Most electric vehicle owners should put some more air in their tyres.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of the 512 New Zealand EV owners who responded to the latest Flip the Fleet survey report they only check their tyre pressure every six months or so, or even less frequently.
Six percent never check their tyre pressure. Hopefully, their mechanic does it for them during routine servicing and warrant of fitness checks, citizen science group Flip the Fleet says.
“Having properly inflated tyres is not just a legal requirement, it greatly increases energy efficiency and range of the EV and it keeps the drivers’ safer on the road,” Flip the Fleet spokesman and Dunedin EV owner Alan Wilden says.
Alan Wilden
“Having the right pressure and making sure the tyres are well aligned greatly increases the life of the tyres too and means you save even more money from an EV.”
Low pressure increases emergency braking distances, especially in wet conditions. Over-inflating tyres can be a problem too. It increases the chances of getting a puncture and can change steering and lateral grip so the car is harder to control when evasive manoeuvres or emergency stops are required.
Best practice guidelines for all vehicle owners is to check the tyre pressure at least once a month because tyres naturally lose between one and two pounds per square inch (psi) per month since they were last pumped up.
Most EV owners will be running on under-inflated tyres, Wilden says. But the situation is probably even worse for petrol and diesel car owners.
“Our survey showed many owners have increased their tyre checks since getting an EV, so petrol and diesel car owners must be running on even flatter tyres,” Wilden says.
Increased vigilance among EV owners is motivated mainly by a wish to maximise the range on a full charge. Nevertheless, a few EV owners now do fewer checks, mainly because they no longer visit petrol stations or because they tend to use the EV for more local travel, Flip the Fleet says.
Previously, they checked tyre pressure mainly before a long trip, and these days EV owners tend to use an old petrol car they keep as a second car for such big excursions.
Neglect of tyres may be part of a much bigger problem of people just taking technology for granted.
“Modern cars of all sorts require much less maintenance than the older cars I owned as a young man. People are getting out of the habit of checking and maintaining cars, including the tyres,” Wilden says.
The survey showed many owners are pretty oblivious about their tyres. When asked what sort of tyres they used or preferred, many couldn’t say. Others say “round ones”, “black ones” and “ones without a puncture”. Some replied “who cares” or admitted “pure laziness” prevented them checking their tyres often enough.
But smarter owners realise the importance of the tyres for vehicle efficiency and targeted low rolling resistance brands. Two owners even filled their EV’s tyres with nitrogen rather than air because they believe that this keeps them properly inflated for longer and gives a smoother ride.
Visit flipthefleet.org for more information.
