Talk me out of turbines!

[Hammy60]

I have the 19” slipstreams on my 17 model S, but man those 21” turbines look good. I keep reading about all the awful things with them though (wear, flats, bent rims, etc) because of the low profile design and even a reduction in efficiency?

From a pure looks perspective would love to put a better winter tire on my 19s and get the 21 turbines with a summer tire in spring.

For those that have both, what’s the real deal? Talk me out of it...my wife thanks you.

 

[SSedan]

Just for clarity the reduced efficiency is in the tire not the rim.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Just for clarity the reduced efficiency is in the tire not the rim.

A heavier wheel equals reduced efficiency.

OP where are you located?

 

[Keith909man]

I swapped out the 19s the first week. The 19s made the car look kinda granny and boring for such an expensive fast car. The moment I put those 21s on, the car looked like what it cost! It looked fast, sexy and expensive compared to those lame 19s. It really started to get public attention after that. No regrets

 

[SSedan]

A heavier wheel equals reduced efficiency.

OP where are you located?

Yes, but if it was the wheel weight alone we would see people say turbines have little to no impact on highway cruise efficiency and only effect city driving.

Please provide links to the vast quantities of these posts you must have read. Must be threads on Arachnids being an amazing range adding mod.

Lower profile tires are generally "stickier" tread compounds this is where the range loss comes from despite popular misinformation.

Appears the weight different between arachnids and slipstreams is about the same as slipstreams and turbines so if the 4-6 lbs at the wheel is the answer Arachnids would be much more highly sought after as a great range mod.

I checked tire weights on tire rack and doesn't appear 21" tires weigh any more.

 

[ucmndd]

Yes, but if it was the wheel weight alone we would see people say turbines have little to no impact on highway cruise efficiency and only effect city driving.

Please provide links to the vast quantities of these posts you must have read. Must be threads on Arachnids being an amazing range adding mod.

Lower profile tires are generally "stickier" tread compounds this is where the range loss comes from despite popular misinformation.

Appears the weight different between arachnids and slipstreams is about the same as slipstreams and turbines so if the 4-6 lbs at the wheel is the answer Arachnids would be much more highly sought after as a great range mod.

I checked tire weights on tire rack and doesn't appear 21" tires weigh any more.

Concentrated mass farther from the point of rotation increases inertia and requires more energy to accelerate, because physics.

It’s not just tires.

 

[TSportline]

If the turbine look is what you are looking for, we offer 19" and 20" TST for the Model S. 19" TST will fit factory tire size.

 

[Ashleysteadman]

I agree with a few here - the wheel arches on the S are too big for 19’s - a 21” wheel fills them out nicely and drastically improves the look of the car (in my opinion).

I bought my S with silver 19” slipstreams, shortly after I had them painted in sonic carbon... liked the look more, but still left me wanting more; I found a set of Arachnids for sale locally (they don’t come up for sale much here in Sydney, Australia) and jumped on them... never looked back. I love them, and think the car looks infinitely better.

The turbines look great but they are a hefty wheel - I think the Arachnids are a better option if you can get them, but the turbines are a classic Tesla look and are really nice too.

 

[timvracer]

I've had the 21" turbines for 2.5 years now, no problems whatsoever. Ride is rough, and they are noisier, but the 19 and 20" "turbines" cannot compare to the look of the 21" ones. my opinion of course. I just love the look!

 

[BANKWUPT]

the 19 and 20" "turbines" cannot compare to the look of the 21" ones. my opinion of course. I just love the look!

For comparison's sake, here's the 20" version off the Model X:

The rear tires are slightly wider than the 21" wheels (275 width vs 265) and are a bit more flush with the fenders. I love this look

 

[Galinette]

More inertia means more energy required to accelerate, but also more energy recovered with regen. So it will only cost you the fraction of energy that is lost in an acceleration/regen cycle. Which is around 10-20% afaik. And this will be significant only in situations of frequent speed changes, aka urban driving.
The energy required by a Tesla at steady speed is mostly aero and rubber deformation.

 

[Yoitskenn]

Go 20s

You get the best of both worlds.

 

[SSedan]

Concentrated mass farther from the point of rotation increases inertia and requires more energy to accelerate, because physics.

It’s not just tires.

Yes that is technically true but is not significant enough to account for the range loss people see.
Plus if it was people who switch from turbines to Arachnids would report huge range gains since they are lighter than slipstreams.

 

[SilverGS]

For comparison's sake, here's the 20" version off the Model X:

The rear tires are slightly wider than the 21" wheels (275 width vs 265) and are a bit more flush with the fenders. I love this look

These look fantastic! I had no idea that the Model X wheels were a direct bolt on to the S. 20's in my opinion are the best compromise to size and ride comfort on the Model S. I need to start watching for these in the sale section!

 

[SilverGS]

View attachment 451630 Go 20s

You get the best of both worlds.

Awesome looking wheels! Which ones are these and what are the tire widths?

 

[jb007gd]

I have the 19” slipstreams on my 17 model S, but man those 21” turbines look good. I keep reading about all the awful things with them though (wear, flats, bent rims, etc) because of the low profile design and even a reduction in efficiency?

From a pure looks perspective would love to put a better winter tire on my 19s and get the 21 turbines with a summer tire in spring.

For those that have both, what’s the real deal? Talk me out of it...my wife thanks you.

I'd say it depends on how willing you are to swap the wheels out each season, and if you're okay with tires that are going to wear out very quickly. Now, the caveat for me was I had a P85+ with the staggered tires, so I wasn't able to rotate the tires except for swapping sides. My rear tires lasted one season, period. I'm talking like 6,000 miles. I was able to get some of the cost refunded from tirerack.com but the point here is these tires wear quickly!
It's also true that the 21's are a stiffer and bumpier ride.

At the end of the day you're gaining arguably better looks at the cost of your time fussing with swapping wheels twice a year, potentially replacing tires annually at a cost, and enjoying a less comfortable ride.
If you've got the time and money I'd say try it out, otherwise you're going to wonder forever. But if it's a stretch financially, I'd say you can avoid installing 21's and live with knowing you're saving money, time, and enjoying a more comfortable and efficient ride.
Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Estimate the extra cost of the wheels, tires, puncture repair, and additional electricity,

Now you can invest that money in energy efficiency improvements on your home instead.

How's that?

 

[dethman]

The 21s are gorgeous. Do it.

 

[powaking]

If the area you normally drive is filled with pot holes then you may want to stick with 19" or 20". Up here in the northeast its like a battle field trying to avoid these pot holes. The sidewall on the 19" gives a bit more cushion.

 

[SSedan]

To those who swear weight is the range factor, if it were light wheels would be a hugely popular mod.

To my point about it being the tire the 19" MX4 Micheline are a treadwear rating of 500 the 21" choices are 300 on the Michelins.
Treadwear ratings are not standardized across the industry but can be used for rough comparison particularly within a brand.

Why are so many fixated on one factor?
Despite the same width rating if you actually look at the tire size the 21" have .3" wider tread to go with the softer tread lower treadwear rating.