Michelin reckons it has seen a new gap in the tyre market, specifically for cars powered by batteries that lean more towards the sporty end of the spectrum. While some of you may scoff at the idea of an electric car being in any way sporty, we would rebut that notion. We would rebut that with reference to cars such as the Tesla Model 3 Performance version, the upcoming BMW i4, rumours of the next-generation Peugeot 208 GTI being all-electric, and - c'mon, guys - the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-Tron GT.
Formula E experience
So, how do you make a set of tyres work better for an EV that wants to deliver as much driver satisfaction as environmental savings?
Well, for a start, you could maybe, and this is just off the top of our head, supply tyres to Formula E teams? Well, by happy coincidence, that's just what Michelin does, and because Formula E tyres are fitted to 18-inch rims, there is a direct correlation between the racing tyres and road car tyres, at least in terms of size.
Michelin says that its new Pilot Sport EV tyre: "benefits directly from the progress Michelin has achieved over six seasons in Formula E and incorporates 'ElectricGrip Compound' technology which features a hard compound for the centre of the tread to provide the grip required to cope with the high torque characteristics of electric sports cars. Meanwhile, the sidewalls of the latest addition to the Michelin Pilot Sport family carry over the same pattern and velvet-finish markings of Michelin's Formula E tyre."
Carbon neutrality
It's not just about the construction and outright performance of the tyre, either. Because this is a tyre designed specifically for electric cars, Michelin says that it's going to 'neutralise' the CO2 emissions that would normally come from the manufacture of the tyre, and its shipping to fitters and garages. In theory, once it's bolted to your car, the new Pilot Sport EV should be fully carbon-neutral, although Michelin does say that this is more down to "the financing of projects aimed at offsetting and absorbing the residual CO2 emissions associated with tyre production through the Livelihoods carbon fund" so you may have to take that with a slight pinch of salt, as carbon-offsetting is one of the more controversial aspects of corporate emissions performance right now. Mind you, Michelin also says that it has managed to cut the CO2 outputs of its factories by 25 per cent since 2010, and is aiming for complete carbon neutrality by 2050.
In terms of performance, Michelin says that the Pilot Sport EV has been designed specifically to work with the higher kerb weights of battery-powered cars, and to provide consistent dry and wet-weather grip "irrespective of the tyre's level of wear." Incidentally, the French tyre giant also says that the tyre is designed to strongly resist wear, which can be dramatically affected by the high-torque outputs of many electric vehicles.
Improves one-charge range
Each Pilot Sport EV has custom-developed polyurethane foam injected into it, which cuts down on tyre roar and road noise (a critical aspect for otherwise-silent EVs) and - here's the kicker - Michelin says that the Pilot Sport EV has very low rolling resistant, which can add a potential 60km to the range of your electric car (based on an electric SUV with a weight of 2,151kg and a range of 540km).
The Pilot Sport EV goes on sale later this year, in sizes ranging from 18-inch to 22-inch.