TPE vs ABS Mud Flaps: Full Performance Test for ZEEKR 7X
After installing no-drill mud flaps on ZEEKR 7X, most overseas EV owners face the biggest selection confusion: Which material is better, TPE soft rubber or ABS hard plastic? Many cheap universal mud flaps on the market use inferior hard plastic or recycled rubber, which easily break in winter, deform under high temperature, or shake loudly during driving.
To help ZEEKR 7X LHD & RHD users make a precise decision, NiceEVS launches a professional full dimension real-scene test for dedicated ZEEKR 7X TPE and ABS mud flaps. We verify flexibility, wear resistance, high and low temperature adaptability, road passing performance and fitting stability, and conclude the most worthy material for long-term overseas use.
1. Basic Material Characteristic Introduction
ABS Hard Plastic Mud Flaps
ABS is a rigid engineering plastic with high surface hardness, strong stereoscopic sense, neat and straight appearance after installation. It maintains a highly consistent outline with the original car body, with excellent three-dimensional visual effect. It is not easy to bulge or deform under static pressure, and the surface is easy to clean.
Automotive-Grade TPE Soft Mud Flaps
TPE is high-elastic environmental protection soft rubber material, which is the mainstream upgrade material for new energy vehicles in recent years. It has excellent flexibility, strong tear resistance, no brittle cracking in low temperature, and can automatically reset after bending and extrusion. It is more suitable for complex overseas road conditions.
2. Real-Scene Contrast Test Results
Test 1: Low-Temperature Cold Resistance Test (Winter Adaptability)
Overseas users in high-latitude areas often encounter cold winter weather. After low-temperature freezing test: ABS hard plastic becomes brittle at ultra-low temperature. Once hitting curbs, stones or potholes, it is prone to local cracking or corner breaking. In contrast, TPE material still maintains soft toughness in cold environment, will not crack after collision, and has far better winter durability.
Test 2: High-Temperature & Sun Exposure Test
For users in tropical and Middle Eastern regions, long-term strong sunlight exposure is a severe test for exterior accessories. After continuous high-temperature exposure: ABS material is slightly resistant to high temperature, but long-term exposure will cause slight yellowing and hardening. TPE material adopts anti-UV formula, which effectively resists solar aging, no yellowing, no hardening, and maintains original softness and flatness for a long time.
Test 3: Road Collision & Passability Test
ZEEKR 7X owners often feedback that hard mud flaps will make obvious rigid collision sound when scraping curbs or uneven roads. ABS hard board cannot buffer impact force, easy to cause edge gap deformation after multiple collisions. TPE mud flaps can buffer impact through self-flexibility, no noise during slight scraping, automatically rebound after extrusion, and will not affect chassis ground clearance and daily passability.
Test 4: Driving Stability & Noise Control
At high-speed cruising, rigid ABS mud flaps have poor fit tolerance. Slight body jitter will produce hollow vibration noise. Dedicated TPE mud flaps fit the wheel radian 1:1, with built-in buffer toughness, no shaking or abnormal noise during high-speed driving, quieter and more stable.
Test 5: Dust & Mud Blocking Effect
In actual muddy road test, both materials have excellent splash-proof capabilities, which can effectively block gravel, rainwater and sediment from splashing on door skirts and wheel housings. However, the soft edge of TPE fits the tire closer without gaps, while hard ABS has tiny reserved gaps at individual radian positions, resulting in a small amount of fine dust penetration.
3. Verified Pros & Cons Summary
ABS Mud Flaps Pros & Cons
Pros: High hardness, three-dimensional and neat appearance, strong sense of original car integrity, not easy to deform under static pressure, easy daily cleaning.
Cons: Brittle in winter, easy to crack after collision, poor tolerance for complex road conditions, easy to produce driving vibration noise.
TPE Mud Flaps Pros & Cons
Pros: Super toughness, anti-collision and anti-crack, zero noise during driving, anti-UV anti-aging, suitable for all-weather use, perfect radian fitting, no gap dust leakage.
Cons: Slightly softer in appearance stereoscopic sense than ABS, need manual edge finishing after installation to keep flat.
4. Suitable Crowds & Final Selection Advice
Choose ABS Mud Flaps If: You pursue ultra-neat original car appearance, mainly drive on flat urban roads, and rarely pass rough roads or curbs.
Choose TPE Mud Flaps If: You need all-weather durable protection, often drive on suburban, rainy, gravel roads, or live in high-temperature / ultra-low temperature overseas regions. For 90% of overseas ZEEKR 7X owners, TPE material is the most cost-effective and long-term reliable choice.
Final Tips
All NiceEVS ZEEKR 7X mud flaps support 100% no-drilling OEM installation, perfectly matching LHD and RHD overseas versions. You can check our previous practical tutorial: How to Install Mud Flaps on ZEEKR 7X (No Drilling). Shop our professional-grade ZEEKR 7X Mud Flaps for long-term all-weather exterior protection!