Everyone wants to join the EV bandwagon. People are going wild about them, and anything relating to electric vehicles will sell. The main question is whether or not all these new “EV products” are snake-oil or not.

Entering the EV scene, we have Michelin, which created a performance EV tire series dubbed the Michelin Pilot Sport EV. Based on their tests, they make a bit of sense, in the way that they actually help, and you can see where they’re coming from with these comparisons.

They stacked the new Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires against the Michelin Pilot Sport SUV, both mounted on a KIA Cadenza in a 245/45 R19 size. Now you’re all taking your pitchforks out because the KIA Cadenza isn’t an SUV, it’s an executive sedan, and while you’re right there’s a significant caveat worth looking at.

SUVs and EVs share at least a common trait, and that is weight. There aren’t any regular cars who weigh as much as an EV, apart from executive sedans. You may ask, “Why didn’t they use regular EVs then?” and the answer is, most likely, convenience. It’s far easier to test an ICE car for thousands of miles in comparison to an EV, due to recharge times.

With your pitchforks lowered, we can check what the Michelin Pilot Sports EV improves over the regular tires. Well, their grip levels and wear resistance are overall better, compared to internal tests. However, a real-life rolling resistance test showed that the EV variant has a 23% lower rolling resistance, translating to a 10% increase in range when used on a vehicle weighing 4750 lb.

The Tesla Model S weighs around 4600 lb, depending on trim, meaning that this Michelin EV tire is a significant contender as Tesla’s go-to tire. Its maximum range is 412 miles, which could potentially be bumped up to 450 miles. Not insignificant at all.

For in-depth information, check Michelin’s official statement regarding their new electric vehicle tire.