All Weather tires for i3

[DSH1]

Does anyone know of a manufacturer of All Weather tires for an i3. The so called All Season tires I have (Bridgestone Eco Pia EP500) are treacherous in icy conditions as the rear wheels lock up and slide when going into regen braking - they should not be classified as All Season.

My local tire supplier informs me that only Bridgestone make tires for the i3 - the Eco Pia All Season and Blizzak for winter. I would prefer not to have to buy a spare set of wheels and tires and switch them twice a year.

Can anyone provide advice?

 

[PBNB]

There was a tire available at one point made by Nokian which was a snow tire. They are probably not made anymore.

It does seem like the tires options will be limited due to the unusual rim size/width. Going to the slightly wider I3s wheels and tires might make a difference but I think those are summer tires so ice will be a problem.

Some owners have been looking at getting into some other wheels and tires with a more typical size/width spec. That would open up the tire options and possibly a tire that will work better in winter conditions. I would love to try my I3 with some Michelin AS 3+ tires. They are amazing. I would need to find a rim to support them and then deal with a fender flare to cover them.

 

[vreihen]

On every vehicle that I intend to drive in the winter, I will install fresh snow tires in the fall and run them through the next summer.

(As a retired amateur race car driver who went through a $700 set of race tires every 4-6 weeks during the season, I laugh at anyone who says that it is expensive or wasteful to burn up snow tires in the summer.)

I'm usually a Blizzak fan on my other vehicles, but think that I will be going with Nokian Hakkapeliittas for this car:

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/buy-tires/nokian-tire-hakkapeliitta-r3/p/12019

I have not owned my i3 long enough to drive it in the snow yet, and I'm trying to nurse the factory Ecopias through this summer until I mount my first set of snows in October.....

 

[jadnashuanh]

There is only one 'all-season' tire for the i3, and it is in the 19" size...there are no all-season tires for it in 20". Nokian does still make a winter tire for the i3. I have the Blizak's on my i3, but put some Nokian R3's on my GT last winter and was impressed...the ride was good and I did not notice any loss of efficiency compared to my summer set which was not true with the Michelin winter tires I had on it. If I keep my i3 long enough, I'll replace its winter tires with a set of the Nokians.

 

[Anonymous]

Where I grew up, with six months of the year facing ice and snow on the roads, everyone put snow tires (usually studded - or at least siped) on their cars in winter - just a given. And we all had the winter tires on a second set of rims, so we could mount and dismount the snow tires ourselves, instead of paying to have it done. Normally would easily get three winters out of a set.

You aren't going to find a true 'all season' tire that works well in ice and snow, as well as on summer roads. The rubber compound in winter tires is formulated to be flexible and 'soft' in freezing temperatures for traction. These 'soft' tires will wear down in nothing flat on hot summer pavement. Conversely, summer and all-season tires have a rubber compound formulated to perform and wear better in higher temperatures - in cold temps, they are too stiff, and don't provide good traction.

Some i3 owners in the Northern climates have posted that their local BMW Dealer have had nicely discounted wheel and winter tire packages for sale at one time or another.

 

[rtanov]

The EP500 are actually summer tires and should not be driven in winter. The all-season tires for the i3 are Ecopia EP600 and in my experience they are quite adequate in winter in the first two years of use. However they are available only in 19" - if you currently have the EP500 you must have the 20" wheels. I am not aware of any good winter or all-season tire options for the 20" wheels. You'd probably have to buy a set of 19" wheels with winter tires.

 

[lunacyworks]

Thinking of these 195/50R19
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Tire...&rearRatio=55&rearDiameter=19&performance=ALL
they are the TOYO EXTENSA A/S II A Grand Touring All-Season. For around $178 a tire.

 

[iCJ]

Just buy the spare set and switch them every year. Yes it's an extra expense, and 30 minutes of your time twice a year.

The blizzaks are not the best winter tire but they are light years better in the winter than the ecotopia all-seasons.