We checked in with our testers across Canada to see how they’ve fared during a summer spent driving on Sailun

This article is Sponsor Content presented by Sailun ERANGE EV Tires.

With a full season of driving under their belts, our Sailun ERANGE tire testers are back with more real-world feedback. It’s been several months since we first outfitted three EV drivers with ERANGE summer tires, each logging miles in different regions, climates and vehicles.

Built specifically for electric vehicles, the ERANGE tire promises low rolling resistance, confident grip and a quiet ride, all at a price that undercuts many premium-tier competitors.

British Columbia

Let’s start out west.

Based in Squamish, British Columbia, retiree, Bob Porter, has been driving electric vehicles for nearly 12 years. He currently owns a 2017 Tesla Model S and brings a motorsport background to his tire evaluations. (In other words, he knows tires.)

He’s been putting his ERANGE tires through everything from BC highway runs to crawling through ferry queues. Most recently, he and his wife took a trip to Vancouver Island and, during 45-minute ferry waits in both directions, kept the air conditioning running the entire time. Normally, that would dent your range, but the battery barely budged. In fact, since switching to his set of ERANGE tires, Bob reports that his car’s watt-hour usage has actually gone down — a rare result for a seasoned EV.

In terms of tire wear, after some 7,000 kilometres of driving, tread depth has dropped by less than 1/32nd of an inch. That’s notable.

“I was skeptical because of the price,” Bob admits, “but they’re the real deal. I’d recommend them to anybody. They’re quiet, efficient and surprisingly grippy.”

This last point bears highlighting.

Bob is accustomed to high-performance R-compound tires and the bendy Sea-to-Sky Highway doesn’t go easy on rubber. In dry conditions and in the wet, the ERANGE tires have met every challenge he’s thrown at them.

Northern Ontario

Over in Sudbury, Ontario, engineering consultant and EV Society chapter president, Devin Arthur, has been monitoring his ERANGE tires’ progress just as closely.

While he doesn’t log as much driving distance on his 2018 Chevrolet Bolt, Devin already likes what he sees.

This summer, something unprecedented happened — his estimated range climbed above 400 kilometres. What’s more, this number held up in real-world use, it wasn’t just a guess by the onboard computer. With his previous tires, Devin typically saw between 350-380 kilometres of range.

He reported no changes to driving style and no new charging habits. Just new tires.

One of his previous sets of tires included self-sealing technology and acoustic foam, so he expected to lose some refinement. Devin did note a modest uptick in noise on rough pavement (about 10 decibels), but found the difference negligible on smoother surfaces. What stood out more was the handling:

“They’re a lot better in the wet and the dry,” he says. “For me, it’s all about comfort and stability — and these are definitely better.”

Greater Toronto Area

Over in southern Ontario, Narelle Smith experienced a much hotter summer than our other testers.

Based in Mississauga, she also racks up more kilometres in her 2022 Tesla Model Y. First of all, there’s her demanding daily commute to work, then the car is in regular rotation with her daughter behind the wheel on evenings and weekends.

Early on, her impressions mirrored those of Bob and Devin: The Sailun ERANGE tires were quiet at highway speeds, smooth over rough pavement and offered solid reassuring grip in both wet and dry conditions. Even during the heavy spring rains in the GTA, she reported confident handling and a calm, composed ride.

Later in the summer, though a warning light came on: the rear tires needed attention. A quick tread check confirmed the issue — the rears were worn down enough to require replacement after roughly 20,000 kilometres.

This result stands in stark contrast to the minimal wear reported by the other two testers. At this point, there’s no clear explanation for the accelerated wear, but a few suspects come to mind.

The Toronto region experienced another hot summer this year, setting another new record for extreme heat warnings.

In addition, Narelle’s car sees very high mileage, driver changes and plenty of urban stop-and-go scenarios. Her Model Y is having to deal with a more punishing environment overall.

(On the Tesla Model Y AWD, says Sailun, the rear tires often experience quicker wear due to the vehicle’s rear-biased power distribution. Regular tire rotations help prolong tire life and ensure more even wear. Tesla recommends rotating the tires every 10,000 km, or sooner if the tread depth difference between tires reaches 2/32 inch (1.5 mm). Following this schedule not only evens out wear but also helps reduce road noise and maximize overall tire lifespan.)

Even so, Narelle’s impressions of the ERANGE tires are fair-minded: “They drive great. They’re quiet. But I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on wear from now on.”

This is what real-world testing is all about: nuance.

Each of our three testers brings a different lens — a different vehicle, varied geography and different driving behaviours.

While two of our testers saw modest wear and measurable gains in range, one saw the rear tires give up earlier than expected. Across the board, though, the feedback holds a consistent note: Sailun ERANGE tires offer more than just value — they offer legitimate, day-to-day performance.

With cooler weather on the horizon, all three drivers will soon swap over to winter rubber. When this takes place, we’ll reconnect one final time for a last round of insights and reflections on how the ERANGE tires held up through an entire season.

Stay tuned.