Electric car buyers should be aware of the “astronomical” costs required to regularly replace short-life tires, owners have warned.
Car enthusiast Jim Bassett managed just 7,500 miles on his brand new Volkswagen ID.3 before being offered over £300 to replace the rear tyre.
The 80-year-old raised the money after being told it was common practice for the tires on his rear-wheel drive model to fail quickly due to the weight of the car.
Due to its heavy battery, the £35,000 hatchback weighs around 1,800kg – the same as a Jeep Wrangler 4×4.
Fellow ID.3 owners have taken to online forums to also complain about the short life of the tires, blaming the car’s heavy weight and instant torque for the worse.
Mr Bassett, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I was told they needed a replacement.
“I’m pretty old and I’ve had cars all my life – I’ve never had to change tires this early, usually around 25,000 miles.
“It blew my mind as at 7,500 miles the tires are practically new.
“The VW dealership did not express surprise or concern that they needed a replacement so soon, saying ‘the car is rear wheel drive and very heavy.’
Mr Bassett chose to go to another tire shop instead, but a mechanic came to the same conclusion and was quoted £165 to replace both rear tyres.
“I think more people need to be aware that EVs have an appetite for tires and they won’t last long,” he said.
“When I was working, I regularly drove 45,000 miles a year. If I had this car back then, I’d be facing paying £300 six times a year just to replace the rears, which would be astronomical.”
Mr Bassett said he would now think twice about buying an electric car in the future because of his experience with premature tire life. Its front pair is now almost in need of a change, having survived only marginally longer than the rears.
The strain on EV tires comes as a result of both the extra weight and higher torque, the twisting force that launches the vehicle from a standstill.
Road safety charity Tyresafe said: “All that power at any speed in a heavy vehicle means that if the driver regularly accelerates hard, the tires are put under enormous stress, struggling to grip the road and keep them from spinning.”
Due to the higher acceleration rate, manufacturers advise drivers to be gentle with the throttle to extend tire life.
Volkswagen, which first launched the ID.3 in 2019, said driver performance is the key factor influencing tire wear.
A spokesman said: “Tyre durability is affected by a wide range of factors, the most important of which is how the vehicle is driven, for example hard cornering, braking and acceleration can cause more wear than light driving.”
VW also said that “types of road surfaces, temperature, proper tire pressure maintenance; attention when parking; and the volume of cargo the vehicle is carrying” affect the level of deterioration.
Tire maker Michelin previously said conventional tires wear about 20pc faster in an electric vehicle, while Goodyear said they can degrade up to 50pc faster.
Last year, a study by technology firm Epyx found that, on average, tires fitted to electric vehicles last 6,350 miles less than those fitted to petrol or diesel cars. The first tire change for electric cars takes place after an average of 17,985 miles, compared to 24,335 miles for petrol and diesel cars.
Tire manufacturers continue to develop a custom EV tire suitable for heavier vehicles, but these can come at a higher price for drivers. Epyx found that the average tire costs £207 for larger electric vehicles – £77 more than the price of larger petrol cars.
Department for Transport figures from 2015 to 2018 show that 46% of MOT faults for electric cars were caused by tyres, compared to 32% for petrol cars.
EVA England, an association of electric car drivers, said that despite the claims, zero-emission vehicles were “very reliable”.
“Experience like this points to anecdotal evidence, not the general use case,” a spokesperson said.
“The vast majority of EV drivers report enjoying the experience immensely, and over 90 percent would never go back to petrol or diesel.”
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