As the UK sees a boost in new car sales, particularly with companies opting for electric vehicles (EVs) for their fleets and more individuals embracing plug-in technology, the make-up of our car parc continues to change.
This – combined with the fact that more used EVs are changing hands as newer vehicles come on to our roads – inherently brings increased interest from drivers when it comes to choosing the best tyres for their vehicles.
Selling the right tyres to EV drivers doesn’t just ensure they’re happy with the experience at the wheel of their car, it’s also an opportunity to maximise service and maintenance revenues on vehicles that have fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel (ICE) alternatives.
We don’t categorise our tyres as EV- or ICE-specific, because of the risk of over-simplification and confusion around which tyres can be fitted to which vehicles.
There is a huge variety across both vehicle types. If you look at EVs for example, a Renault Zoe is very different to a Tesla, and their drivers expect different performance characteristics from them.
That’s why we always recommend identifying the right tyres for the vehicle on a case-by-case basis.
The best way to go about this is to opt for a like-for-like tyre replacement for the tyres the ICE or electric vehicle came fitted with as new – otherwise known as original equipment (OE) tyres.
Do this and the vehicle remains as the manufacturer intended, covering everything from safety to performance and emissions.
We collaborate closely with EV and ICE vehicle manufacturers to develop tyres that meet their performance, specification and quality standards – a process that typically lasts three to five years.
While we don’t offer a specific ‘EV tyre’, our latest generation of tyres, specified by nine of the top 10 highest-volume EV manufacturers worldwide, features an ‘EV compatible’ logo, indicating its suitability for battery-powered vehicles.
To manage high instant torque, increased weight from the battery and demand for maximum range with minimum emissions, our EV-compatible tyres are designed and constructed to offer a smoother, more energy-efficient and low-impact ride.
In electric cars, which are quieter than vehicles with standard internal combustion engines, tyre noise can appear to be amplified inside the cabin.
Our ContiSilent technology uses a special polyurethane foam layer inside the tyre to effectively absorb vibration and reduce in-cabin noise levels.
This feature is popular among vehicle manufacturers and is also available in replacement EV tyres, identifiable by the ContiSilent label on their sidewall.
With more than 150 years of tyre development experience, at Continental we have unmatched expertise that budget tyre manufacturers cannot rival.
Premium tyre performance is continuously propelled by the increasingly demanding technical specifications set by vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), as they seek to balance factors such as rolling resistance with wet grip performance – not to mention the growing importance of using more sustainable materials.
And these factors increasingly matter to drivers, too. Many are stepping into the relative unknown with their first EV (or one of their first), and they want to know their car will perform for them.
That’s where the opportunity to reassure them and upsell premium OE tyres comes in.
For more information about the role of tyres and how to help your customers choose the right one for their vehicle, contact [email protected].
Continental says its EV-compatible tyres can be a terrific upsell for car dealers
Electric vehicle tyres – Everything you need to know | Continental tyres (continental-tyres.co.uk)
