The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is underway, with sales in 2022 doubling from the previous year, 3 to 6 percent of the total US market, and 25 percent by 2023.
Part of this increase is directly related to more electric vehicles hitting the market. They’re now available in a wider range of shapes and sizes, from MINI Coopers to GMC Hummers, meaning companies that make things like tires, brakes and replacement parts have new customers to win over.
Although electric vehicles have fewer consumable parts than a traditional vehicle (very few fluids, no air or oil filters), they still require replacement of some parts as they move through their life cycle. Now, more often than not, when someone repairs a part on an electric SUV, truck, or sedan, it’s likely to be with something built specifically for the new powertrain technology.
Ecological tires
EV tires have different requirements than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. With regenerative braking that recharges the battery without using the mechanical brakes, traditional brake pads age and break before they wear out.
Electric vehicle tires wear out faster than ICE vehicles, due to both the additional instantaneous torque of the motor and the additional weight of the overall package. Bridgestone now joins several tire manufacturers, including Michelin and Goodyear, in formulating tires specifically for electric vehicles.
The Bridgestone Turanza EV incorporates renewable and recycled materials such as carbon black recycled from end-of-life tires, synthetic rubber derived from recycled plastic bags and bottles, renewable soybean oil and silica from rice husks derived from rice husks
“Our research suggests that electric vehicles go through a set of tires approximately 30-40 percent faster than their comparable ICE counterparts, which is an element of what we hope to address with the Bridgestone Turanza EV. Electric vehicles, in compared to their ICE counterparts, they continuously generate high torque, which accelerates tire wear,” said Will Robbins, director of consumer product strategy, Bridgestone Americas. Newsweek.
The Turanza was developed in just two years, about half the time it takes to develop traditional car tires. Bridgestone says the PeakLife formulation, created to reduce wear, was prioritized over the others. He was also able to take advantage of current technology in the crease.
“This next-generation polymer technology focuses on improved wear resistance, which can help extend tread life, and is designed to provide lower levels of rolling resistance to help increase “autonomy of the vehicle. We see a bonding rate with silica of about 50% compared to maybe 20% in conventional polymers,” Robbins said.
It claims a 50,000 mile warranty thanks to the new rubber polymer. The ENLITEN low rolling resistance tire also has a quieter tread design, important without engine noise to cover it. Bridgestone also says the tire has braking and wet handling just like original equipment tires.
Quieter and longer lasting brakes
Brake pads and brake discs for electric vehicles also require different characteristics than their ICE counterparts. The new Brembo Beyond EV kit includes a new range of EV discs and pads. Brembo says the new components are quieter and last longer. This is important when the pads are rarely used due to the regenerative braking effect of the engine.
“The use of regenerative braking results in the underuse of traditional braking. Over time, this leads to corrosion of components that compromises their safe use and reduces their service life,” he said Roberto Caravati, Operations Director of the Global Aftermarket Business Unit of the Brembo Group. Newsweek.
It also has a treatment that prevents corrosion while using an unbaked friction material with a galvanized backing plate that reduces both dust and noise. Brembo says its goal was to create a brake kit that was quiet and corrosion-resistant, but also minimized residual drag. It must also be able to support the additional weight of an electric vehicle.
Development is expensive
The cost of sustainability is significant, although companies often find relief in economies of scale. Bridgestone says it considers the new materials an investment.
“We generally see a cost premium for renewable and sustainable materials as we work with our suppliers to scale production and availability of these technologies. We see this as an investment in sustainability that will allow us to work towards our goal long-term 100 percent renewable and recycled material by 2050,” Robbins said.
revolution of the accessories market
The aftermarket for electric vehicle parts is also exploding, especially for one of the longest running electric vehicles, Tesla. The SEMA show in Las Vegas brings together thousands of specialty brands that make everything from suspension parts to body kits and wheels.
KW Suspension, one of the big players, now has a full selection of performance springs and shocks for the Tesla and Ford Mustang Mach-E. ESE Carbon is creating lightweight carbon fiber wheels to offset some of the weight of electric vehicles.
ADRO, a company that produces body kits for vehicles from its design base in California, has kits for the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. The kits are designed and manufactured in South Korea.
AlphaRex started out producing taillights and headers for internal combustion engine vehicles like Chevrolet Silverados and Ford Mustangs, but now they also have a section to upgrade your Tesla.
Luis Morales, SEMA’s director of EV technology, said Newsweek which now has a special section of the Las Vegas Convention Center dedicated only to electric vehicles during the week-long show. In 2019 it had five sellers, in 2021 it had 10, and last year it had 60 street vendors selling electric vehicle parts. The next program is in October and Morales would not be surprised if it reached three digits.
Brembo’s Caravati agrees and makes the same argument for plug-in hybrid models, which can suffer the same outputs as the brakes and tires of battery electric vehicles.
“Absolutely yes. Electric vehicles have such peculiarities that they will increasingly require the use of dedicated components. In addition, we can foresee that we will soon launch a similar product line for hybrid vehicles as well,” he said.
