Tyres fitted to electric vehicles are wearing out faster despite costing more, new fleet data from Epyx suggests.

EV tyres are lasting, on average, 6,350 fewer miles than those fitted to petrol or diesel cars and 6,656 than for hybrids

It’s found that EV tyres are lasting, on average, 6,350 fewer miles than those fitted to petrol or diesel cars and 6,656 than for hybrids.

The first tyre change for electric cars is taking place at an average of 17,985 miles and 551 days old, compared to 24,641 miles and 585 days for hybrids, and 24,335 and 670 days for petrol and diesel cars.

The data is taken from Epyx’s 1link Service Network platform, used by car and van fleets totalling more than four million vehicles to manage and process SMR.

Epyx data released in March also suggested that EV tyres are both bigger and more expensive than petrol or diesel equivalents. The average replacement tyre fitted to an EV was 18.59 inches and cost £207 while, for petrol and diesel cars, the corresponding figures were 17.40 inches and £130.

Tim Meadows, chief commercial officer at Epyx, warned again that data in this area needs to be approached with a “degree of caution” because of the samples involved – most EVs operated by fleets are typically larger models due to comparatively few smaller vehicles being available yet.

“However, even bearing that in mind, both the new data and the figures we have released previously do seem to suggest that EV tyres are wearing faster and are more expensive to replace. There is no denying that 6,350 miles and £77 are quite significant gaps, and EV tyres are undoubtedly costing fleets more money in real world terms at the moment.”

The wider question, he added, was whether this was an inherent characteristic of EVs or just a reflection of the types of EVs being operated by fleets.

“There are conflicting arguments being made in the fleet sector at the moment, with some believing that the weight of EVs and the tyres being specified for them will inevitably mean faster wear, while others are saying that the picture is similar to petrol and diesel cars.”

He also warned that analysis here has to take in wider factors. Specialist EV tyres often have characteristics such as different compounds, reduced tread depth and reinforced sidewalls, all of which could ultimately impact on the speed of wear and propensity for damage, before pricing is considered.

It’s an area that Epyx will continue to research.

“Building a complete picture of how EV and ICE running costs compare is very much an ongoing process for Epyx in the coming months and years.”