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Goodyear Launches New Tire Designed Specifically for Electric Cars

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Goodyear has introduced a new tire named ‘Electric Drive GT’, which is an ultra-high performance, all-season tire specifically designed and created for use by electric cars. The new product will launch later in 2022, and it’s going to be initially available in one size, 255/45R19 104W XL.

This size fits in the most popular high-performance EVs available in the market right now, like the Tesla Model Y, for example, so Goodyear is focusing on a specific set of models. Later on, the American tire manufacturer will introduce more sizes, but the firm provided no exact timelines on that front.

The challenge of designing a tire for EVs is different from tires used in cars that use internal combustion engines because of the seemingly incompatible and often contradicting characteristics that it has to have.

For example, EVs are heavier and use high-torque electric motors, so the tire needs to handle the immense forces exerted on its structure. Yet, it needs to have a low rolling resistance to keep the nominal range at high levels since cars run on limited battery power.

Another example is combining all-weather characteristics with ultimate silence. This is practically challenging because complex asymmetric thread patterns inevitably introduce noise. Because EVs are intrinsically silent, tire noise is more accentuated, so it needs to be as toned down as possible.

To achieve this silencing, Goodyear focused on reducing the amount of air vibration on the tire by using computer simulations to perfect the thread design for that purpose.

“With the continued growth in the EV segment, Goodyear recognized an opportunity to provide consumers with a tire designed for the unique needs of these vehicles,” states Andrew Lau, Goodyear’s product marketing manager.

“We know drivers are looking for a replacement tire that delivers enhanced tread wear without sacrificing performance. The ElectricDrive GT was designed with that in mind, and we’re thrilled to bring this option to market for EV drivers in the U.S.”


It is worth noting that Goodyear isn’t the only player in the rapidly growing market of EV replacement tires. In fact, it’s the fourth manufacturer to enter that niche space, after Continental, Michelin, and Bridgestone.

Source: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Image Credit: Pixabay