Review: Hankook iON evo AS vs Pirelli AS+ Elect vs Michelin PS 4S vs Michelin PS AS 4

I tested all these tires back to back on either a Tesla Model 3 or Y. I have both a Model 3 and a Model Y (wife’s).

My goal was to have a great handling tire (makes me happy) that can handle the occasional snow, is quiet, and has good range.

For context, I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on both the 3 and Y. This is by far the best handling tire, really amazing, our benchmark for handling, and is just a joy to drive. I’m in Colorado though and for nov/dec/apr, we can see temps below 40, which is a no-no for driving the PS4S, so I wanted something more cold tolerant during the shoulder seasons. We have winter wheels (Pirelli Sottozero 3, which we love) for ski season.

Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4:
I drove this on a Performance Model Y (Tesla test drive). Handling is very good, and I hear it’s also very good in the snow. Negatives is that it’s loud and it’s not great for range, the former being more important to me.

Pirelli All Season Plus Elect:
We bought these for our Model Y. Handling is good if not great. And it’s quiet and comfortable, and of course it’s tuned for EVs and has good range. We really really like these tires. I would give the edge to the PS AS 4 for handling, but it is slight and totally not enough to justify the range hit or how loud they are.

Hankook iON evo AS ih01:
I just bought these for my 3. It was a gamble because I couldn’t find any reviews on them. They are brand new to the market. Overall, I definitively do not like them. The handling is terrible for a car like the model 3 w/ AB. It feels super floaty and squirrelly when cornering. The noise level is not great either surprisingly. Strangely enough, it’s relatively louder at slower speeds, but does seem to be quiet on the highway. The Pirelli’s have way better handling and seem quieter all around. Aside from noise and handling, there is one thing the evos does really well. It feels like a bat out if hell when accelerating in a straight line. You can tell the engineering is optimized for that trait. I do like that a lot, and I’m sure it has great range, and I would accept the noise level too, but the handling is just too awful, I can’t accept it. That said, if you’re not a spirited driver, I think the evos are a great value. They’re just not for me.

Overall, I think the Pirelli AS PE hit all the cords I’m looking for. The Michelin PS AS 4’s are a close second and might also be better in snow, but we’re not optimizing for snow since we have winter tires. And the quiet ride and good range is also very much appreciated.

I hope this review helps others out there!

All these new EV tires are very exciting. I’m a huge Michelin fan, but they need to up their game on EV tires. For now, Pirelli is winning my business.

"File:The tire wheel of TESLA MODEL 3.jpg" by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[milesr3]

I’ve not yet done any highway trips since getting the Hankooks but in 830 miles of everyday driving the efficiency is quite noticeable.

 

[mpgxsvcd]

I’ve not yet done any highway trips since getting the Hankooks but in 830 miles of everyday driving the efficiency is quite noticeable.
View attachment 1046007

That’s very similar to the results I am seeing. Staying at or below 225 wh/mi is doable now even with a Performance Model.

 

[awokeinthelbc]

On last leg of 7000 mi roadtrip from la, NY, atl, NorCal now soon back to la. These have held up well in all types of all terrain weather. From heavy rain to rough sections of route 66. Hankook nailed it with the EVO ion

 

[Elektrick]

Can we be clear here? If I were driving a MY, I would consider the Hankooks. Comfort and noise suppression is at a premium in this model and the Hankooks deliver on both fronts.

But that car is not a performance vehicle. I bought an M3P because it is the best handling electric sports sedan under $100K. And with my emphasis and preference on superior handling, physics let me to believe that something has to give if you also want a cush ride. And handling is not the Hankook's strong suit.

I made a conscious choice to get the best handling tire on the market, noise and comfort be damned, and when you make that choice I have just learned that there is no such thing as the "best of all worlds".

To each their own. From my experience the Hankook's handle just as well as my Michelin PS4 AS so to be clear, the gap you're alluding to with handling between the two is non existent from what I have experienced. I think you took the best of all world's comment too literal. What I had meant was that the iON's deliver in all the categories very well.

Update:

Just got back from a 500 mile road trip and drove through heavy rain/hail. The iON's performed really well, staying well planted, even through puddles of water on the hwy where it's common to hydroplane for a bit. We've driven this route numerous times in the same conditions and did not find any difference vs the PS4 AS tires. As for wet performance in the real world, it's on par with no evidence to indicate otherwise.

 

[DrChaos]

Just got back from a 500 mile road trip and drove through heavy rain/hail. The iON's performed really well, staying well planted, even through puddles of water on the hwy where it's common to hydroplane for a bit. We've driven this route numerous times in the same conditions and did not find any difference vs the PS4 AS tires. As for wet performance in the real world, it's on par with no evidence to indicate otherwise.

Wet performance was often quite opposed to high efficiency. I don't know the chemistry and physics involved but it was a continuous issue that low rolling resistance tires were poor in wet.

If the Hankook iONs are good in wet and still very high efficiency they have a real tech breakthrough.

 

[mpgxsvcd]

Wet performance was often quite opposed to high efficiency. I don't know the chemistry and physics involved but it was a continuous issue that low rolling resistance tires were poor in wet.

If the Hankook iONs are good in wet and still very high efficiency they have a real tech breakthrough.

I drove about 150 miles in an absolute flooding downpour at 70+ mph with the Hankook iON EVO AS tires. The efficiency dropped off dramatically from the standing water and higher speed but the tires seemed to handle the standing water quite well.

I certainly would have slowed down if I still had the summer tires on that I had before in that torrential rain.

These Hankook tires come with pretty decent tread depth right from the start. I think that helps with aquaplaning?

 

[awokeinthelbc]

 

[awokeinthelbc]

 

[Elektrick]

Just saw this and thought I'd post it up for y'all.

$120 off rebate.

I might pick up a set for the M3P.

Hankook Rebates