Hasta La Ideas

Since I don’t own an EV, I can’t tell if this is a real problem, or something cooked up by manufacturers. Apparently, EVs are so quiet that the noise of the tires becomes, according to these companies, bothersome. “[EV tire] noise can be perceived as significantly more intrusive and unpleasant compared to combustion vehicles,” writes German multinational company Henkel.

Apparently tire manufacturers “have heard the call,” according to Michelin, and thus EV tires are now formulated to be quieter. How? By adding plastic, of course. The company uses a “custom-designed polyurethane foam ring inside the tire, which reduces vibrations caused by the road and in turn, lowers interior cabin noise by as much as 20%,” according to a test they did on a 2020 Tesla. “The foam ring basically muffles noise resonance so that the driver and passengers can more easily use hand-free communication devices or stay alert with less driver fatigue on longer drives.”

Meanwhile Henkel has collaborated with 4Jet, a surface processing company, on “a groundbreaking process for producing silent tires designed for electric vehicles.” The companies have worked out a more efficient way to line the inside of the tires with polyurethane foam. (For some reason this makes me think of injecting cheese into pizza crusts.) “These so-called ‘Silent Tires’ significantly reduce noise emissions both inside the vehicle and in the surrounding environment, ensuring a considerably improved driving experience.”

EV owners among you, is tire noise a thing? On press drives I’ve clocked a few days behind the wheel of an EV and didn’t notice anything, but that doesn’t compare to the day-in, day-out commute some of you folks are pulling.