2023 The Best Electric Vehicle Tires VS UHP Tires

It's not often I'm completely shocked by a tire test, but this years AMS EV tire vs normal tire test has me stumped.

Why? Let me run a few things past you. The Michelin e.Primacy was best in wet braking, beating both the Continental SportContact 7 and Bridgestone Potenza Sport, which usually ace that test. The Michelin e.Primacy also beat the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV overall, which has won every other test it's featured in, and Continental won the test twice!

The concept for the test seems relatively straightforward - get a bunch of the best performance tires on the market and test them against the newest ultra low rolling resistance / EV tires, the Michelin e.Primacy, the Falken eZiex and the Pirelli Scorpion Elect.

Things get l little more complicated as AMS also included the Kia EV6 OE version of the Continental PremiumContact 6, and the acoustic foam version of the Michelin Pilot Sport SUV. And they used two test vehicles, an EV Kia EV6 and a diesel Kia Sorento. Quite which did what escapes me, so if you want to know you should go check out the full AMS test on their website or magazine.

Test Publication:

255/45 R20 10 tires 4 categories

Similar Tests

Images courtesy of Auto Motor Und Sport

Test Publication:

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/verkehr/reifen/

Images courtesy of Auto Motor Und Sport

Test Size: 255/45 R20

Tires Tested: 10 tires

Test Categories:
4 categories (11 tests)

Similar Tests

Wet

Wet braking is the test that's raised the most eyebrows in the industry. Traditionally the wet performance of a tire is an opposing requirement of rolling resistance / energy use, highlighted by the fact the the Michelin e.Primacy has never had a good wet braking result against its rivals. Don't believe me? Check out the other tests linked from here.

In this test, the e.Primacy was not only best of the other EV tires, it was best of all the tires! Perhaps it was something to do with the rather large 255/45 R20 tire size tested, or perhaps it was due to a very high grip wet braking surface (look at the distances!) but the data had the e.Primacy at the top, and the new Falken eZiex in second, both ahead of their much higher rolling resistance counter parts, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV and Falken Azenis FK520.

Fortunately wet handling had the tires in a more expected order, with the ultra low rolling resistance tires struggling to get the Kia around the lap compared to the wet master, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport.

The ultra low rolling resistance tires were also amongst the worst in the aquaplaning tests, which is often a feature of the shallower starting tread depth and less water channels of tires designed to save energy.

Dry

Dry braking had both the Continental products at the front, with four tires tied for fourth place!

The sport-bias UHP tires led the way in the dry handling laps, with the Continental SportContact 7 having an impressive margin.

Environment

The magazine tested the rolling resistance of the tires, which is a machine test, and the energy consumption in the real world using the Kia EV6.

The EV tires led the real world test, with the Falken Azenis FK520 tying with the eZiex on the drum test. As we've seen before, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport isn't the tire to buy if you care about your energy use!

The three EV tires also had the lowest external passby noise, another feature of the low tread depth, BUT the testers did comment that the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV with acoustic foam was noticeably quieter in the cabin meaning the sound deadening foam applied to the inside of the tire was doing its job well.

There was quite a range in tire prices, with Michelin being the two most expensive products in the test.

Results

Please note: Continental claim the SportContact 7 should have over 7mm of tread depth, but in the interest of fairness, I've databased what was listed in the magazine. Based on my own measurements in a different tire size of the SC7, it seems most likely that the magazine is incorrect.

1^st

Continental SportContact 7

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: C/A/73
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 12.44 kgs
• Tread: 5.87 mm

Maximum aquaplaning safety, very balanced wet safety with strong understeer, works well with the ESP control system. Very short braking distances dry.

Strong understeer even in the dry, increased tire noise.

The SC7 is a sporty, efficient all-rounder with high safety reserves.

Dry

100%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	1st	34.1 M			100%
Dry Handling	1st	91.9 Km/H			100%

Wet

97.8%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	4th	24.3 M	23.9 M	+0.4 M	98.35%
Wet Handling	4th	50.4 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-1.2 Km/H	97.67%
Wet Circle	2nd	8.72 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.25 m/s	97.21%
Straight Aqua	2nd	83.3 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-0.5 Km/H	99.4%
Curved Aquaplaning	3rd	8.8 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-0.34 m/sec2	96.28%

Comfort

98.5%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	7th	73 dB	71.9 dB	+1.1 dB	98.49%

Value

76.4%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	6th	285	177	+108	62.11%
Rolling Resistance	4th	7.2 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+1.5 kg / t	79.17%
Energy Consumption	6th	15 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+1.8 kWh/100km	88%

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2^nd

Continental Premium Contact 6

255/45 R20 101Y

• EU Label: B/A/72
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 13.42 kgs
• Tread: 6.33 mm

Very short dry braking, Safe balance, good handling in the wet and in the dry. Very low drive-by and interior noise.

Compared to the Conti SC 7, the steering behavior is more sluggish, the tendency to understeer is more pronounced and the level of grip is somewhat lower.

The Kia EV6 OE version of PC6 was tested in this test. It is very quiet on the EV6 - technically no longer up to date as the PC7 is on the market.

Dry

99%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	1st	34.1 M			100%
Dry Handling	5th	90 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-1.9 Km/H	97.93%

Wet

94.9%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	7th	24.7 M	23.9 M	+0.8 M	96.76%
Wet Handling	5th	50 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-1.6 Km/H	96.9%
Wet Circle	5th	8.58 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.39 m/s	95.65%
Straight Aqua	8th	81.8 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-2 Km/H	97.61%
Curved Aquaplaning	8th	8 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-1.14 m/sec2	87.53%

Comfort

99.7%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	4th	72.1 dB	71.9 dB	+0.2 dB	99.72%

Value

82.7%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	3rd	213	177	+36	83.1%
Rolling Resistance	5th	7.4 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+1.7 kg / t	77.03%
Energy Consumption	6th	15 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+1.8 kWh/100km	88%

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3^rd

Michelin e.Primacy

255/45 R20 101V

• EU Label: A/A/70
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 11.89 kgs
• Tread: 6.3 mm

Best braking in the wet, very low rolling resistance and quiet rolling noise. Easily controllable tire with safe understeer tendency.

Poor ride comfort with low self-damping.

The e.Primacy is the best choice for high-quality, comfortable e-models - but it's expensive.

Dry

97.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	4th	34.9 M	34.1 M	+0.8 M	97.71%
Dry Handling	9th	89.5 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-2.4 Km/H	97.39%

Wet

94.5%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	1st	23.9 M			100%
Wet Handling	7th	49.8 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-1.8 Km/H	96.51%
Wet Circle	7th	8.46 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.51 m/s	94.31%
Straight Aqua	8th	81.8 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-2 Km/H	97.61%
Curved Aquaplaning	9th	7.68 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-1.46 m/sec2	84.03%

Comfort

100%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	1st	71.9 dB			100%

Value

80.9%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	9th	371	177	+194	47.71%
Rolling Resistance	2nd	5.9 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+0.2 kg / t	96.61%
Energy Consumption	3rd	13.4 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+0.2 kWh/100km	98.51%

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4^th

Falken e.Ziex

255/45 R20 105V

• EU Label: A/A/72
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 11.6 kgs
• Tread: 6.12 mm

Very short braking distances on wet and dry roads, very low rolling resistance and quiet rolling noise.

Too much focus on safety and efficiency criteria resulting in a sluggish response. Increased risk of slipping deeper water.

The new Falken e.Ziex is a smooth-running and safe newcomer with a good price-performance ratio.

Dry

98.8%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	3rd	34.3 M	34.1 M	+0.2 M	99.42%
Dry Handling	4th	90.3 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-1.6 Km/H	98.26%

Wet

93%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	2nd	24 M	23.9 M	+0.1 M	99.58%
Wet Handling	9th	49.4 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-2.2 Km/H	95.74%
Wet Circle	9th	8.41 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.56 m/s	93.76%
Straight Aqua	10th	81.3 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-2.5 Km/H	97.02%
Curved Aquaplaning	10th	7.2 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-1.94 m/sec2	78.77%

Comfort

100%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	1st	71.9 dB			100%

Value

90.1%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	5th	252	177	+75	70.24%
Rolling Resistance	1st	5.7 kg / t			100%
Energy Consumption	1st	13.2 kWh/100km			100%

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5^th

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: C/A/72
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 13.48 kgs
• Tread: 6.36 mm

Outstanding cornering grip on wet and dry roads, combined with very precise handling characteristics - a very sporty tire.

Long braking distances in the wet, sensitive to temperature. Increased rolling resistance and louder pass-by noise, somewhat rumbling in the cabin.

The Potenza Sport is the sportiest tire in the field - the tire to buy when efficiency isn't a priority.

Dry

98.3%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	4th	34.9 M	34.1 M	+0.8 M	97.71%
Dry Handling	2nd	90.9 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-1 Km/H	98.91%

Wet

98%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	9th	26 M	23.9 M	+2.1 M	91.92%
Wet Handling	1st	51.6 Km/H			100%
Wet Circle	1st	8.97 m/s			100%
Straight Aqua	7th	82.2 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-1.6 Km/H	98.09%
Curved Aquaplaning	1st	9.14 m/sec2			100%

Comfort

97.8%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	10th	73.5 dB	71.9 dB	+1.6 dB	97.82%

Value

67.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	7th	304	177	+127	58.22%
Rolling Resistance	10th	9.1 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+3.4 kg / t	62.64%
Energy Consumption	10th	16.1 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+2.9 kWh/100km	81.99%

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6^th

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: C/A/72
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 14.1 kgs
• Tread: 7.27 mm

Good aquaplaning protection, outstanding ride comfort and very quiet interior noise.

Slightly longer braking distances in the dry, marginal dynamic weaknesses in wet handling. Slightly increased rolling resistance. Increased pass-by noise.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV Acoustic Tested - Very quiet internal noise - more suited to combustion cars than EVs.

Dry

97.8%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	4th	34.9 M	34.1 M	+0.8 M	97.71%
Dry Handling	6th	89.9 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-2 Km/H	97.82%

Wet

98.2%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	4th	24.3 M	23.9 M	+0.4 M	98.35%
Wet Handling	3rd	50.5 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-1.1 Km/H	97.87%
Wet Circle	3rd	8.69 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.28 m/s	96.88%
Straight Aqua	1st	83.8 Km/H			100%
Curved Aquaplaning	2nd	8.93 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-0.21 m/sec2	97.7%

Comfort

98.5%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	7th	73 dB	71.9 dB	+1.1 dB	98.49%

Value

67.3%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	10th	400	177	+223	44.25%
Rolling Resistance	8th	8 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+2.3 kg / t	71.25%
Energy Consumption	8th	15.3 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+2.1 kWh/100km	86.27%

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7^th

Falken Azenis FK520

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: C/A/70
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 13.54 kgs
• Tread: 7.01 mm

Good braking and decent cornering grip in the wet. Comparatively active, safe handling dry, quiet and comfortable on the inside.

Basically a bit sluggish when turning, indifferent, unbalanced wet handling, longer braking distances on a dry track.

The FK520 is a comparatively cheaper all-rounder with only small weaknesses.

Dry

98.3%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	4th	34.9 M	34.1 M	+0.8 M	97.71%
Dry Handling	3rd	90.8 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-1.1 Km/H	98.8%

Wet

95.3%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	3rd	24.2 M	23.9 M	+0.3 M	98.76%
Wet Handling	8th	49.6 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-2 Km/H	96.12%
Wet Circle	6th	8.52 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.45 m/s	94.98%
Straight Aqua	6th	82.6 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-1.2 Km/H	98.57%
Curved Aquaplaning	7th	8.06 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-1.08 m/sec2	88.18%

Comfort

98%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	9th	73.4 dB	71.9 dB	+1.5 dB	97.96%

Value

82.2%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	4th	216	177	+39	81.94%
Rolling Resistance	6th	7.6 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+1.9 kg / t	75%
Energy Consumption	5th	14.7 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+1.5 kWh/100km	89.8%

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8^th

Maxxis Victra Sport VS5 SUV

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: C/A/71
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 13.82 kgs
• Tread: 7.27 mm

Proper cornering and safe handling in the wet, even when changing loads. Balanced, safe and quite precise handling dry.

Longer braking distances on wet and dry roads, slightly increased rolling resistance.

The Victra Sport 5 SUV has a slightly reduced level of performance at a fair price.

Dry

96.9%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	8th	35.5 M	34.1 M	+1.4 M	96.06%
Dry Handling	6th	89.9 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-2 Km/H	97.82%

Wet

96.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	8th	25 M	23.9 M	+1.1 M	95.6%
Wet Handling	2nd	50.8 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-0.8 Km/H	98.45%
Wet Circle	3rd	8.69 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.28 m/s	96.88%
Straight Aqua	2nd	83.3 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-0.5 Km/H	99.4%
Curved Aquaplaning	5th	8.45 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-0.69 m/sec2	92.45%

Comfort

98.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	5th	72.9 dB	71.9 dB	+1 dB	98.63%

Value

83.7%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	1st	177			100%
Rolling Resistance	9th	8.8 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+3.1 kg / t	64.77%
Energy Consumption	8th	15.3 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+2.1 kWh/100km	86.27%

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9^th

Pirelli Scorpion Elect

255/45 R20 105Y

• EU Label: A/A/70
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 12.73 kgs
• Tread: 7.2 mm

Largely safe, understeering behavior in the dry, very quiet pass-by noise, good fuel efficiency, decent ride comfort.

Long braking distances in the dry, sluggish steering, limited grip and poor steering precision in the wet.

The Scorpion Elect demands too many compromises for its increased range.

Dry

94.9%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	10th	36.6 M	34.1 M	+2.5 M	93.17%
Dry Handling	10th	88.8 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-3.1 Km/H	96.63%

Wet

94.7%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	6th	24.6 M	23.9 M	+0.7 M	97.15%
Wet Handling	10th	49.1 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-2.5 Km/H	95.16%
Wet Circle	10th	8.38 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.59 m/s	93.42%
Straight Aqua	4th	83.2 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-0.6 Km/H	99.28%
Curved Aquaplaning	6th	8.09 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-1.05 m/sec2	88.51%

Comfort

100%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	1st	71.9 dB			100%

Value

82.2%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	8th	308	177	+131	57.47%
Rolling Resistance	3rd	6.4 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+0.7 kg / t	89.06%
Energy Consumption	1st	13.2 kWh/100km			100%

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10^th

GT Radial SportActive 2 SUV

255/45 R20 105W

• EU Label: B/A/70
• 3PMSF: no
• Weight: 13.05 kgs
• Tread: 7.67 mm

Good aquaplaning protection, safe lane changes in the dry, very quiet and comfortable tire in the car.

Too long braking distances in the wet (devaluation), poorly balanced wet handling with oversteer and understeer, seems a bit overwhelmed when driven in a sporty manner given the high vehicle weight.

The cheap SportActive 2 fails with too long braking distances.

Dry

96.4%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Dry Braking	9th	35.8 M	34.1 M	+1.7 M	95.25%
Dry Handling	8th	89.6 Km/H	91.9 Km/H	-2.3 Km/H	97.5%

Wet

95%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Wet Braking	10th	26.9 M	23.9 M	+3 M	88.85%
Wet Handling	6th	49.9 Km/H	51.6 Km/H	-1.7 Km/H	96.71%
Wet Circle	8th	8.44 m/s	8.97 m/s	-0.53 m/s	94.09%
Straight Aqua	4th	83.2 Km/H	83.8 Km/H	-0.6 Km/H	99.28%
Curved Aquaplaning	4th	8.77 m/sec2	9.14 m/sec2	-0.37 m/sec2	95.95%

Comfort

98.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Noise	5th	72.9 dB	71.9 dB	+1 dB	98.63%

Value

84.6%

Test	#	Result	Best	Diff	%
Price	2nd	198	177	+21	89.39%
Rolling Resistance	7th	7.7 kg / t	5.7 kg / t	+2 kg / t	74.03%
Energy Consumption	4th	14.6 kWh/100km	13.2 kWh/100km	+1.4 kWh/100km	90.41%

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