Spoilers - How effective/useful?

[MDR SEA]

Hello fellow Xers,

We've recently added a 2016 Model X to our fleet.
I don't like the looks of the rigid spoiler and am considering removal.

Can anyone tell me the benefits - real and imagined - of the spoilers?

I find it just occludes the already poor rear visibility.

Thanks
MDR

 

[Haxster]

IMO, spoilers, for the most part, are properly named. They spoil the look of the car.

From a practical point, at high speeds, they increase the downforce on the rear wheels. This is a good thing if you have to make a high speed maneuver. It can help keep the rear of the vehicle at the rear.

 

[MDR SEA]

True enough.
In this case, I've seen where Tesla implies that the spoiler contributes to the low Cd of the Model X
Just wondering how significant that contribution is.

 

[ninefiveone]

The Tesla spoiler is not a downforce spoiler. As noted above it’s there to reduce drag and clean up / direct the airflow coming off the rear.

It’s only effective at highway speeds. I would guess it improves range 2-5% at speeds over 55mph.