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Tyres fitted to electric company cars are on average bigger and more expensive than those fitted to their petrol or diesel equivalents, according to new real-world data from software company Epyx.
The firm reported that the average replacement tyre fitted to an EV was to fit a wheel 18.59in in diameter, and cost £207, while the corresponding figures for the average petrol and diesel car were 17.40in and £130.
The data comes from Epyx's 1link Service Network, which is used to manage SMR for more than four million company vehicles.
Discussing the findings, Epyx growth director Charlie Brooks did offer some mitigation for EVs, based on the market segments the vehicles generally occupied.
He said: "These figures need to be approached with some caution because of the samples involved.
"Most EVs operated by fleets tend to be at least the size of a family hatchback with comparatively few smaller vehicles yet available, so the electric cars on our platform tend to skew towards larger models.
"However, even bearing that in mind, the data does suggest that EV tyres are currently more expensive than ICE tyres in operational terms both because of their bigger size and the fact that many specialist electric car tyres simply have higher price tags. The price differential indicated is relatively wide."
Brooks added that Epyx had compiled limited data so far on EV tyre wear and replacement, because of the relative newness of EVs as a mainstream fleet choice, but said that the firm hoped it would be able to create meaningful comparisons with petrol and diesel vehicles soon.
He said: "Compared to petrol and diesel cars, there are relatively few EVs that have been on fleets for a complete three-four year cycle, so we don't have a comprehensive picture of tyre replacement.
"This is quite a complex area, with specialist EV tyres often having characteristics such as different compounds, reduced tread depth and reinforced sidewalls, all of which could ultimately have an impact on wear rates and damage.
"As the picture becomes clearer over time, we plan to release more information. Building a complete picture of how EV and ICE running costs compare is very much an ongoing process for us at this moment in time."
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