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Can you put a set of ordinary all-season tires for internal-combustion vehicles (let’s call them ICEs) on an electric or hybrid and expect them to work? Yes, you can, but that comes with some pretty notable “buts.” There are some important design and construction differences between tires that are purpose-built for EVs and ordinary all-season tires for ICEs Obviously, one of the biggest concerns with EVs is getting the most range possible on a single battery charge, so EV all-season tires need to be designed with the lowest possible rolling resistance as a goal. Also, most EVs are still equipped with a heavy battery pack under the vehicle’s floor pan, which changes its center of gravity, braking, and handling properties as well as adding a considerable amount of gross vehicle weight. EV tires need to be designed with all of those priorities in mind, and conventional all-season tires will wear prematurely when they have to handle the added weight of most EVs. Finally, EVs are dead silent on the highway, with no engine or exhaust noise to make their way into the passenger compartment. Tires for EVs need to be designed to suppress road noise as much as possible, and a noisy set of tires would be noticeable right away for drivers and passengers.
Today we’re going to take a look at the Bridgestone Potenza RE980 AS+ and Goodyear ElectricDrive GT. Both are performance-oriented all-season tires that are packed with cutting-edge features and deliver great value and performance year-round. While these tires might have those things in common, though, they also have some notable differences that we’ll compare and contrast as we take a closer look a bit later.
Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the system that the team at SimpleTire developed to give you a handy at-a-glance look at a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We look at specs, reviews, and other data points, then take that information and process it to a 1-10 numerical value for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity for any given tire, as well as an overall average SimpleScore. For the Bridgestone Potenza RE980 AS+ and Goodyear Electric Drive, the SimpleScore numbers come out as follows:
Bridgestone Potenza RE980 AS+
- Traction: 9.9
- Handling: 9.9
- Longevity: 8.6
- Overall average SimpleScore: 9.4
Goodyear ElectricDrive GT
- Traction: 8.7
- Handling: 8.8
- Longevity: 8.4
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.6
Handy as that SimpleScore info might be, it’s still the 30,000 foot view and doesn’t really give you the full picture of a tire’s value, performance and capabilities. We’re going to go in for a closer look as we compare and contrast with this head-to-head comparison:
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ tires
The design team at Bridgestone updated the proven Potenza RE980AS with the Potenza RE980AS+, and the changes are more significant than just window dressing and rebranding of a known quantity. The Potenza RE980AS+ is the flagship all-season tire of Bridgestone’s line, designed to pair year-round traction and versatility with the nimble, pulse-quickening handling of a summer or ultra-high-performance tire. Bridgestone starts out with an ultra-high-silica tread compound that’s designed to stay flexible and deliver grip at subfreezing temperatures. It’s then molded into an asymmetric all-season tread with separate segments for dry-road and wet-road traction, including circumferential grooves, shoulder slots, and angled grooves that channel water away from the tire’s contact patch to mitigate any tendency toward hydroplaning on wet roads.
The chamfered edges of the lateral grooves of the Potenza RE980AS+ help it maintain rubber-to-road contact at all times, and a dense network of 3D full-depth sipes interlock and work as a system to multiply traction in wintry or wet conditions, and their full depth helps them continue to deliver grip even as the tire’s tread depth wears down. The phenomenal handling ability of the Potenza RE980AS+ is thanks in part to its rigid internal construction, which includes a 3-ply reinforced sidewall and shoulder that reduces tread deformation and squirm during hard maneuvers. A solid center rib keeps the Potenza RE980AS+ firmly planted on the road at highway speed as well as aiding in nimble steering response. Internal construction includes a polyester casing with two plies across the tread area, twin steel belts, and a spiral-wound nylon cap ply. The tread pitch of the Potenza RE980AS+ is randomized and tuned to help cancel certain frequencies and resonances and keep road noise to a minimum. The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ is covered by a 50,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty. SimpleTire’s price on the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ starts at $152.96 per tire.
Goodyear ElectricDrive GT tires
Goodyear designed the ElectricDrive GT as a performance-oriented all-season tire for the unique requirements of hybrids and EVs, and it has some notable differences from a conventional run-of-the-mill premium all-season tire for ICE vehicles. The tread formulation of the ElectricDrive GT is designed to extend battery range by lowering friction and rolling resistance, yet still delivering great year-round traction and capable handling ability. The asymmetric all-season tread has a system of circumferential and angled grooves, with sipes and an increased void ratio toward the tire’s inboard side that helps to enhance traction in winter conditions. Internal construction includes a robust 2-ply polyester casing, twin steel belts, and a 2-ply polyamide cap ply layer, all designed for the extra weight of electric vehicles.
The ElectricDrive GT delivers a muted ride too, with SoundComfort Technology, which is comprised of a layer of foam rubber adhered to the tire’s inner liner to absorb resonances and airborne sounds. Handling and steering response get a boost from a solid center rib (which also aids in straight-line road manners) and a reinforced, interconnected set of shoulder blocks for enhanced grip. Goodyear protects the ElectricDrive GT with a 40,000 mile manufacturer’s limited tread life warranty. SimpleTire’s price on Goodyear ElectricDrive GT tires starts at $259.98 per tire.
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ vs Goodyear ElectricDrive GT tires on traction
In the traction category, there’s a pretty big margin between the SimpleScores of the two tires. The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ gets a best-possible SimpleScore of 9.9 while the Goodyear ElectricDrive GT lags with a SimpleScore of 8.7. Why the big difference? The silica-enhanced tread compound of the Bridgestone makes a definite difference when it comes to wet-weather traction, and the innovative 3D sipes give it a real boost when it comes to rainy or wintry conditions. In addition, the sipes are molded deeply enough into the tread itself that they open up and expand to keep boosting traction and performance as the tire wears down. It’s hard to overstate how much a properly-designed network of sipes can make a difference in braking grip and confident traction on slick roads, so our decision is:
ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ vs Goodyear ElectricDrive GT tires on handling
Here’s another no-brainer, with the Bridgestone coming in with a best-possible SimpleScore of 9.9 in the traction category vs 8.8 for the Goodyear. As a vehicle makes its way into a corner or during any kind of maneuver, its weight and inertia try to keep the car moving forward even as the front tires guide it in another direction. That’s why rigidity is so important, keeping the tread in contact with the road and preventing it from deformation or “tread squirm” as you turn. The 3-ply reinforced sidewall and stiffened tread face of the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ is what makes all the difference here. Bridgestone did design the Potenza RE980AS+ to have the cornering potential and handling properties of a UHP tire, and that’s why it’s a popular choice of drivers with vehicles like the Ford Mustang GT, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Infiniti Q50. Hands down, our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ vs Goodyear ElectricDrive GT tires on longevity
With SimpleScores of 8.6 for the Bridgestone and 8.4 for the Goodyear when it comes to longevity, at least the comparison is a little tighter this time around. The Bridgestone has a manufacturer’s treadwear warranty of 50,000 miles vs 40,000 miles for the Goodyear, neither of which are great mileage warranties for tires in this price range (or else the SimpleScore for each would be higher). Still, the mileage warranty info doesn’t lie and 50,000 miles is always going to be better than 40,000 when it comes to SimpleScore ratings for longevity. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+
When to use each
Like we said up at the top, the Bridgestone and the Goodyear have a lot in common at first glance, but they do come with some very distinct differences in material, design, and performance. The Goodyear was actually designed as a collaboration with Tesla as an OEM tire for their vehicles and is designed specifically for EV and hybrid models. If you’re driving a hybrid or EV, ordinary tires designed for internal-combustion vehicles are not recommended because they will compromise battery range due to the rolling resistance and shorter service life due to the EV’s added weight. That includes a tire like the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ – it’s a great tire and a great value, but it’s much more well-suited for year-round performance for conventional sedans, coupes, minivans and crossovers and not electric vehicles.
Which one should you choose?
To be really honest, comparing the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ and Goodyear ElectricDrive GT is a bit of an apples-and-oranges dilemma. The Goodyear is designed for a different kind of vehicle and while it would perform just fine on a conventional sedan or crossover, the design differences of the Bridgestone mean that wouldn’t be a great idea for an EV model. That said, they’re both great tires that are well-designed and very good at what they do. Taking everything into account, though – including the big disparity in price between the two and the longer warranty phase of the Falken – it’s our opinion that the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ represents a better value all around than the Goodyear ElectricDrive GT.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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