Transition to electric vehicles to drive tyre demand: Morgan Stanley

The automobile industry has been continuously evolving over the years, the vehicle mass along with power are important factor in the life of a tyre. As the cars become heavier and more powerful the impact on the wear-and-tear of tyre increases drastically. And as the industry transits towards electric vehicles that is heavily influenced by the weight of batteries will create more demand for the tyre industry, says a research by Morgan Stanley.

The report states that the research firm is bullish on the increase in demand due to its views of global miles travelled tripling by 2040, and it says that it sees some of the technological demands on tyres that it believes are occurring under the radar.

EV growth; what does this mean for tyres?

The average vehicle weight and power have increased over time, according to the U.S. EPA's "Light Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy (1975-2016)" report, both U.S. cars and trucks have shown upward trajectories for weight and horsepower since 1980.

According to Morgan Stanley’s report during the 1975-2016 time period, the weight of cars and trucks in the United States, have increased by 18 percent and 27 percent respectively. While, horsepower increased for them increased by over 100 percent in the same period.

It says that EVs tend to weigh more than normal cars, all else equal, potentially driving greater replacement of tyres. The Tesla Model S weighs 20 percent more than its ICE comparable class average, and the Chevrolet Bolt EV weighs over 36 percent more than its ICE comparable class average. It further notes that both the Tesla Model S and the Chevrolet Volt EV are over 10 percent heavier than the next heaviest ICE in each comparable class. As there is a global shift towards EVs, and ICE vehicles, along with the widely known fact that EVs produce prodigious amount of instant torque, it will create additional opportunity for the tyre industry.