Energy Saver A/S - Size: 205/55R16

Goal: Way Better Grip in Inclement weather while still maintaining or bettering range. Current tires are a deathtrap in the rain imho haha.

Thoughts: Getting a 195/55/16 tire would help with range as rotational mass wouldn't change (if I choose a better stock size tire, Mass per tire would change 2lbs per wheel).

Issue: While Rotational mass wouldnt change (most likely) on the 195 section tires the grip would be better obviously making it a less efficient tire. Might be overthinking it all but open to any pieces of information. Everything I find online seems to be in support of reducing sectional width for better range and also mentions tread design and rotational mass but don't really see to much concrete evidence on if rotational mass has issues with reducing EV range as regen would just be that much more.


What tire would you choose and any real world experience?
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SeaGeo

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I feel like I've noticed continental having good rubber compounds for reasonable grip with high efficiency tires (all the way down to road bike tires). Have you looked at comparing the performance of their pro contact TX to what you have?
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/continental-pro-contact-tx

Edit: In a weird twist I was just thinking... "I wonder how my ID.4 tires are and if that would help him." Then I realized it hasn't rained in Seattle since I bought it. :oops:
 
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DucRider

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I've never had to put tires on any of our EVs, so no 1st hand experience (The Fit EV included all maintenance and they even put new tires on at ~ 30K miles). Our others are still on original tires

There is always going to be a certain amount of trade off between grip, durability and efficiency.

Dropping to the 195 is going to decrease diameter by .5". Pretty sure the speedo, odometer and range calculations/estimates will be off as a result.

If it were me, I'd stick with the OEM size and sacrifice a touch of range.

Just picked up a 2020 Ioniq Electric with the bigger battery (and more range). Hasn't rained since we got it so no experience on the OEMs, bur all our EVs have been fitted with the same Michelin Energy Savers from the factory and wet performance has indeed been a bit sketch.

Some like the Bridgestone Ecopia better - some don't. Continental PureContact has also gotten some good feedback in other forums.
 

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This is why you go with 21's on your Rivian; so that like our bmw i3 you don't have to make a choice because you don't have a choice in tires! Our car now has about 75k on it and due for its second set of tires, the Bridgestone ecopia ep500.
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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I've never had to put tires on any of our EVs, so no 1st hand experience (The Fit EV included all maintenance and they even put new tires on at ~ 30K miles). Our others are still on original tires

There is always going to be a certain amount of trade off between grip, durability and efficiency.

Dropping to the 195 is going to decrease diameter by .5". Pretty sure the speedo, odometer and range calculations/estimates will be off as a result.

If it were me, I'd stick with the OEM size and sacrifice a touch of range.

Just picked up a 2020 Ioniq Electric with the bigger battery (and more range). Hasn't rained since we got it so no experience on the OEMs, bur all our EVs have been fitted with the same Michelin Energy Savers from the factory and wet performance has indeed been a bit sketch.

Some like the Bridgestone Ecopia better - some don't. Continental PureContact has also gotten some good feedback in other forums.

So the 195 option yes is technically off by a small factor (2%) the speed isn't going to be too much different (1.8mph at max speed).
Rivian R1T R1S Help Me Decide EV Tires 1627826129539



The pure contacts would be a great choice I just worry that the extra 2lbs of rotational mass per wheel will effect range something the 28kwh 2019 hyundai already lacks a little. We will be using it for road trips so trying to get as much of the car/range as possible. So by doing 195's I think its a great compromise for range/rotational mass & traction at the same time.

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience in doing so. Note looks like the Pure Contacts in a 195 section are 1lb less per wheel, decent traction and eco tech.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...ar=2019&autoModel=Ioniq+Electric&autoModClar=

Rivian R1T R1S Help Me Decide EV Tires 1627827841266
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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This is why you go with 21's on your Rivian; so that like our bmw i3 you don't have to make a choice because you don't have a choice in tires! Our car now has about 75k on it and due for its second set of tires, the Bridgestone ecopia ep500.
In an ideal world, we'd have our Rivian by now so I wouldn't have to play this guessing game! Since you have a i3 I think thats the best route as you probably cant get any smaller sectional width and going wider would reduce range.
 
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thrill

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Since the R1T delay(s), we're about to buy our very low mileage i3s (2018 w/ 7500 miles) coming off lease, which would have been overpriced a year ago but with the current used car market being slim pickings, not so much, and as I may have been overenjoying the acceleration the last two years, we'll need some new way-too-custom compound much too soon.
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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Ended up doing the following, 10.1lbs per corner saved in rotational mass at the sacrifice of aero benefits. Also kept stock width for better grip and the original tire I wanted. Curious to see any range extension and hoping not any reduction.


Rivian R1T R1S Help Me Decide EV Tires 1628011336607
 
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skyote

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Ended up doing the following, 10.1lbs per corner saved in rotational mass at the sacrifice of aero benefits. Also kept stock width for better grip and the original tire I wanted.
I'm curious to hear how it turns out for you, from both a traction/performance and range perspective!

When will they be installed?
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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I'm curious to hear how it turns out for you, from both a traction/performance and range perspective!

In theory it looks like it would be great, 10lbs of Rotational mass on a car that is that under powered and already efficient on paper sounds massive. Add in Traction reduction from a stickier tire and drag compared to the stock wheel I hope it still results in a bit more range as 10lbs per corner is hard to ignore.
 

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skyote

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In theory it looks like it would be great, 10lbs of Rotational mass on a car that is that under powered and already efficient on paper sounds massive. Add in Traction reduction from a stickier tire and drag compared to the stock wheel I hope it still results in a bit more range as 10lbs per corner is hard to ignore.
My guess is that it won't affect regen too much. This is actually an interesting one due to increased traction/friction with a stickier compound, and I'd love to hear what @ajdelange and our other engineers here have to say.
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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My guess is that it won't affect regen too much. This is actually an interesting one due to increased traction/friction with a stickier compound, and I'd love to hear what @ajdelange and our other engineers here have to say.

It was funny I was totally going to tag him but Im like let him fight the bigger battles instead of my small menial questions ? ?.
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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SO I ordered wheels and tires from Tirerack, all pretty standard process, select your car, choose your setup, buy it. Should fit nice and dandy. Installing them is also as easy as changing a tire, Ive been working with cars for 20 years so Its all pretty easy stuff.


I get the wheels and tires installed and now the wheels are scraping (not tires, the actual metal to metal) on a rear control arm.

I am having to go thru hoops trying to return my setup. The fitment team needs to check to see if I was sent the wrong wheels and so I may have to mount/dismount and swap out wheels/tires because they messed up.

Anywhose sometimes taking a L, keeping it simple is less headache LOL.

Result did confirm at least 10lbs per corner reduced.


Rivian R1T R1S Help Me Decide EV Tires 1628784974499
 

mkhuffman

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SO I ordered wheels and tires from Tirerack, all pretty standard process, select your car, choose your setup, buy it. Should fit nice and dandy. Installing them is also as easy as changing a tire, Ive been working with cars for 20 years so Its all pretty easy stuff.


I get the wheels and tires installed and now the wheels are scraping (not tires, the actual metal to metal) on a rear control arm.

I am having to go thru hoops trying to return my setup. The fitment team needs to check to see if I was sent the wrong wheels and so I may have to mount/dismount and swap out wheels/tires because they messed up.

Anywhose sometimes taking a L, keeping it simple is less headache LOL.

Result did confirm at least 10lbs per corner reduced.


1628784974499.png
Can you add a spacer to move the wheels away from the control arm? That would be a lot cheaper than having to buy new wheels. I would try that first.

BTW - for highway range, the two biggest wheel impacts on range are rolling resistance and aerodynamic/ventilation resistance. Rotational mass has a very minor impact on highway range, because it only impacts the energy needed to change speed.

When slowing down, the additional resistance a larger rotational mass provides can be partially recaptured with regen braking. So the only significant impact rotational mass has is when you are accelerating.

If you don't care about highway range and will primarily driving 0-25 mph, you might see a range improvement with lower mass wheels, but I bet even then an increase in rolling resistance will more than offset any rotational mass gains. The tires you purchased are not low rolling resistance tires...
 
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kanundrum

kanundrum

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Can you add a spacer to move the wheels away from the control arm? That would be a lot cheaper than having to buy new wheels. I would try that first.

BTW - for highway range, the two biggest wheel impacts on range are rolling resistance and aerodynamic/ventilation resistance. Rotational mass has a very minor impact on highway range, because it only impacts the energy needed to change speed.

When slowing down, the additional resistance a larger rotational mass provides can be partially recaptured with regen braking. So the only significant impact rotational mass has is when you are accelerating.

If you don't care about highway range and will primarily driving 0-25 mph, you might see a range improvement with lower mass wheels, but I bet even then an increase in rolling resistance will more than offset any rotational mass gains. The tires you purchased are not low rolling resistance tires...

Well the whole point of tirerack was a all in one solution at the price they charge, if I am starting to throw in spacers and other things Id just rather not. Fair point on the rest I was hoping the rotational mass would offset the NON LRR tires because I want HIGH Grip as the car will be our main daily until our R1S comes (hopefully by Nov 2022) so I want tires I can literally count on for grip in all types of weather.

BTW Found the issue:

Rivian R1T R1S Help Me Decide EV Tires 1628791284071
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