electric cars

A recent survey has found that only six per cent of UK motorists can correctly identify a tyre’s load rating. Worse still, we’re only half as good at accomplishing this task as the Germans are. Thankfully, younger drivers offer hope that this may change in future.

BMW M has chosen Pirelli P Zero Elect tyres for the BMW i4 M50, the high-performance division’s first all-electric car. Pirelli is supplying this original equipment tyre in the front axle size 255/35R20 97Y XL P-ZERO(*) elt and the rear axle 285/30R20 99Y XL P-ZERO(*) elt.

The first entirely electric Škoda to wear the brand’s go-fast vRS badge has now arrived in UK showrooms. The Škoda Enyaq Coupé iV vRS delivers up to 299PS and a maximum torque of 460 Nm, enabling the car to complete the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 111mph. Enyaq Coupé iV vRS models are equipped with black 20-inch Taurus wheels as standard or optional 21-inch Vision wheels with an anthracite finish. Three brands of original equipment tyre are available.

Europe’s first dedicated all-season electric vehicle tyre has arrived. The Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV is now available, and manufacturer Apollo Tyres says it features a “range of advanced design features and materials.” Developed specifically for year-round use by battery electric vehicles and hybrids, Apollo created the tyre to deliver greater driving range while providing superior levels of grip and traction in all conditions – including ice and snow.

As of next season, Hankook will be the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship tyre supplier. The news came out at The Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Austria on 27 September. WhatTyre was there and saw the Gen3 Formula E vehicle close-up plus Hankook being officially presented with the newly developed Hankook iON race tyres.

Hankook has adapted its Ventus S1 evo 3 for the specific requirements of two new electric Audi models, and is now suppling this tyre – the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 ev – as original equipment for the Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron. Depending on model and equipment level, these compact SUVs will leave the factory on 19- to 21-inch tyres.

The next few years will see an explosion in the replacement tyre fitment options available to electric car drivers. Sales of electric cars (EVs) in the UK and Europe are set to continue to accelerate up to deadlines dictating the end of new internal combustion engine-powered (ICE) cars into the next decade. For the replacement tyre market – the tyres bought at garages to replace the tyres originally fitted to the car from new – the effects of this will gradually become more important over the next five years.

The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is back, albeit in three-quarters scale and powered by an electric engine that’s good for around 60mph. Ferrari has collaborated with The Little Car Company to create the Ferrari Testa Rossa J. Each of the 299 vehicles produced will wear Pirelli Cinturato tyres as original equipment.

The performance stats of recently-launched electric cars highlight that electrification not only eliminates emissions, it also raises the bar in regards to sheer acceleration and instant performance. Electric saloons from manufacturers such as Audi and Porsche can hit 60 mph faster than many traditional supercars. For Goodyear, this brings exciting new challenges for tyre design and development.