A late fall tradition for many motorists who live north of the 45th parallel is swapping out street tread under their vehicles for tires designed for winter driving conditions. This is to maximize safety when roads are frequently covered with snow and ice.
I’m one of those motorists. Every year around Thanksgiving, depending on the weather, the floor jack and air wrench come out as I pull off the “all-season” summer tires and replace them with winter tires. This year, the annual swap meant changing out the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 all-season tires under my Mazda CX-5 AWD for a set of Nokian Tyres’ new Hakkapeliitta R5 EVs.
In short: The Hakka R5 EV is the best snow tire I’ve ever tested. It offers supreme confidence and impressively low tire noise. The price is steep, but they should last many winter seasons and are backed by a warranty that backs that up. Oh, and they’re great for a wide range of vehicles, not just EVs.
Drivers changing over to winter tires seldom notice the changes in ride, handling, or the slight increase in cabin noise the softer rubber compounds and unique tread design typically bring to the table. But there is a difference.
Beating the Proverbial Drum
All tires act like drums. When they roll down the road, the tread slaps against the road surface, creating a certain frequency of noise depending on the tire’s cavity size and design. That “road noise” is transmitted straight into the vehicle’s passenger compartment.
Drivers of gas and diesel-powered vehicles seldom hear that change in tire-induced road noise, or if they do hear the slight increase in noise, they quickly tune it out. However, that’s not the case for drivers and occupants of electric vehicles (EVs). They hear it all.
EVs are heavier than their gas/diesel stablemates, and there’s no exhaust or engine noise resonating into the cabin. So the least bit of change in the noise tires transmit into the cabin is quickly noticed by the occupants. That can be bothersome to some EV owners when they switch to snow tires.
Tackling Tire-Generated Noise
Nokian Tyres, the world’s northernmost tire manufacturer, has addressed this issue tread-on with the new “SilentDrive” technology built into the company’s new Hakkapeliitta R5 EV ice/snow tires. The secret? The R5 EV snow tires have a 30mm-thick strip of acoustic foam glued around the inside of the casing’s inner liner.
“As the tire rolls on the road, it makes an impact on the road surface,” explains Nokian Tyres Development Manager Jouko Ilomäki. “This impact causes disturbing noise peaks that is called ‘air cavity resonance’, which is in the 200-250Hz range. The layer of acoustic foam applied to the inner liner in the R5 EV tire helps absorb that noise before it resonates into the vehicle.”
One wouldn’t think a little 3-inch-wide strip of foam glued on the inside of the tire carcass would make much of a difference in cabin noise. But it does!
After swapping out a set of Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 all-season tires for a set of 235/55R19 R5 EVs under my Mazda CX-5 AWD, the reduction in road noise coming into the cabin was surprising. So I can only imagine how delighted EV owners would react when driving on the new Hakka R5 EVs.
What Is a Hakkapeliitta R5 EV?
The Hakkapeliitta R5 EV is the same as the popular R5 that debuted in January 2022, but with the added acoustic foam inner lining as discussed above.
Although the R5 EV was initially designed as a dedicated snow/ice tire for EVs and hybrids, Ilomäki says it works perfectly fine under crossovers, SUVs, pickups, and gas/diesel-powered passenger cars.
Another tech twist in these snow tires is the inclusion of sharp-edged, microscopic Arctic Grip Crystals infused with the tread’s rubber compound. Ilomäki claims the infusion of these crystals provides “best-in-class” ice performance as documented by the Nokian design team’s extensive testing at the Ivalo Test Center in northern Finland.
While Ilomäki wouldn’t reveal what these embedded invisible crystals are made of, or what percentage of improvement they provide in ice traction over the tires without them, he told me Nokian’s extensive testing showed the “Arctic Grip Crystals act like built-in studs throughout the useful life of the tire.”
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Impressive snow/ice traction -
Applies to both EV and combustion-engine vehicle use -
Offered in a wide range of wheel sizes -
Low rolling resistance -
Aggressive tread design maximizes traction even in rain -
Acoustic foam applied to carcass reduces noise -
5-year replacement warranty
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Price is at upper end of snow tire offerings -
Short tread life on dry pavement
Hakkapeliitta R5 EV Review: Driving Impressions
Whether the crystals can be seen or not, the newest winter tires from Nokian are impressive. My initial reaction after the first couple of weeks driving on the R5 EVs during heavy rainstorms pounding the Pacific Northwest impressed me with their surprisingly quiet ride.
I was also impressed by their excellent responsiveness to steering, acceleration, and braking inputs compared to all-terrains, mud tires, and all-season tires I’ve tested under similar driving conditions.
Where the R5 EVs really showed their worth was when the heavy rain along the coast turned to heavy snow as I drove high into Oregon’s Cascade Range heading to the HooDoo and Willamette Pass ski areas some 60 miles east of Eugene.
The traction they provided, pushing through 6-8 inches of fresh snow over an icy underlayer, left no doubt in my mind that the R5 EVs should be considered a class leader in today’s competitive field of non-studded snow tires. They never skipped a beat.
The soft rubber compound, multiple tread blocks, each with an array of deep sipes to grab and hold snow, worked in harmony to maximize traction while keeping my heart rate down and driving safety confidence high.
That comfort level continued while driving over plowed and packed snow, with the occasional icy stretches. It also bolstered my confidence that what Ilomäki had said related to the invisible crystals within the R5 EVs’ tread actually had merit in promoting added grip in severe winter driving conditions.
R5 EVs Fit for All
Although these Hakkapeliitta R5 EVs are badged as though they are only for electric vehicles, Nokian Tyres’ newest offering in dedicated winter treads is a fit-all.
“All our tires are safe to use on EVs, hybrids, and combustion engine vehicles,” says Jouko Ilomäki. “Likewise, non-EV versions of our tires are suitable for use on EVs. The latest generation of every tire we make comes with our Electric Fit emblem that certifies it has been developed for use on electric vehicles,” adds Nokian Tyres’ Development Manager.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 EV Review: Summary
Nokian Tyres’ Hakkapeliitta R5 EV is a premium snow/ice tire that reflects the newest in technology that advances both safety and comfort for those who face extreme winter driving conditions and drive electric vehicles. The same tire is equally efficient when used on a wide range of gas/diesel/hybrid vehicles.
The design of the tread and advanced formula in the rubber maximizes snow-on-snow traction for exceptional grip that shines under all-wheel-drive cars, crossovers, and SUVs. The tire also performs excellently over slushy road surfaces and during heavy rain downpours that tend to promote hydroplaning with other tires.
Of all the snow tires I’ve tested over the years, these rank at the top for EVs, crossovers, SUVs, and hybrids. Sure, the R5 EVs command a premium price. But the reward is their outstanding winter performance, durability, and quietness.
With regular seasonal tire swaps and limited use on dry pavement, these tires should last for at least five winter seasons. The R5s have a strong “5-year-after-date-of-purchase” warranty, too.
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