AN EV owner has revealed that they hate driving it, claiming it is too noisy.
The driver, named only as KR, switched out one electric Kia for another but alleged that this came with a raft of irritating issues.
GettyAn EV owner revealed that they hate their new car because of excessive road noise[/caption]
In a letter to the Telegraph’s motoring expert Alex Robbins, KR said: “About a year ago we bought our first electric car, a nearly new Kia e-Niro.
“We were very satisfied with it, so in August we decided to change it for the later Kia Niro EV.
“But this car has been a disappointment due to road and wind noise.”
They added that this was particularly difficult for them to deal with as they suffer from tinnitus.
The condition causes sufferers to hear a ringing or buzzing noise that is not actually caused by an outside source.
It can be aggravated by excessive external noise and lead to headaches, anxiety and low mood.
KR suspected that the noise was caused by the tyres on their new car, which were a different type to those used on a previous model.
Signing off their letter, they pleaded: “Is there a tyre which might make the car run quieter?”
For his part, Alex agreed that the tyres were likely to be at fault and suggested changing them.
He claimed: “The reason lies not just in the brand of tyre you’re using, but also the type.
“The original e-Niro came with Michelin Primacy tyres – a high-end model that has good noise and grip characteristics.
“By contrast, the Niro EV comes with Continental EcoContact tyres, designed to reduce energy consumption and therefore increase range.”
According to Alex, the new tyres are made of a harder compound to improve durability and efficiency by reducing “rolling resistance”.
However, he added that this can lead to more noise and recommended swapping them for a less “eco-friendly” tyre.
Alex also suggested adding more soundproofing to the car to help reduce the impact of the noise in the cabin.
Kia has been contacted for comment.
It comes after another driver said that owning an EV is a “nightmare” if you can’t afford a high-end Tesla.
Meanwhile, a mechanic issued an urgent warning to EV lovers as 97% of garages are unable to fix even basic issues with them.