Hi, I have a reservation for 85kWh Sig Performance (RHD) in Tokyo, and test drove the Model S twice. As a result the car with 19 inch wheels barely fit my condo's parking by 0.2 inches on both sides, and I'm happy with that. I'll place HPWC at my office parking so no problem with charging. The question is that I would like to reduce the size further; when I tried 21 inch wheels the car didn't fit, 19 inch was OK. The problem is my condo's parking is one of the biggest in Tokyo http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/15586-Japan/page3?p=338315#post338315 I think the wheels have "offset" value which decides the position of the wheel relative to the car; is it possible to purchase after-market wheels with different offset to reduce the width of the car, tire-to-tire? Even 1 inch less is better for me.
Hiroshiy san. I'm not sure it's possible to use a different wheel offset without encountering rubbing issues.
@dsm363: Actually not. Mechanical parkings here typically have mirror-to-mirror 205cm (80.7in) whereas tire-to-tire is 194cm (76.4in). http://twd.ac/ZSdn2R As you can see above link (it's a Google Image search result), tire-to-tire is more critical. @jerry33: sigh... maybe different offset with narrower tires like 235?
You'd have to ensure that the carrying capacity was equal to or greater and the RPMs of the tire were the same as the OE tires. The usual way to do this is to go with a smaller diameter wheel and a higher profile tire, but a smaller diameter wheel won't clear the brakes.
Just drive the tires up onto the edge, say on the passenger side. Then the driver will have full space to exit. So tires sit on an edge all day; try to center edge (avoid sidewall). --
I see. We don't really have parking like that here so didn't understand what you meant. Certainly will be tough parking for you but sounds like you are going to make it work. Good luck.
Many of the platform designs pictured wouldn't support that. The 19" tires are the best bet. And if that doesn't work... I don't see a good option. The offset on the OEM tires are already very narrow. Getting an extra 1/2" per tire may be possible, but not probable.
No, it won't. Less than 1/2" (10 mm) because only half of the width savings are on the side of the tire where it matters to the OP. And the 1/2" will happen only if they have the same variance from the nominal number (the 235 and 245 are nominal and can vary quite a bit between tires). If the RPMs of the tire are too different from the OE tires, there will be driving issues.
Such pictures scare you? These devices and similar dimensions are very common here too. Model S just wasn't made with non-US-style gigantic parking spaces in mind. Sad really, as it is such a beautiful car otherwise, just too wide (especially without those power folding mirrors), a tad too long, and with ridiculously large wheels. Now that I am looking for it, everywhere I go I try to find cars with bigger than 18-inch wheels - it is extremely hard to find even one. Anyway, good luck to our friend in Japan.
Yes. The mechanical contraptions just seem like they'd be doing harm to my vehicle constantly. I'm not saying it's rational, just actual.
While I was sleeping and out to work many comments... Attached is the picture I took at my condo's parking, with my current ICE car (similar size to Merc S class). I think I would go with 19 inch with AlloyGator. @wycolo: Thanks for your suggestion! Actually there are ribs on the sides so it's not possible to "drvie up onto the edge", @Jason S: 19 inch actually worked. But I would like to reduce some stress to park at other building parkings in metropolitan Tokyo. @jerry33: Thanks for the comment. Yeah actually my ICE's rear is 285/30R20 and I have tried Bridgestone Potenza S001 as well as Pirelli P-Zero same size, and Potenza is much narrower! @AustinPowers: Even in Germany?? Thanks to the technology, some Japanese parkings are getting really advanced. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUoQyDiWbY This link shows the inner structure of one of the most advanced mechanical parkings in Tokyo - I didin't record this. This is recorded with an on-board camera, at Roppongi Hills P1 (they have P1 thru P12). This type of parkings do not have ribs on the side, so wide cars like Tesla Model Ss can park easily without rubbing the rims.
That's a tight fit. Not sure there is much you can do other than be really really careful. Good luck on congrats on getting the Model S soon.
You guys are making this so complicated. Just find two semi-trucks driving side-by-side on the freeway. Don't guys watch any action movies? Geez.
@dsm363: Thanks for the comment! While I test drove Model S last weekend I tried to park Model S in this tight parking two times, without rubbing the rims. so with some AlloyGator support, I'll be able to keep the wheels clean. @olanmills: I like watching American movies! Your comments are about the YouTube movie I pasted? If so, I suggest even American malls and city center parkings to consider this type of advanced mechanical parkings - not only this is wide and tall enough to easily accomodate Model S and SUVs such as Cayenne, but you don't have to walk at all! You just put in the ticket, and wait until your ticket number is displayed; and your car is ready to go in a few minutes (typically 2 min).
in most places in the US those systems are still more expensive than simply building parking structures or just paving over vast areas of land. We'll get there eventually; hopefully before we've paved over everything.
Sorry, my comment is not easily understood. It was a joke. I wanted to find a movie clip on YouTube to illustrate my joke, but I couldn't find one within a few minutes and I gave up. I was making a joke that you could reduce the width of the car by trying to drive between two big trucks as they move closer together, crushing you car.