Tires on electric cars wear out faster than those on gasoline vehicles

Notice to drivers who think they are ecological: electric cars wear out their tires more quickly, which they must change a year earlier than with gasoline cars.

“Electric cars are on average 23% heavier than their gasoline equivalent. By driving on the roads, this additional weight creates accelerated wear of the rubber,” explains Journal chemical engineer Denis Rodrigue, who runs a laboratory at Laval University specializing in the reuse of residual materials from end-of-life tires. He recently produced a study on the subject in collaboration with Recyc-Québec.

The great power of these vehicles would also have an effect on tire wear. “When you accelerate and brake quickly, as we see a lot with electrically powered vehicles, that also affects wear,” he continues.

15% reduction

The engineer calculated that due to this accelerated wear, electric car owners have to change their tires a year earlier, on average. The lifespan is thus reduced by 15%. Rather than the 100,000 km covered by the tire of a gasoline car, the maximum mileage of an electric car will be 85,000 km.

“The electric car does not emit greenhouse gases, but when it comes to tires, pollution is increased,” he comments a few days before the deadline to fit our vehicles with winter tires [1^er décembre]. He himself has to make an appointment with his mechanic and is worried about not being able to do it in time…

100,000 tonnes

The milestone of 100,000 tonnes of used tires per year in the province was crossed last year, according to Recyc-Québec. We currently recover 97% of the rubber extracted from these tires, but processing companies have reached their maximum capacity, according to Mr. Rodrigue.

And the number of tires continues to increase. “We know that the vehicle fleet is growing, both for gasoline and electric cars. That means more tires for recycling.”

For several years, Mr. Rodrigue and his team have been carrying out experiments on the revaluation of tire compounds, made up of 10 to 15% metal, a similar proportion of textile and some 70% synthetic rubber.

The material it is made of is made from petroleum derivatives and cannot be remelted for recycling as can be done with glass, for example. The metal from the tire can be reused for the structures of the orange cones. And transformed into small balls, the rubber from the tires can be used to make arena mats and outdoor carpeting. But this market is also saturated, which is why Laval University’s research can open the door to new possibilities.

2.3 million tonnes of old tires recovered since 1999

• 1990: a fire involving 5 million tires in Saint-Amable forces Quebec to adopt an end-of-life tire policy.
• 1999: an amount of $3 is taken from the purchase of each new tire for the recovery of residues.
• 2000: Quebec prohibits burying or incinerating tires and accepting old tires from abroad.
• 1999-2023: each year, between 8 and 10 million automobile and truck tires are recovered. In total: 2.3 million tonnes of end-of-life tires.

Source: Recyc-Québec and Denis Rodrigue