Nokian Creates EV Stamp of Approval for Tires

Those four black circles at each corner of yer car are technically the only parts of the machine that literally touch the pavement. All the modern safety or efficiency gear in the world is useless if an owner has cheaped out with off-brand rubber or simply runs the wrong set.

Those of us in the Snow Belt know this, explaining the rise of that three-peak mountain snowflake symbol that certifies the tire for winter duty. But the rise of electric vehicles comes with a new set of considerations – and Nokian thinks they have an answer.

With the rapidly (and perhaps, permanently) expanding EV market, tire design is affected by electrification in a number of ways such as weight, instant torque, and rolling resistance requirements. Nokian has been designing and testing tires with electric cars in mind for several years but feels now is the right time to introduce an Electric Fit symbol on the rubber it feels is suited for EV duty. 

This doesn’t mean the tires are only for electric cars but rather have characteristics that suit the needs of an EV. Capability is defined by two characteristics in the tire world – molecular and mechanical. The former is what’s baked into the rubber compound for grip and durability, while the latter refers to the tread pattern and its associated features. For tires with the Electric Fit designation, Nokian says they’re approved to handle the heavier weight but also effectively tackle the duo of rolling resistance and road noise. Speaking to that part of the puzzle, some of Nokian’s tires deploy the company’s so-called SilentDrive sound-absorbing tech, an innovation intended to hush the hum.

While it doesn’t seem the Electric Fit symbol is yet an industry standard like the three-peak mountain snowflake, there’s every chance in the world it (or some form of it) will be adopted by other tire brands simply because it’s a logical progression of tire branding. After all, look at Tesla which called its charging solution ‘North American Charging Standard’ even though it technically wasn’t a standard at all. But what plug type will be the dominant style in 2025? That’s right: NACS.

Nokian could find themselves writing this part of the script for our EV future. All they gotta do is make it like Tesla and casually start referring to Electric Fit as a standard.

[Image: Nokian]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.