After 16 months and 35,000 kilometres on Sailun’s Erange EV tires, a GTA driver has some experiential insights to share

A typical week of driving for Mississauga, Ont., resident Finlay D’Silva can often resemble some people’s driving habits for an entire month.

From loading onto the highway to drive to twice weekly ultimate frisbee games, to running errands around his community, to heading four hours northwest to the very tip of Tobermory for cottage weekends, D’Silva is frequently found behind the wheel of his 2019 Tesla.

Two years ago, D’Silva needed new tires. For the first time he eschewed going with the household name brand models and, instead, decided to get EV-specific tires — Sailun Erange EV all-season tires.

“So far, it’s been pretty solid,” D’Silva says.

“I’ve noticed quite a reduction in road noise…found them to be a lot smoother. In terms of EV range, the tires have improved it quite a bit.”

Kilometres and seasons

For two summers — spanning May to October — D’Silva has put his Sailun Erange EV tires through numerous tests and conditions.

From 40C days to torrential thunderstorms and “freshly paved roads to pothole nightmares,” the tires have seen a lot over the roughly 35,000 kilometres they’ve driven.

“I would say, in terms of grip, it’s probably about the same as any other all-season tire, so no reduction in it,” says D’Silva. “I think the wear has been pretty good for being able to get about two years out of it. I’ll probably get another year and a half or so.”

However, the tires’ best feature, says D’Silva, is the added range.

“I think I’m getting probably around 50 or 60 km extra [which is a 12 per cent or so increase]. It is quite a good return on investment compared to the other tires, or, I should say, ‘regular tires.'”

For an EV driver an additional 50 to 60km (or 30-37 miles) can be the difference between having to stop only once for charging on a long road trip versus twice.

It is meaningful time saved and, if nothing else, provides greater peace of mind in terms of mitigating range anxiety.

Wear and tear

A typical tire on a combustion vehicle set can last up to five years. Often, a new set is considered around the four-year mark.

D’Silva describes his driving style as “aggressive” and says even though he takes precautions to preserve his tires, the inherent nature of EVs is that due to their heavier weight (because of the battery) and the extra torque the vehicles have, the tires will likely wear out more quickly.

He expects to get another season or season and a half out of his current Sailun Erange set.

It’s a faster turnaround than the tire replacement schedule he had on his previous combustion vehicles (on OEM tires that tracked on the four-to-five-year replacement cadence). But with the significant fuel cost savings he realizes as a high-mileage EV driver, the benefits still favour not only driving an EV, but doing it on EV tires.

“The additional 50 to 60 km…and even the reduction in road noise is significant enough that I would get another set of Erange EV tires. Yes,” D’Silva says.

Sailun Erange EV tires are available at major retailers across North America. Erange EV tires carry a warranty of 50,000 miles in the U.S., or, 80,000 km in Canada.

For more information, please visit erangetires.com.