New tires to keep range?

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CharlyM

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Hi all,

It's finally time after 40000 miles to get rid of our Nexen tires.

Any recommandations for new tires that don't destroy the range? Looks like the local Costco has Michelin Energy Saver A/S / Primacy MXV4 (Niro comes with those right?) / Primacy 3 / Primacy Tour A/S.

It's seemingly hard to find information online about how much range I'll loose with any of those! Weather is not really a concern, it rains like 20 days a year around here.

Thanks,
 
Yeah, this was a massive pain to find any information about for me as well. I wound up going with the Energy Saver A/S, and while I think there may be small range hit (10 miles-ish?) I'm still averaging about 4.8 mi/kWh like before and they're certainly an improvement over the Nexens. It's frustrating that the Primacy 4s aren't available in the US, I've read reports that those actually increase the range but AFAICT they're completely unavailable here.
 
I have new Primacy 4+ set on my Kona. They are way better than Nexens, but have noticeable less range.
All eco tires with lower energy consumption usually suck at other parameters.
So you basically need to prioritize, what you like more, range or other parameters. As all tires are just a compromise of different paramaters including price.
 
I understand some folks don't like the Nexens, but I wonder if you think these might be the best option if efficiency and price are the top priorities. Other than the first week we had the car (when I'd zip around in Sport mode and chirp the tires), I haven't noticed any problems with handling, braking, etc during our 55,000 miles (about 2/3rds of that on the Nexens - used for the non-snowy months).

I gather that if performance is your top criteria, the Nexens aren't anyone's favorite, but in terms of an efficient tire for $120, am I nuts to consider going with the same thing?
 
NRH said:
I understand some folks don't like the Nexens, but I wonder if you think these might be the best option if efficiency and price are the top priorities. Other than the first week we had the car (when I'd zip around in Sport mode and chirp the tires), I haven't noticed any problems with handling, braking, etc during our 55,000 miles (about 2/3rds of that on the Nexens - used for the non-snowy months).

I gather that if performance is your top criteria, the Nexens aren't anyone's favorite, but in terms of an efficient tire for $120, am I nuts to consider going with the same thing?
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I stuck with the OEM tires on my 2 gen-1 Honda Insights for 20 years because I chose that car for its 70-mpg efficiency. I'm running the OEM tires on my Honda Clarity PHEV and my MINI Cooper SE even though some members of the InsideEVs forums for those cars say the sportier tires they've chosen are worth a 10-15% hit on EV range.

If you find the Nexens meet your criteria for handling, braking, etc., why make a change and lose the range?
 
insightman said:
I stuck with the OEM tires on my 2 gen-1 Honda Insights for 20 years because I chose that car for its 70-mpg efficiency. I'm running the OEM tires on my Honda Clarity PHEV and my MINI Cooper SE even though some members of the InsideEVs forums for those cars say the sportier tires they've chosen are worth a 10-15% hit on EV range.

If you find the Nexens meet your criteria for handling, braking, etc., why make a change and lose the range?
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On another thread it was recommended Nokian type one. I purchased those. Tire is from Norway. My tire guy said they were one of the best for an EV.
Range increase or decrease I really don't know but I'm sure without being technical I haven't notice any change. They have a reinforced side wall and are 3 seasons they say.
 
I have Michelin Primacy 4 and it's a very good choice. I chcecked Promacy 4+ and found they are not so energy efficent as the older model.
 
I got the Primacy MXV4's for my 2019 Ultimate in late January. I had plenty of tread left on the Nexens but was tired of spinning out with basic acceleration and the rainy weather we've had this winter really pointed out the lack of wet traction. The MXV4's are a HUGE improvement in traction and I have to floor it to make them spin out now. No more squealing tires when I make a relatively basic tight turn. Wet traction feels solid and much improved.
As far as range goes, there has been a drop from what I had with the Nexens. I track my mileage and energy input through my home EVSE and in the 6 weeks prior to the tire change the average was 4.19 mi/kWh (note that this is not mi/kWh as displayed in the car but my own calculation). My driving style, routes, weekly mileage and weather are essentially equivalent between the two time periods. Since the new tires, the average is 4.03 mi/kWh for a difference of only 3.8%. The GOM in the car used to give me about 220 mi when I would charge to 80% and most recently is giving me 206 mi, so that's a 6.4% difference.
 
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What about the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422+ ?

Funny there are no comparisons of rolling resistance for car tires. There are good rolling energy comparisons for bicycle tires.
 
insightman said:
If you find the Nexens meet your criteria for handling, braking, etc., why make a change and lose the range?
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Not bad logic. Some people like them others don't. Mine were jinxed with short tread life and flats. The dealer said (in an unexpected moment of candor) that the OEM Nexens were crap, and non-OEM Nexens were much better. Can anyone confirm that their second, that is non-OEM, Nexens were better quality?
 
Here's the EU database on tire labels: https://eprel.ec.europa.eu/screen/product/tyres

It's still difficult to make sense of range comparisons. EU rolling resistance is lumped into 3 categories A B or C. In a recent tire rack test two michelin tires both rated A had a range difference of 10%. If you read the tire marketing info a lot of subjective claims are made for range, but how does that compare with the OEM Nexens? We are left guessing.

So I am circling back to the Nexen NPriz Ah8. It's significantly less costly than other options and range won't suffer. Am I insane after being so disappointed with the short life of the OEM tires? In my experience OEM tires are always a disappointment, and many on the internet would agree. Car manufacturers shave a few bucks by cheating us with a substandard version of a tire. Anecdotally, the same replacement tire performs better. So my flawless logic is to believe internet conspiracy theories instead of Einstein's definition of insanity and order more Nexens. Wish me luck. Time will tell.
 
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C02less said:
In my experience OEM tires are always a disappointment
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I struck the jackpot when MINI delivered my MINI Cooper SE with Hankook Ventus S1 EVO3 summer performance tires. I don't expect them to last 50K miles, but I've never had summer performance tires before and what a joy they are when it comes to cornering! And miracle-of-miracles, they somehow also offer low rolling resistance. No SE owners who have switched to other tires have achieved greater EV range.

Edit: I'm not claiming my Hankooks would deliver better range than a dedicated EV tire like the Nexen NPriz Ah8. It's interesting there would be a better, non-OEM version of that tire.
 
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As you would expect, we denizens of InsideEVs' MINI Cooper SE forum are very sensitive to the effects of tires on range. My SE's EPA range rating is a whopping 110 miles. The 2022/23 SE's range ballooned to 114 miles by replacing the stylish fog lights on my car with an air intake that creates an aerodynamic air-curtain for the front wheels.

It may be counter-intuitive for drivers of other EVs, but I'm happy with my car's limited range. The weight of a 250-mile battery would destroy the agile performance for which MINIs are famous.

Here's a MINI SE forum post from today about an all-season tire garnering the top, A-rating in the European tire efficiency ratings:
pictsidhe said:
I found only one economy A rated all season in a UK tyre site
Goodyear vector 4 seasons. The euro tyre labels are a great way to asses actual tyre performance.
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