EV Grumblings – Tire Replacement Rates?

Click to enlarge

J.D. Power said today that early data from its unpublished 2024 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study shows that EV tires may fall short of meeting this expectation, with a higher replacement rate in years One and Two of ownership than with internal combustion vehicle tires. (AutoInformed: J.D. Power – Vehicle Dependability Down Again; J.D. Power and Motorq to Monitor EV Battery Health)

In what could be a stretch of a still to be verified conclusion based on a much needed larger sample size that doesn’t yet exist, Power claimed that “more than a quarter of new vehicle shoppers who are considering an EV cite reliability as a factor in this decision.” Well, duh, they might also prioritize other things such as saving the planet, eschewing fossil fuels, and charging at home. How this sorts out in a changing marketplace remains to be seen. Power did say that the gap in replacement rates appears to be closing.

The Study scheduled for publication on 25 March 2024 will see awards for the highest-ranked tire brand in each of four vehicle-based tire segments: Luxury, Passenger Car, Performance Sport, and Truck/Utility. J.D. Power, however, will continue to rank brands based on the second year of ownership.

“Award recipients are recognized in vehicle-based tire segments based on the different needs of customers in each segment. As a result, index weights for the index factors Tire Ride, Tire Traction/Handling, Tire Wear, and Tire Appearance are different for each of the four award segments,” according to Power.

Tire Brands to Be Rated

BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Dunlop, Falken, Firestone, General, Giti, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Nexen, Nitto, Pirelli, Toyo, Vogue, and Yokohama.