Falken e. ZIEX with lowest rolling resistance

Do electric cars need special tyres? Or do they run better with normal tyres? AutoBild asked these very questions and tested eight summer tyres in size 235/55 R 19. The Falken e. ZIEX proved able to impress.

Electric vehicles require special tyres to safely transfer their high engine torque and heavy vehicle weight to the road. Five standard tyres were compared with three special tyres for electric vehicles to determine the most successful products. All the tyres tested were required to pass 13 test categories. In addition to the tests on wet and dry surfaces, environmental factors such as mileage and rolling resistance also played a particularly important role.

From the testers’ point of view, there was no question that the normal tyres offered the best grip on wet road surfaces. The conventional products were awarded a red card due to their poor wet grip during handling and braking though. By contrast, the Falken e. ZIEX, which has been specially designed for battery-powered cars, performed better. It did not experience any dangerous slipping during the tests on a dry road surface either. Whether it was during handling or braking – its performance fared consistently well. And as one of the particularly quiet tyres in the pack, it also passed the important criterion of pass-by noise for electric cars.

The e. ZIEX was also found to be more than convincing in terms of the important assessment criteria for electric vehicles and the environment. For example, it has the lowest rolling resistance by far and was the only product to receive a rating of 1+, making it the candidate for the best range per battery charge. Accordingly, it is right at the top in terms of its kWh/100 km consumption. One reason for this could be the weight of the tyre: as here, too, the Falken proved to be right out in front compared with all its competitors.

In AutoBild’s seal of approval for the environment and sustainability, the Falken achieved an excellent rating, sharing second place with the outstanding label values A/A/A 69. Apart from one product that wasn’t given a recommended rating, the e. ZIEX also has the advantage of having the lowest purchase price. In comparison with the test winner, it is possible to save over 200 euros when buying a set.

The results are also reflected in the summary of the strengths and weaknesses by the tyre testers in the trade magazine. The tendency of the tyre to understeer and satisfactory mileage were mentioned as points of criticism, but its short dry braking distances were also highlighted as an advantage, as were its low rolling resistance, its extended range and its very favourable price. All in all, the overall verdict for the specialist tyre from Falken was simply “good”. Therefore, tyre buyers can’t go wrong if they purchase the e. ZIEX.