Do replacement tyres come with my EV?

Tyres are the unsung heroes of driving, and we want to salute them. They’re the only physical link between the car and the road, and keeping them new and in good condition is essential for safe driving.

Conveniently, both our EV salary sacrifice scheme, and the ultimate EV package both come with replacement tyres! And that can add up to big savings in the long run. But don’t just take our word for it. See the maths for yourself.

We’ll replace up to four tyres for free, assuming fair wear and tear, within 20,000 miles. Saving you some big money.

Here’s how the numbers stack up.

Imagine you drive a Tesla Model Y from Octopus Electric Vehicles, either through salary sacrifice or our ultimate EV package. You have 30,000 miles included in your 3 year agreement. Because you’re expecting to drive 30,000 miles we’ll cover up to 6 new tyres within this period.

The estimated retail price of replacing 6 tyres for a Tesla Model Y is £1,650.

So imagine you’ve not taken the best care of your tyres, and you need 6 replacements during your contract. It’s all covered in your agreement.

No judgement here, and no unexpected costs. We’ll get it sorted for you. Hassle-free.

Let’s be honest, tyres all look pretty similar: round and black with a hole in the middle. But saying they’re all the same is like claiming a Fiat is no different to a Ferrari.

As with any product, you can get budget tyre makers and premium companies with more expensive products. And you get what you pay for. Premium tyres might be pricier but they should last you longer and make your electric car perform better, together with using more advanced technology.

Tyre companies spend millions of pounds developing tyres. Some are designed to suit high performance cars; others prioritise better grip in cold or soaking wet conditions and what’s even better, more and more are designed especially for EVs.

EV tyres can be more expensive than regular tyres because they have some very specific characteristics.

Electric cars are much heavier than their petrol or diesel equivalents. A Vauxhall Corsa-e can weigh up to a third more than its petrol peer because of its batteries. The tyres must be able to support that extra weight, so they need to have a stronger and more expensive system of belts.

EV tyres are also designed for quieter rolling, as EVs make a lot less noise compared to petrol engines, which means you can hear more of the outside noise, including the tyres.

As part of this, the engineers also build EV tyres to have lower rolling resistance. This means it takes less energy to get the tyres moving, which makes them more efficient and improves battery range.

Last but not least, EV tyres must be able to cope with the extra forces that an electric car puts through them. An EV instantly gives you all the power that drives you forward, known as torque. Applying all that torque to the road surface at once can cause regular tyres to wear faster.

Many little things that add up to extra pennies in manufacturing EV tyres.

But, while EV tyres might be slightly more expensive than conventional ones, they’re usually more durable. And that means they’ll actually work out cheaper over time than if you were to use cheap, faster-wearing tyres, not designed for EVs.

In short, it’s mostly down to you and how you drive. Tyre lifespan depends on your driving style and how you maintain them. Driving like you’re in a car chase, accelerating to warp speed and cornering on two wheels and your tyres won’t last as long as if you have a more steady style.

Looking after your tyres will increase their life too. Keeping them inflated to the car manufacturer’s recommended air pressures will cut wear. It will also reduce rolling resistance, increase EV efficiency and boost range.

Correct wheel alignment will help get the most out of your tyres. Inspect tyres regularly and if you notice the tread wearing more heavily on one side, your wheels may be out of alignment so get a professional’s guidance.

Assuming you do drive sensibly and look after your tyres, you can expect to get between 20,000 and 30,000 miles out of them. You might even get more tyre miles from an EV than from a petrol or diesel car. This is because EVs have much more efficient traction control systems that are better at preventing wheel spin and preserving tyres. Win-win!