New EV Tires Cut Pollution 35% and Boost Range 10%

Electric cars might be the future, but their tires have been creating a pollution problem nobody's talking about until now.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson spotted something others missed. His company ENSO discovered that electric vehicles actually wear through tires faster than gas cars, releasing harmful microplastics into the air and oceans with every stop and turn.

The reason? EVs are heavier due to their batteries and deliver instant torque that's hard on rubber. Plus they're so fun to drive that people accelerate more aggressively, grinding down tires even faster. Nearly two billion tires get burned every year because recycling them back into new tires is so difficult.

But here's where the good news starts. ENSO redesigned tires from the ground up using advanced polymer compounds that can handle EV weight and power. The results are impressive: 35% less tire pollution compared to regular tires, plus a 10% boost in driving range.

That range boost matters more than it sounds. Electric vehicles convert 90% of their energy into motion (compared to just 30% for gas cars), which means bad tires can seriously drain the battery. Better tires mean less charging and lower electricity costs.

The Ripple Effect

ENSO partnered with Uber to equip electric taxis across the UK, targeting the vehicles that drive the most miles and therefore create the most impact. High-mileage drivers see the biggest savings in energy costs while cutting the pollution that washes into oceans and gets breathed in by city residents.

The company collects data from these fleet vehicles and feeds it back into making even better tires. Every mile driven helps improve the next generation of the product.

Prince William's Earthshot Prize recognized ENSO as a 2023 finalist, shining a spotlight on tire pollution that the mainstream industry has quietly ignored for years. Erlendsson says that recognition brought crucial attention to a problem the tire industry didn't want to address.

Now ENSO is expanding to match new EV models entering the market, with the United States next on their roadmap. The company isn't trying to corner the market for themselves.

"We want the rest of the industry to follow us," Erlendsson says. "We just want to be the catalyst that makes the change happen."