A plug might have worked in the first one, I remember it was a side wall puncture and ended up buying two new tires. The second one due to a pothole was a tire puncture and damage wheel. It’s possible a plug would have fixed it, but I had a spare and no tire plug.
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Tesla's reason for not adding spare tires, doesn't make sense.
- Thread starter gflar
- Start date
Pobre
Member
My Coworker had her MY tire blowout about a month ago. she ended up calling in tesla to replace it cost her $500ish.
I noticed the tire pressure fluctuates more wider range (at least in my area So Cal) at least about 5 PSI. starting with the recommended 42PSI and the weather/temperature fluctuation probably got above the 51PSI limit on the tires causing the blow out.
fholbert
Active Member
LOL, so true. I’ve seen able body ~30 year old men waiting for Auto Club to arrive and change their tire.
Most hybrid vehicles don’t have spares either, I’ve not had one since 2017. Most flats are run flats where the driver didn’t know pressure in a tire was low and destroyed the tire by driving on it. Newer vehicles alert a driver when air pressure is low.
I carry a small air compressor and a can of Fix A Flat.
If you feel the need to have a spare, buy one. Don‘t forget the jack and wrench.
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I’ve changed my tire twice. Once on the side of a highway (but on the side of the grass). I’ll never do that again. Next time I’ll wait for AAA. I value my life a bit more these days.
HAHAHA! I value my life, as well, and in W. Texas/NE NM, SE CO, 100f+, with a blowout, I'd rather risk 15 min. changing my tire in the heat than be stranded for "x" hours, waiting to be rescued.
Well now, a flat tire should have no effect on your ability to run AC, if waiting in the car.
I mean changing it on the side of a busy highway. If out in the middle of nowhere on an empty highway with no help, that’s a different story.
If you are a male of average size and strength changing tires is easy and quick. I don’t get the safety issue, If you must change tires in a highway, Just call a cop and they will park behind you with blue and red lights on. I have seen this happen. Cops might look mean, but the ones I have interacted with are nice and helpful.
the main reason manufacturers eliminated spare tires is efficiency and cost. In the quest for meeting MPG standards, they cut the spare and tools.
Tesla, along with every other EV except Rivian, deletes the spare in favor of maximizing range.
GM is probably the biggest by numbers...maybe Tesla is close now since the Y and 3 are global bestsellers.
But it's not federally mandated, so manufacturers cut it.
They save around $30-40 per car which is in the realm of $1.5M per 100k cars.
Tesla, along with every other EV except Rivian, deletes the spare in favor of maximizing range.
GM is probably the biggest by numbers...maybe Tesla is close now since the Y and 3 are global bestsellers.
But it's not federally mandated, so manufacturers cut it.
They save around $30-40 per car which is in the realm of $1.5M per 100k cars.
That doesn’t make sense. A Model Y weights about 4400lbs. A spare tire 25 - 30lbs. Jack, wrench and pump maybe another 15 lbs. that is about a 1% increase in weight. How much effect would 1% added weight be on range?
But if Tesla designed a space for one, even if they didn't include it, it would be very very very much appreciated...
I don't like that Tesla and many other cars are not coming with them at all, and I generally have avoided cars in the past that didn't have them as they usually target a different buying audience that is generally more accepting of relying on others for help, but it's getting harder especially if you want an EV. All my Fords (I'm aware they didn't include one with the mach-e either though sadly), Toyotas, Mazdas, and Hondas have had them and have been used on several occasions over the years. I think the move away from giving at least the option for and a space for one is a bit disgusting and is a huge negative factor to the car.
I think the only car I've owned that didn't have one was an Elise, which well could barely fit a standard race helmet in the trunk.
I wonder if an aftermarket company would make an under floor trunk insert to better store one? I've seen pictures of the factory one cut up to fit a modern spare. If you could get a clean aftermarket one with a cutout and attachment mechanism someone would buy it.
android04
Active Member
The tire pressure going over 51PSI isn't going to cause a blowout if it was caused by temperature fluctuations. The max limit on the tire is listed as 51PSI Cold Inflation, not a burst pressure or an absolute maximum pressure. Cold inflation pressure means the tire is "cold" (sitting unused for hours) you can actually inflate it to 51PSI and the tire would be safe even with the normal temperature fluctuations that would take it above 51PSI. Tire pressure fluctuates about 1 PSI for about every 10 degree F difference in temperature, and the type or brand of tire does not matter. However, at higher inflation pressures the difference in the PSI will be more noticeable. Tesla tires are at a slightly higher inflation pressure than most cars, so the temperature effects on the PSI can be a little more noticeable.
It's one component of many in weight reduction. They don't just look at the spare but to drop 50lbs with one non-mandatory, non-essential component is massive.
Tesla also has to counter a very heavy full glass roof.
Cost savings- lets be generous and say $50-60 for parts and labor time per unit. Tesla sold 747,000 MY's last year x $50-60/unit (whatever it is).
Tens of millions in cost eliminated.
Tesla also skips other "standard" processes that all legacy makers use to further reduce cost.
And yes, efficiency in all aspects increased from speed of assembly to range.
*for every 100lbs, you lose 2% mpg - EPA
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Legacy items such as passenger lumbar support, spare tires, radar, parking sensors, sun roof covers, garage door openers, trunk cover, plastic inserts for the middle compartment, etc… next to go will be seatbelts. Elon already said seatbelts are not necessary because Tesla airbags are good enough, check it in YouTube. Tesla fans will then be saying yes seatbelts are not necessary because only 5% of Tesla vehicles roll over.
Speaking about spare tires, a lot of manufacturers still include spare tires. My wife’s Audi and my Mercedes has spares and both are not old vehicles. My Tesla does not. I’m sure many others have it as well. Well at least I hope manufacturers haven’t done away with spares.
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