Increased tyre wear is not the EV’s fault – it is down to the driver, Red Corporate Driver Training has claimed.

Red says a lack of understanding of how to drive EVs is the main contributor to increased tyre wear

The fleet training specialist has waded into the debate on tyre usage and whether EVs are inherently harder on tyres than regular ICE vehicles – and it says that poor driver behaviour behind the wheel is the biggest factor influencing excessive tyre wear.

Latest data from FleetCheck indicates that tyre management is becoming the dominant factor in everyday fleet running costs and it’s warned that growing uptake of electric vehicles will only make this more acute.

Meanwhile, ATS Euromaster has separately warned that the switch to electric vehicles is likely to bring increased tyre spend for fleets due to faster wear rates.

But according to Red, although the extra weight and strong acceleration of EVs are reasons for increased tyre wear, it is a lack of understanding of how to drive them that’s a bigger contributor to costs.

The firm’s CEO Seb Goldin went on: “Because EVs tend to be heavier than their ICE equivalents, they are more likely to be used in stop-start urban environments, and with higher torque through the driven wheels, fleet managers may be expecting higher tyre wear rates.

“But driver behaviour is actually by far the most important factor too. EVs are able to get up to speed quicker, and while they are generally driven more slowly overall, from stationary they’re often accelerated harder, which wears the tyres out.”

To help businesses manage the transition to EVs, Red has launched an EV familiarisation training course – and it says that following training, its clients see no more tyre wear for EVs than usual, provided they are driven properly and the unique characteristics of these vehicles are taken into account.

“Not only does this have an effect on reducing costs and wear rates back to expected norms, but it also aligns tyre wear with servicing schedules. This has a safety benefit: those drivers wearing tyres out far quicker than servicing schedules may mean they are on the road with illegal, unsafe tyres far longer than they realise.”

Red has also published its tips to help EV drivers extract the most miles from a charge…

Red’s 5 top tips for instant power savings

Don’t spill your coffee

The harder you accelerate, the more power you use. In urban areas you can use less by easing on to the accelerator gently. To be as efficient as possible – imagine a cup of coffee on the dashboard. Don’t spill it!

Drive in a 5mph window

When your speed dips and bursts you use more power and spend more money than you need to. Many tests have shown that regularly varying your speed up and down by as little as 5mph can increase your efficiency dramatically.

Be nosey, and watch others

Look ahead to see what is coming up and keep a comfortable distance between your vehicle and the one in front. By looking closely at what pedestrians and other cars are doing, and imagining what they’ll do next, you can keep your speed as steady as possible and use less energy. It’s also safer to drive this way.

Lighten up

Consider the weight carried in the vehicle. Do you need to carry around all the items in your boot? Weight is the enemy of EV efficiency.

Don’t be a drag

Turning off the regeneration or using an Eco mode on long straight sections can reduce the drag from the vehicle and thus improve efficiency. Also, why have you still got the roof box fitted from your half-term family holiday?