[ref
http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Re-EV-Digest-Vol-81-Issue-29-tp4694275.html
]
Darryl (near Ottawa.ca, near VT.us) 's post I found useful.
I too had grip issues with lrr tires (Goodyear Invicta, now
defunct/not-offered).
While those lrr tires gave better range, like Darryl's experiences, they
lost traction/grip in wet weather.
Let's keep in mind that in the north & north-east states.us have similar
cold &wet weather like Canada. Changing a vehicle's tires for a half a year
for bad/challenging weather is par/the-norm.
Whereas on the west-coast.us (and the sunshine states) we are a bit spoiled
and keep the same tires on year round. So, the tires Lawrence switches to
will likely also stay on his Leaf EV year-round.
Cor is right that Lawrence posted about switching to a (less-grip) narrower
tire, which he may use at a higher than normal tire pressure to maximize his
Leaf EV range.
I purposely ignored that, since IMO it would be out of spec/less-safe for
Lawrence to do that.
While my physical body does not fit well in the Leaf, and I feel its looks
could be improved, its a nice light EV. Nissan is no slouch when it comes to
their R&D team of engineers. The link I originally posted showed the 2 Leaf
tire sizes that are optimal to support the Leaf weight will put/stress on
the tires, but also give a good range also with ample grip.
Today, there are so many more improvements in lrr tire-tech, thus there
aremany more lrr tire purchase choices/options. IMO, Lawrence can choose
between the 2 tire sizes Nissan uses and still select a lrr tire that gives
range &grip in wet weather.
For those that don't know Lawrence's home turf is in SF-CA, but his (EV
adventure) posts of his excursions, tells that he ventures out, whether for
business or pleasure, pushing his EV range bubble. He will need good grip
during CA's rainy winter months, and if he e-travels north to N.CA, OR, WA,
etc.
If Lawrence lived, worked and traveled only east of the LA basin (SoCal
desert areas), slip &slide safety issues would be a rare experience. That is
why IMO, putting narrow lrr (i3) tires on his Leaf EV would not be wise
(thus I did not pursue it).
It is a balancing act: optimize your EV's range, while staying in spec with
enough grip to be safe.
Lawrence recently bumped up his range to the next model with a little more
range.
But to paraphrase what Willie has said, get the EV that has the right amount
of pack capacity (range) that fits your EV driving needs. And I add, always
add at least 20% to that for both pack aging overtime, and the more your
drive your EV, the more you are going to want to enjoy pushing your EV range
bubble (as I have in the past, and as Lawrence does now).
Darryl's post sez he has had good experience with ecopia tires
https://www.google.com/search?q=ecopia+tires+nissan+leaf
IMO, Lawrence needs to hunker down to first know his actual EV driving needs
(where and when he will be driving), then search today's lrr tires that are
within Nissan's spec sizes, that fit Lawrence's budget and range needs with
a safe amount of grip, so we all can keep enjoying Lawrence's EV adventure
posts.
For EVLN EV-newswire posts use:
http://evdl.org/archive/
{brucedp.neocities.org}
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