Model X - are there more aerodynamic wheel ?

[Loves]

hi, I just wanted to ask if there is a more aerodynamic wheel for the Model X?

 

[scottf200]

For highway driving efficiency you may be better off just adding more air to the tires. They are 50 PSI max *cold*. I usually run the high 40s on the highway and get good efficiency.

 

[Unclepaul]

If you are running 22" wheels, then switching to 20" would be more aerodynamic and give better range.

 

[Loves]

hi sorry i should that i am on 20s now. i was just asking to be curious. high 40s being 47, 48 ?

 

[Unclepaul]

Not sure that anyone has done actual aerodynamic tests on other 20" wheels, as the Tesla wheels are pretty aerodynamic stock.

 

[ZuleMYP]

The biggest thing you could do is reduce weight of rotational mass. I imagine something like moving to a 19" TSportline TSS at ~24lbs a wheel could reduce power consumption more than any aero change.

 

[scottf200]

hi sorry i should that i am on 20s now. i was just asking to be curious. high 40s being 47, 48 ?

From cold to hot the PSI can change 4-5. For summer driving, I would set them to 46 PSI and then on the warm day on the highway they would reach 48-49.
Easy to adjust if too high. ie. when I stop at a supercharger when traveling you can just go to each tire and count for two seconds as you let air out. That is usually 1 PSI. I just press the end of my sunglass (part over the ear) into the valve.

Tire PSI make a big difference in efficiency. There are small changes in tire noise but it is minor to me.

 

[DCGOO]

From cold to hot the PSI can change 4-5. For summer driving, I would set them to 46 PSI and then on the warm day on the highway they would reach 48-49.

I notice a very large difference in PSI related to the outside air temperature. 10ºF change can make 2 or 3 PSI difference. Heat produced by driving though, has almost no effect. I can spend hours at 80 mph, and find the PSI has changed very little, as long as the outside air temp is the same.

 

[ZuleMYP]

I notice a very large difference in PSI related to the outside air temperature. 10ºF change can make 2 or 3 PSI difference. Heat produced by driving though, has almost no effect. I can spend hours at 80 mph, and find the PSI has changed very little, as long as the outside air temp is the same.

10 degrees (f) should be considered 2% or approximately 1psi change per pressure/gas laws. Gay-Lussac's law, P1/T1 = P2/T2.

 

[ngng]

The biggest thing you could do is reduce weight of rotational mass. I imagine something like moving to a 19" TSportline TSS at ~24lbs a wheel could reduce power consumption more than any aero change.

Weight is important, but so is the design of the wheel. There's a reason Tesla added those ugly wheel covers to close the openings in the wheels. The TSS wheels are really open and I'd imagine they affect aero.

The biggest thing anybody can do to improve their efficiency is slowing down.

 

[ZuleMYP]

Weight is important, but so is the design of the wheel. There's a reason Tesla added those ugly wheel covers to close the openings in the wheels. The TSS wheels are really open and I'd imagine they affect aero.

The biggest thing anybody can do to improve their efficiency is slowing down.

I had the tss on my M3P before the X and they were a huge gain to me over the factory 20’s. Even being open. But I agree there is a balance at some speed…

 

[ngng]

I had the tss on my M3P before the X and they were a huge gain to me over the factory 20’s. Even being open. But I agree there is a balance at some speed…

Yeah, I could see that. I think the quoted range on the Tesla covers is a few percent at best. I went from the OEM 20s on my X to a forged 3pc mesh wheel and didn't notice anything too drastic either.