When the wheel is just coasting (no additional torque supplied) you have the least amount of friction (assuming you’re going in a straight line) against the rubber. The issue with fly-by-wire systems is there’s no coasting. An ECU is constantly supplying PWM like torque pulses to the wheels to keep the speed constant. My OneWheel burns through rubber because of this. My EV as well. Yet my ICE vehicles or vehicles with a CVT/Open Diff that let the wheels run free don’t suffer from having to change the tires every few months. I believe that’s in corroboration with what the article is claiming. The soft compound tires for ride comfort get absolutely chewed. There’s ripple like wear from the motors.