MICHELIN ENERGY™ EV: a tire developed especially for electric vehicles
The presentation of the commercial model of the Renault ZOE was also the occasion to unveil a new generation of tires that have been developed specifically for electric vehicles by Michelin: the MICHELIN ENERGY™ E-V.
These tires are the result of 4 years of R&D collaboration between Michelin and Renault, which has created a product that improves electric vehicle autonomy. Michelin announced that the ZOE gains up to 6% extra autonomy with the ENERGY E-V, depending on the driving conditions.
To achieve this, Michelin had to find the best compromise between performance and safety, especially on wet roads, and energy consumption reduction, while ensuring that the tires kept their longevity. The manufacturer explained that for electric motors, the energy consumption of tires can be as high as 30%.
“With each turn of the wheel, the rubber deforms to be able to match the shape of the road. During this deformation process, the component materials of the tire heat up and diffuse energy. By reducing the heating up, we reduce the energy consumption. The technologies developed by Michelin go much further. The MICHELIN ENERGY™ E-V heats up very little when it is in motion, which reduces energy consumption. It is also capable of rapidly and selectively heating up, at the spot where the rubber is in contact with the road during braking, which also allows shorter braking distances.”
This will make it interesting to see how the ZOE holds the road, especially when it is in wet driving conditions. I remember the front wheels of the Fluence ZE started to slide very quickly on wet roads, due in part to a weight distribution that was less than ideal (lack of weight in the front + batteries on the rear axle).
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