Best Wheels and Tires for Maximum Efficiency?

[nrigali]

I have done a search on various keywords and cannot seem to find the answer for this.

I am going to be buying a Model X soon with all aspects of ownership geared towards maximum efficiency. I drive in stop and go traffic about 80% of the time and should get excellent range but I want to figure out the best way to do wheels/tires.

Are there aftermarket wheels that are better for range and tire wear?

Are there specific tires that are ideal for range and tire wear?

 

[skilly]

I think that you'll see on Tesla web pages that the larger wheel diameter offerings are always less efficient. They are essentially VERY heavy. Also, stop and go driving isn't typically efficient; its usually hard on efficiency not better.

There are aftermarket options that will have a much lower unsprung wheel weight that should translate to a better efficiencies. There are lots of options and I would say as long as you're willing to pay the money for a lightweight forged wheel, you won't be limited to 20" wheel sizes - you could easily pick a very light 22" wheel that would be lighter than the 20" stock wheel.

Regardless of what you get, Id also check for a solid 4 wheel alignment. My P85D was terribly towed inward and fixing it made a huge difference in range. I haven't checked my new X because I haven't had time (its still only a couple of weeks old for me). I would guess that its off (I can't seem to break 400kW/mile rating no matter what I do) - peace of mind for me means checking it in the next couple of weeks.

 

[ninefiveone]

Lighter wheels is definitely a good move.

Couple that with lighter tires and it's about as good as you can get. All-season and/or eco compound will also usually have less rolling resistance than a summer or performance tire.

Higher tire pressures will help as well.

 

[Itsajyaknow]

I'm getting Blaque diamond bd-3s. Ultra lightweight 22s.

 

[Shock-On-T]

The main reason the 22" wheel are less efficient is that it has a longer footprint on the road.
That's also why they handling is improved.

 

[Itsajyaknow]

The main reason the 22" wheel are less efficient is that it has a longer footprint on the road.
That's also why they handling is improved.

Nothing I can do about the footprint. I need the 22s to make me like the car more. I dislike how the x looks, but the bigger rims help my life. I'm keeping the 20s and plasti dipping them blue/black and I'll throw them on for road trips. The 22s will be my daily drivers so the fact they weigh 11lbs less than the upgraded tesla 22s will help the range even if it's by 4%. I'd rather 6-8% loss than 10-15%.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Nothing I can do about the footprint. I need the 22s to make me like the car more. I dislike how the x looks, but the bigger rims help my life. I'm keeping the 20s and plasti dipping them blue/black and I'll throw them on for road trips. The 22s will be my daily drivers so the fact they weigh 11lbs less than the upgraded tesla 22s will help the range even if it's by 4%. I'd rather 6-8% loss than 10-15%.

Totally agree. The bigger rims look much better, and looks matter.

 

[Itsajyaknow]

Totally agree. The bigger rims look much better, and looks matter.

Gotta offset that big bubble look somehow! So I'm gonna do that and chrome delete. So I'll have a blue and black car. Remove the 75d icon and put a transformers decepticon logo and name the car StarScream. That's my vision. Should all come into play this coming weekend. If delivery doesn't delay.

 

[nrigali]

Any recommendations on actual wheels that might be a good example of replacements?

 

[skilly]

Any recommendations on actual wheels that might be a good example of replacements?

you live in an area where all of the best come from. Take your pick - HRE, ADV1, AGLuxury, and Vossen. Then there are suppliers like @UnpluggedP and @Tsportline that will showcase their private label designs...lots of choice.

 

[TSportline]

@nrigali

For the Model X, we have our 20" TST Wheel and our 22" Forged Wheel Collection. Our wheels accept factory lug nuts, factory center caps, factory tires, and factory TPMS.



White Model X with 20" TST wheels in Matte Black:

Silver Model X with 20" TST wheels in Brilliant Silver:

Black Model X with 20" TST wheels in Gloss Black:

Black Model X with 20" TST wheels in Metallic Gray:

 

[animorph]

22" wheels are also worse because they are equipped with performance tires. The standard 20" all season tires are designed for lower rolling resistance. They will also wear better. The standard 20" is the starting point for efficiency, wear, and cost. You can go aftermarket later if you think you can find something better. I bought my X for road trips, so I ordered it with the standard 20" wheels and tires.

 

[Lbkmxp100d]

The main reason the 22" wheel are less efficient is that it has a longer footprint on the road.
That's also why they handling is improved.

That's not true. The 22" wheels/tires have same "footprint" as the 20" wheels and tires as the tires sidewall makes up the difference between the 2 sizes.

 

[skilly]

22" wheels are also worse because they are equipped with performance tires. The standard 20" all season tires are designed for lower rolling resistance. They will also wear better. The standard 20" is the starting point for efficiency, wear, and cost. You can go aftermarket later if you think you can find something better. I bought my X for road trips, so I ordered it with the standard 20" wheels and tires.

Its true that a tires rolling resistance can affect a vehicle efficiency anywhere from 4% to 7% but its not a spec that gets tracked.

The trouble with this statement is that other than specific manufacturing doing their own rolling resistance testing, there is no published specification included. You could make some assumptions using the UTQG rating, but its still not listed specifically - this only summarizes wear, traction, and temperature characteristics. Under this same logic, you would be better off with a gently used set of tires rather than something new, provided that it wasn't so worn that it affected rolling distance.

The two stock tires on offer with the Model X are identical:

20" UTQG rating: 480 A A
22" UTQG rating: 420 AA A

Total unsprung weight and general 4 wheel alignment will be specific and measurable. Moreover, I can say that a tire with a larger rim diameter does not automatically translate to a stickier or more performant tire.

 

[UnpluggedP]

We have a number of lightweight wheel options. In our experience range is a difficult topic as all factors and inputs must be exactly the same. For a direct comparison, everything from tire compound to driver input, temperature, road surface etc must be identical. That being said there are some noticeable improvements when going to a set of lightweight wheels.

Our UP-02 and UP-03 wheels are the lightest out there. Our UP-02s in 22" sizes weigh about 27lbs compared to about 39lbs for the OEM 22's. UP-02's in 20" sizes are about 24lbs

22" UP-02

20" UP-02

OEM 22" Wheel

Unplugged Performance UP02 22" Lightweight Wheels for Tesla Model X

Our UP-03's are even lighter than the UP-02s. At this point we have only done 20" drag spec wheels for Model S but those weighed in at 19.6lbs each. No pics on the scale unfortunately.

Model X wheels would weigh a bit more as they are wider and 22s would be heavier as well but still much lighter than just about anything else available.

Unplugged Performance UP-03 Super Light Wheels for Tesla Model X