After a full season and thousands of kilometres, our EV drivers’ weight on how Sailun’s EV-specific tires performed when it really counted

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

When we launched this long-term test of our Sailun ERANGE EV tires, the goal was simple: to see how a tire built specifically for electric vehicle performs in real-world Canadian conditions over three full seasons of driving..

After months on the road, two of our participants — Devin Arthur of Sudbury, Ont., and Bob Porter of Squamish, B.C., returned with conclusive results. Our third tester, Narelle Smith of Mississauga, now has new tires and will share her final results in the near future. With several contributing factors, the test was restarted using a new set to ensure accuracy.

Northern mileage

In northern Ontario, engineering consultant and EV Society chapter president Devin Arthur has been charting every kilometre in his 2018 Chevrolet Bolt — and the results surprised even him.

“This summer, something unprecedented happened,” he says. “My estimated range climbed above 400 kilometres, and it held up in real-world use.”

With his previous tires, Devin typically saw between 350 and 380 kilometres on a charge. This year, on the same routes and in cooler 14 C to 15 C weather, he nearly completed a full trip that once required two charging stops with only one. “The only big change this year was the tires,” he says. “They’ve really changed my expectations for what I can do with this car.”

After more than 5,000 kilometres, his ERANGE tires show just 1/32-inch of wear— “basically like new,” as he describes it. Devin also noted their composure remained consistent in both dry and damp conditions.

Now that overnight lows in Sudbury have already dipped near freezing, he adds that the steering feel and traction remain predictable.

“The rubber does get harder when it’s cold, but that’s normal,” says Devin. “In the wet or the dry, these [tires] are smoother, more stable and more comfortable than my previous set. Honestly, I’d buy them again.”

West Coast perspective

Across the country in British Columbia, Bob Porter, president of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association and a former motorsport competitor, brought his analytical eye to a 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD.

Over the past few months, he’s covered about 9,100 kilometres, from city traffic to the twisting Sea-to-Sky Highway. “I’m finding the range is pretty good,” he says. “I’ll charge to about 80 per cent and it’ll show 365 to 368 kilometres. Sometimes it’s dead-on; sometimes I get 15 or 20 kilometres more.”

Bob tracks efficiency as carefully as any engineer. Over seven years of ownership, the lifetime average energy use of his Tesla hovered around 152 watt-hours per kilometre. Since installing the ERANGE tires, that figure has dropped below 150 Wh/km, a measurable improvement.

He also reports remarkably little wear: just 1/64-inch after a summer of mixed driving, including several long highway trips and plenty of elevation changes. “That’s remarkable for the amount of driving we’ve done,” he says. “We’ve really enjoyed these tires. They’ve been quiet, efficient and predictable.”

Even in the first major rainfall of the season, performance stayed consistent. “I went out and gunned it, trying to break them loose—I couldn’t,” he recalls. Bob has sampled tires from different brands over the years. He describes the Sailun ERANGE EV tires as being “right there with the big names.”

Closing the loop on real-world results

Across thousands of kilometres and different vehicles, a clear picture emerged: the Sailun ERANGE tires consistently delivered dependable traction, quiet comfort and measurable gains in efficiency. Both Bob and Devin recorded reduced energy use and longer driving range, while Narelle’s experience is still to come.

The combined feedback reinforces Sailun’s goal in developing an EV-specific tire that balances performance and value. It’s a tire that holds its own while addressing the unique demands of electric propulsion.

As cooler weather sets in and all three drivers prepare to swap to winter rubber, their closing impressions converge. For Devin, the ERANGE tires breathed new life into an aging EV. For Bob, they delivered measurable efficiency and durability through a season of demanding coastal driving. In the case of Narelle, the story continues; a fresh start and a chance to see how this next set wears in the real world.

In the end, that’s what long-term testing is meant to do: separate theory from experience. And after a full season on the road, Sailun’s ERANGE tires have proven that smart engineering and solid value can roll comfortably side by side.