An easy way to ease this conversation is to advise your customers on how to get more life out of their tires: rotate tires every 5-6,000 miles, check tire pressure frequently (can be as simple as keeping an eye on TPMS), and have alignments done when needed. I spoke to Scott Castner, Product Manager at Dorman (who has over 20 years of experience at regional tire service companies as an automotive technician, store manager, and regional director) and he recommended promoting to your customers that your shop will rotate any future tires the customer buys for free if the tires are bought from you. This fact in particular could help ease the conversation about faster tire wear.
Another way to ease this conversation may be to liken EV and hybrid tire wear to that of motorcycles, which have a similar speed to putting down power and torque. A lifespan of 5,000-10,000 miles on a set of motorcycle tires is about average.
I spoke about this with my aforementioned Shop Press colleague Andy, and he said, “Rapid acceleration and high-performance brakes can wear tires down in a hurry. Motorcycles and EVs tend to speed up and slow down faster than daily driver ICE vehicles on the road, so customers might be surprised to learn that traditional ICE tire change intervals (60,000 miles or more) aren’t feasible. Instead, motorcycles can usually get 5,000 to 10,000 miles of mild street riding between tire changes, while EVs might need new tires between 6,000 and 20,000 miles.”
“Although operator habits can dramatically affect tire life, there are other factors that can’t be avoided. For motorcycles, tire wear is spread over two tiny contact patches. EVs have four larger contact patches and tougher tires, but they weigh thousands of pounds more than motorcycles. When accelerating from a stop, EVs deliver loads of torque to the driven wheels instantly. EV braking (both standard and regenerative) can put even more strain on the tires. If you’re buying an EV, a motorcycle, or an electric motorcycle, you should consider these extra costs when budgeting for your new vehicle. All the latest and greatest tech won’t matter if you’re rolling around on bald tires.”
Sure, having to inform your customers about faster tire wear is an unfair position to be in because of a lack of education in the car-buying process, but it’s better to let them know now rather than later. And you may even have some customers who appreciate the heads-up!