In the UK we have traditionally only considered one tyre choice. These would nowadays be regarded as "summer tyres". The relatively mild climate has meant that we could get away with using them all year round. In more recent years we have specific characteristics of tyre that broadly fall into "summer", "winter" and "all season". I don't think Tesla is any different to any other brand in the UK in choosing to fit summer tyres as standard. (Maybe some SUVs come with a "all season" or have that as an option ... I'm just guessing on that one!)
So why have things moved on with regards to tyres? (you really don't need to read the following .. most people will know this ..)
In days of yore we drove low powered vehicles with skinny tyres and lots of sidewall. We generally had more space around us too ... because of smaller cars and much fewer on the roads.. always useful in winter conditions. Those skinny tyres worked surprisingly well in winter. They cut through snow and slush much better than a modern proportioned tyre and the extra sidewall allowed the tyre to deform to take account of the road surface even if the rubber compound was less than ideal. (In terms of skinny tyres just check out the widths used even on modern rally cars ... depending on the stage surface they are often narrower than the equivalent road car.) In serious winter conditions we had "snow tyres" but unlike the modern winter tyre (which is also great in snow) it got it's performance mostly through big chunky tread. They were very rarely fitted.
The other difference is the power being put down by modern vehicles. Those skinny old tyres I just described would be immediately overwhelmed and just wouldn't work the same. Our heavier powerful cars need a bigger contact patch and this is achieved by a bigger diameter and width of the wheel/tyre combination. The low sidewall gives more control of the tyre contact patch but we now depend even more on how the rubber itself performs. The rubber compound of a summer tyre that is harder at low temperatures becomes more of an issue and great advantage can be had by matching the compound to the temperature. The science of tyres has developed over the years and manufacturers can now offer excellent tyres that can work well in the winter ... but in the UK (for good reason) we have been reluctant to take this on, mainly due to cost but also because of the variability of our winter weather ... it often doesn't seem worth it. Another huge aspect that is often overlooked is that wheels and tyres are now fashion items! Big wide wheels "look cool" ... but in truth, on variable surfaces, and particularly in winter, we could all do with a bit more sidewall and a bit less width... but see what your insurance company thinks of you changing from standard (even though you just made your car safer)!
