Battery-electric vehicles now account for roughly one in five new car sales across major global markets. For the tyre industry, that shift created an entirely new product category — compounds engineered for higher load ratings, lower rolling resistance, and reduced cabin noise. But the ripple effects extend well beyond the factory floor and the retail forecourt. The way these vehicles move from production lines to dealerships is changing too, and the tyre fitted at the factory is a bigger factor in that equation than most people in the trade realise.
The Weight Equation
The average EV weighs 20–30% more than its internal combustion equivalent, almost entirely due to the battery pack. A Tesla Model Y tips the scales at around 1,950 kg; a comparably sized Toyota RAV4 sits closer to 1,600 kg. Scale that difference across a carrier loaded with eight to ten vehicles, and transport operators are looking at 2,800 to 3,500 kg of additional payload per load.
That extra mass has direct consequences for vehicle logistics. Carriers must recalculate axle loads, adjust securing protocols, and in some cases reduce the number of vehicles per trailer to stay within legal weight limits. The tyres fitted to those EVs at the factory — typically wider, heavier-rated compounds designed for the additional mass — are part of that weight calculation. EV-specific tyres themselves weigh more than standard fitments, and when multiplied across a full carrier load, the difference is commercially significant.
The green tyre segment is projected to grow substantially through 2035, driven primarily by EV adoption and regulatory pressure for lower rolling resistance — a trend that is simultaneously reshaping what sits on transport carriers and how those carriers plan their loads.
Rolling Resistance on the Carrier Deck
EV tyres are engineered specifically for low rolling resistance to maximise battery range. That engineering choice has an unexpected benefit during transport: vehicles fitted with low-resistance tyres are marginally easier to load and position on carrier decks, particularly on multi-level trailers where vehicles are driven into place at low speed.
But there is a trade-off. The softer compounds used in many EV-specific tyres are more susceptible to flat-spotting during extended static periods. A vehicle sitting on a carrier for seven to ten days during a cross-country shipment can develop temporary flat spots that require attention upon delivery. Tyre pressures can also shift during transit due to temperature variation across climate zones — a vehicle loaded in Michigan in winter and delivered to Arizona faces a considerable thermal swing.
Transport operators handling high volumes of EVs have started implementing pre-loading tyre pressure protocols and recommending inspection at both ends of the journey. For dealerships receiving shipped stock, working with a recommended car shipping company A1. Auto Transport that has experience handling EVs means these tyre-specific considerations — from proper inflation during loading to compound-aware delivery checks — are built into the process rather than treated as an afterthought.
Where Tyre Sustainability and Transport Converge
The tyre and transport industries are approaching sustainability from different angles but arriving at overlapping conclusions. As the World Economic Forum noted in their analysis of tyre industry decarbonisation pathways, the sector faces pressure to reduce emissions across the entire product lifecycle — from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, use phase, and end-of-life recovery.
Vehicle transport sits squarely in that lifecycle calculation. A tyre’s carbon footprint does not begin when it first touches tarmac under a driver’s control. It includes the emissions generated in moving the vehicle — and its tyres — from factory to point of sale. Progressive transport operators are addressing this through route optimisation, fleet modernisation, and carbon offset programs that feed directly into the sustainability reporting tyre manufacturers increasingly need to provide to OEMs and regulators.
The numbers reinforce the scale involved. The global tyre recycling market hit $13.92 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $19.24 billion by 2033. With over 1.8 billion tyres recycled annually worldwide, the industry processes approximately 15.2 million tonnes of material each year. The logistics of moving both new and end-of-life tyres — and the vehicles they’re mounted on — represents a significant piece of the total environmental picture.
What This Means for the Trade
For tyre professionals, the practical implications are worth tracking closely. OE fitment decisions now influence transport logistics directly — a heavier, wider EV tyre specification changes the per-vehicle weight that carriers factor into pricing and load planning. A carrier quoting a shipment of ten ICE sedans and a carrier quoting ten electric SUVs on the same route will arrive at different numbers, and the tyre spec is part of why. Seasonal patterns look different as well. Many EV owners run all-season low-resistance compounds year-round rather than switching between summer and winter sets, which shifts the traditional seasonal tyre changeover cycle and, by extension, the shipping demand patterns tied to it.
The aftermarket dimension is growing too. As more EVs enter the used vehicle market — and used vehicles represent the bulk of individually shipped cars — transport operators will handle increasing numbers on their second or third set of tyres, potentially with mixed fitments or worn compounds that behave differently under the stresses of carrier loading and long-distance transit. Knowing what’s on the wheel matters more when the vehicle weighs two tonnes.
Looking Ahead
The intersection of tyre technology and vehicle transport logistics will only tighten as EV penetration accelerates. Carrier operators investing in understanding tyre specifications — load indices, rolling resistance grades, flat-spot susceptibility by compound type — will be better positioned to handle the fleet mix of the next decade without damage claims or delivery complications.
For the tyre trade, that means the conversation with OEMs and fleet operators now extends well past the point of fitment. How a tyre performs during transport, how it holds up under static load on a carrier deck, and how it factors into weight calculations are becoming real commercial considerations in the supply chain — not just engineering footnotes buried in spec sheets.
