marked tyre

Should I replace my old car tyres with OE tyres?

Tips and advice for Auto

Should you replace your old tyres with OE tyres or pick replacement tyres? Find out more about OE tyres, the OE tyre markings for your vehicle manufacturer, and the benefits of choosing tyres made specifically for your car.

What are OE tyres?

OE stands for Original Equipment, which means the parts that were fitted to your car at the factory. OE tyres are basically the tyres designed and chosen specifically for your vehicle during its design, and are the first tyres fitted to your car.

Since tyres are the only point of contact that a car has with the road, vehicle manufacturers tend to take their choice of tyres seriously. Most OE tyres are a collaborative development between tyre manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers, often undergoing years of rigorous testing and several stages of development. Michelin is proud to have developed and provided leading car manufacturers with record-breaking tyres, and are continuously looking to develop the tyres of tomorrow.

What do these letters and numbers mean? 

You can check for OE-specific marks in the sidewall of your car tyres. How these appear on the tyres depends on the car manufacturer, not the tyre maker. 

Here are the indicators used by some popular car manufacturers: 

Tyres 

OEM marking 

OE tyres for Audi 

AO - AO1 - AO2 - AOE 

OE tyres for BMW and BMW M 

★ - |★ 

OE tyres for Honda  

H0 

OE tyres for Tesla 

T0 (T-zero, not to be confused with Tango Oscar, which is used for Toyota OE tyres) 

T1 

T2 

OE tyres for Toyota  

TO  

OE tyres for Volvo 

VOL 

You can look up the OE tyre markings for your vehicle with your manufacturer, or consult a trusted tyre dealer.

What are the benefits of choosing OE tyres?

OE tyres are designed to help your vehicle deliver optimum performance. They have been specifically designed to suit your vehicle’s specifications, including transmission, software systems, rolling resistance requirements, and even to best suit the dimensions of the carriage and chassis.  

Overall, OE tyres are designed for versatility, allowing your vehicle to balance handling, longevity, fuel efficiency, and driving on various terrains and roads while minimising noise.  

If you have a high-performance car, Michelin recommends you replace your vehicle with the OE-marked versions. For example, you may want to purchase the OE tyres for Benz sports cars instead of opting for all-rounder tyres. 

This is because high-performance or sports cars, which are meticulously engineered for exceptional driving, have OE tyres that are specifically designed to deliver superior performance. For example, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres were designed to ensure the Porsche Panamera had superior speed and handling on the track. 

tyre shop

OE tyres or replacement tyres - which should I choose?

Buying tyres with the correct OE markings ensures that your vehicle performs as close to factory quality as possible. However, not every driver wants their car to perform at default settings. 

You may want to customize your driving experience to match your unique needs with replacement tyres that are designed for specific driving conditions, such as durability for off-roading or higher performance on the track.  

For example, the OE tyres for BYD cars will be designed to suit the particular needs of that branded vehicle. However, the best tyre dealers in Singapore will also offer tyres help your EV’s performance improve in different ways. Michelin’s Pilot Sport EV tyres reduce perceived noise by 20%, while Michelin e·PRIMACY tyres reduce the energy consumption of passenger cars.  

If you want to explore our range of Michelin-developed marked tyres, or browse by driving experience, try out our tyre finder. Or, find your closest authorized Michelin tyre dealer today.

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