The amount of technology being thrown at cars to make them more energy-efficient almost beggars belief. However, one vital contributor to economy and efficiency that's arguably still overlooked at consumer level is something that no road vehicle can do without: the tyres it runs on.
Rolling resistance is an area of tyre performance that manufacturers are committing considerable resources to. Continental says rolling resistance accounts for 20-30% of a vehicle's fuel consumption and Michelin says a 30% rise in rolling resistance increases fuel consumption by 3-5%.
For EVs, just as with ICE and hybrid cars, the effect of rolling resistance is directly linked to range and the amount of energy consumed. Energy is energy, whether it's carried as liquid or electricity.
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