Winter tires

[mr_raider]

I’ve read many of you suggesting x or y tires for our MME. But you have to be aware of the minimum load rating for the Extended range AWD (because the vehicule is fairly heavy!): 103.

Most of you suggested good winter tires, but rated only at 99.
Here are the only 5 tires that I could find in 19in, with the best CAD$ pricing on the net:

We use the General Altimax on our Cr-V. It's excellent in snow and ice. Crappy in the dry at high speed, and can't corner for beans. Just right for Montreal weather.

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[SebastienMachE]

Have you guys considered the Firestone Winterforce? I feel like it's always an overlooked tire, and they perform very well in the snow.
I used them to turn a RWD Mustang into a snow machine that could pass trucks up a hill.
I just am not sure of the load rating, though this size shows 1800 lbs per tire load.
https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires....rforce+2&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=26SR8WF2S

Nope, they only make it in 18in, not 19in. Nor does it have the minimum rating (104 for 18in, 103 for 19in)

 

[SebastienMachE]

I'm holding out for the Continental TS 870, the replacement for the Continental TS 860. The planned 2020 release was put off to this summer due to the pandemic. This is just one summary from autoexpress but is very much inline with other reviews:

"... its rivals will need some major improvements to match it. It topped the snow tests thanks to a stellar handling performance. While it was only fourth in traction and braking, it was close to the best, and a remarkable two seconds quicker around the handling track than the next quickest. Grip was on another level, with a strong front and a well controlled rear. In the wet it was pipped by our winner and matched by the runner-up, which were a step away on snow.

That strong front was still there in the wet, helping it secure the quickest time by just under a second. Again it had a great balance, with rear movement limited despite higher front grip than rivals, which stayed for longer as the lock increased.

The usual trade-off for good performance in the wet is fuel economy, but Continental must have found something with its winter compound, because it topped the rolling resistance table.

The TS 870 is a pretty special tire, combining remarkable snow performance with pace-setting wet grip and excellent fuel economy. "

I suspect it won't be cheap, but it does seem to best combine all the requirements of a good winter tire with the special needs of an EV.

ah, but at what cost? This is very expensive! I would try to stay close to 250$$cad.

 

[SebastienMachE]

We use the General Altimax on our Cr-V. It's excellent in snow and ice. Crappy in the dry at high speed, and can't corner for beans. Just right for Montreal weather.

Should be fine for Quebec city?

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

I've had Winterforce in the past, and they do well in snow. But since it's a studdable tire, the compound doesn't do as well on ice as a studless tire unless you get studs. After being driven crazy by the noise of studs for a couple of seasons, I will never get studded tires again. I've gone with studless Hakkas and Michelin X-Ice tires on my last several cars and have been very happy with both. The performance on ice probably isn't quite as good as studs, but it's close enough in modern studless tires that I prefer it over the noise.

The only way to get tires that are more silent is to get them studded from the factory. Besides I believe the Hakka 9 studded the stud tech is excellent and almost noiseless.

 

[generaltso]

The only way to get tires that are more silent is to get them studded from the factory.

Or get studless

 

[sockmeister]

Nope, they only make it in 18in, not 19in. Nor does it have the minimum rating (104 for 18in, 103 for 19in)

I'd be putting them on a set of 18 inch beater wheels for the winter tires, and just swapping the stocks back on for summer. That's what I've done for years on my last car.

 

[SebastienMachE]

I'd be putting them on a set of 18 inch beater wheels for the winter tires, and just swapping the stocks back on for summer. That's what I've done for years on my last car.

Yeah, but they are not 104’s. Vehicule is heavier than ICE cars. You should follow manufacturer recommandations.

 

[sockmeister]

Yeah, but they are not 104’s. Vehicule is heavier than ICE cars. You should follow manufacturer recommandations.

Sure. Can I ask where you saw that data about the recommended tire load rating for this car? I am genuinely curious.
The Mach-E is heavy, but there are plenty of SUVs out there which weigh significantly more.

Additionally, the maximum "load" rating of the Winterforce is listed as 1764 lbs. With four of them, that's 7056lbs of weight rating.
I feel like that should be well more than enough, but I admit I don't know how the load rating (103) number is calculated, yet.
EDIT:
Here's a screenshot from TireRack which translates Load Index to Load, in lbs. So the Firestone Winterforces are load index of 100.

 

[sockmeister]

One more thing. The stock tires on the delivered and pre-production Mach-Es AWD/ex seems to be
Michelin Primacy 225/55/R19

These have a load rating of 99, or 1709 lbs.
The Winterforces would actually be more than this.

 

[Ponypower50]

The Mach e will be my fun car and probably won't be driven in the winter snow. My concern is maintaining the battery if I don't drive the car for a month.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

One more thing. The stock tires on the delivered and pre-production Mach-Es AWD/ex seems to be
Michelin Primacy 225/55/R19

These have a load rating of 99, or 1709 lbs.
The Winterforces would actually be more than this.

We've seen a sidewall picture on one of the delivery threads so we know they are 103.

 

[sockmeister]

We've seen a sidewall picture on one of the delivery threads so we know they are 103.

Maybe that one just had special tires?
In this picture, and on the Mach-E I saw on the road tour, they had those michelin primacy "99 load index" tires.

EDIT:
I noticed these seem to be a variant of the Michelin Primacy tires, and have "103H" printed on the sidewall in small script. So these don't count anymore

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Maybe that one just had special tires?
In this picture, and on the Mach-E I saw on the road tour, they had those michelin primacy "99 load index" tires.

We know the prereleases had a lot of different tires. Find the picture of the deliverer tire. That thread talks all about the exact tire, links to the exact Michelin variant, etc. There is no reason to believe that is the special one when we know the prerelease shipped with a bunch of different ones.

 

[sockmeister]

We know the prereleases had a lot of different tires. Find the picture of the deliverer tire. That thread talks all about the exact tire, links to the exact Michelin variant, etc. There is no reason to believe that is the special one when we know the prerelease shipped with a bunch of different ones.

I found it, thanks.
Now I'm wondering if that is truly the required minimum load rating, or if that's the type of tire they happened to deliver the cars with. I can't see them requiring such a high load rating; it might have been chosen for lowest rolling resistance, or something else.

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