All-season tires are a good choice for hybrid and electric cars as these tires usually have the lowest rolling resistance out of any tires. This is because tires like winter tires and all-weather tires have deeper tread blocks to help with grip and traction on snow and ice. Since all-season tires are not made for winter weather conditions and do not hold the “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” emblem they are not required to have such an aggressive tread pattern. This in turn equals lower rolling resistance which helps make the car more environmentally friendly which is of course the reason many people invest in hybrid and electric cars. The lowered rolling resistance decreases the amount of energy needed for each journey thereby allowing the hybrid or electric car to go further. Rolling resistance is the combination of forces that work against the forward motion of your vehicle. The weight, gravity and inertia, the amount of friction between the tires and the road surface, as well as air drag.
Most hybrid or electric cars actually come equipped with all-season tires from the factory. The other big advantage with these tires is that they can be used year-round if you live in an area with mild year-round climate which is the case in some areas of the United States. It is recommended to choose all-season tires in these areas. It is important when replacing tires on your hybrid or electric car that you follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire dimensions and buy tires especially recommended for hybrid and electric cars. This is because the factory default tires where placed on your hybrid or electric car for a reason- that being to provide the least amount of rolling resistance and provide for a silent drive. Since these types of cars do not make any engine noise it is important to use tires that aren’t noisy. There has been lots of new innovations to produce tires that are capable of providing both low rolling resistance and a quiet drive.
Depending on where you live dictates what kind of tires you are able to buy. If you live in an area with mild year-round weather, then all-season tires remain the best choice especially for hybrid and electric cars. On the other hand, if the winters are severe then you have the option to place winter tires on your car in the winter, or to buy all-weather tires.
The trade off with all-weather tires versus all-season tires is that to provide better grip which is the case in the all-weather tires you increase the rolling resistance. Low rolling resistance is important as four to eleven percent of a car’s fuel is used up providing the energy to propel the tires along the road. If the climate allows for it then all-season tires are the best choice for hybrid and electric cars as it keeps the rolling resistance to a minimum.
For more information on all-season tires for hybrid cars, visit nokiantires.com