EUROPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TIRE MARKET

INTRODUCTION

Tire is a complicated technological component of modern automobiles that must execute a number of duties. It must cushion, dampen, give strong directional stability, and last for a long time. Thereby the EV based tires have been properly integrated to an integrated approach of EV Propulsion effectiveness.

A high-tech tyre must be as balanced in all of its features as feasible. Concentrating development fully on a single feature is unavoidable, at the expense of all other qualities. A tyre optimised only for rolling resistance, for example, would inevitably perform worse in another area. Wet braking is a typical illustration of a goal conflict in action.

A height-width ratio (aspect ratio) of 65% is standard for many vehicles today and modern tyres are getting even wider now having a height-width ratio as low as 25%. These ultra low-profile tyres are, however, built for special high-performance EV cars. Modern passenger car radials are composed of up to 25 different structural parts and as many as 12 different rubber compounds. The main structural elements are the casing and the tread/belt assembly.

EUROPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TIRE MARKET DEVELOPMENTS AND INNOVATIONS

EUROPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TIRE MARKET DYNAMICS

EVs can be solely driven with stored electrical power, some can generate this energy from an ICE, and there are also some vehicles that employ both the ICE and the electrical motors together. An electric vehicle, unlike its ICE counterparts, is quite flexible.

This is because of the absence of intricate mechanical arrangements that are required to run a conventional vehicle. In an EV, there is only one moving part, the motor and the other dynamic requirement is the tire which forms to be the after sales requirements.

For lateral control, the steering angle of the front wheels is the dominant control input. Such a technique is already well developed for the ICV. Most of these results can be applied to the EV in a much more sophisticated manner.

Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) were first used to assist prevent catastrophic failures on the road caused by significantly under inflated tyres (> 20% underinflation). According to the most recent development,  this is insufficient because TPMS does not prevent consumers from driving with underinflated tyres prior to the warning system activating.

With increased global market demand for EVs it has become more critical to focus on “in-use efficiency” based on tire operations and requirements to be in place.

Range loss is highest for the tires with the highest IPLR and lowest for the tires with the lowest possible IPLR. The IPLR mainly refers to the Integrated Potential Loss Rate wherein the As the mobility sector shifts to electric-drive systems, maintaining consistent in-use performance will become more important.

It is possible to lower tire IPLR via many routes the most significant of these being via the use of polymers with the lowest permeability coefficient.

This level of technological dynamic efficiency has been important in the market requirements as required to have better technological edge on the battery systems of the EVs. Over the vehicle’s life, a variable tire RRC could account for up to 4% battery-charge difference. Reducing IPLR and “in-use” RRC creates the potential for Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs to consider a lighter and/or less-expensive battery.

EUROPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TIRE MARKET SEGMENTATION

The Europe Electric Vehicle Tire Market can be segmented into following categories for further analysis.

By EV Classification

• BEV
• HEV
• FCEV

By Tyre Construction

• Radial Tyres
• Bias Tyres
• Composite Tyres

By Regional Classification

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Republic of Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden

RECENT MARKET TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS IN EUROPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TIRE

The differences between present-day electric vehicles and traditional, gas-powered vehicles are significant. EVs are generally heavier than their internal combustion engine-equipped counterparts. They generate more torque and less noise.

EV range is not always comparable to what a tank of gas can deliver, although OEMs are working hard to extend range limits. EVs put more torque onto the road when moving off, and the almost silent powertrain means other sounds such as tire noise become more prominent.

The European industry has recently brought upon the technology of electrically conductive Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based compounds for use in spring-loaded and elastomer-energized seals.

It enables the technological development prospects of guaranteed important properties such as insulation, thermal and electrical conductivity, as well as electromagnetic shielding. The compounds need to withstand the high temperatures typically found in the e-motor, as well as the battery’s fluids.

There are produced in Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber (EPDM) with metal bushings, the covers not only protect the battery from moisture but also provide resistance to high-pressure water, a requirement for all battery manufacturers to achieve an IP66 rating. Thereby these integrative efforts of connected approach towards battery requirements and tire requirements are enhanced with the technology.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

There has been a growing competition in Europe considering their large-scale collaborative efforts with Public Private initiatives throughout the Union nations for better mobility solution placement and alongside the mobility of a large-scale production capability of EV Tires.

Since, the Tires form one of the most important after sales products in the nations, The European Companies have taken specific interest in coping up with the EV Production scale requirements.

Nokian Tires has been one of the most recent companies under production capabilities of EV Tires in the European Union Nations. It has focused on provisioning better safety aspects and rolling resistance requirements in terms of its product deployment strategy. The Nokian tire’s rolling resistance has been integrated with lower rolling resistance which requires less energy to rotate.

It has also focused on providing the EV winter tires which are among the best in the industry in terms of grip on ice and snow and the summer tires have excellent wet grip.

Trelleborg AG has focused its approach on providing better EV Tires Technology in the EU Nations in comparison to the EV production capabilities. It has recently introduced the HiSpin® PDR RT and HiSpin® HS40, were designed with e-axle technology in mind. The rotary seals are engineered to effectively run at the high speeds required to maximize the range, or distance a vehicle with electric drive units can travel.

COMPANIES PROFILED

• Continental Tyres
• Pirelli
• Nokian Tyres
• Cooper Tires
• Hankook 
• Trelleborg AB Tyres
• Viking Tyres
• Michelin
• Goodyear 
• Dunlop Tyres
• Aeolus Tyres Co Ltd