Winter Tires?

[RGB]

I just remembered that we'd been discussing this a while ago and looked up the thread. Not really any valuable information there either, however, I noticed that it was in fact me who had started that other thread as well. :redface:
My bad.

I guess it would make sense to merge them.

 

[doug]

[Merged. Thanks.]

Kinda strange they don't have a solution yet. I mean I'm sure they would like to sell you one. But outside that, they should have an aftermarket recommendation for owners until they can provide their own.

 

[dpeilow]

I can understand the tyres needing to be changed, but why the rims?

 

[mpt]

Does this help? it's the discussion on the use of the FondMetel wheels that come with the 2.0

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/tesla-roadster/2289-5-spoke-split-spoke-wheels.html

 

[Alfred]

Just wondering - does Tesla offer any? Would you just use whatever works for the Lotus?
Or maybe just not take it for a ride in the cold?

According to the manual for the EU Roadster on page 10-10 the recommended winter tires are:

• Front: Pirelli 210 Snowsport 195/50/R16
84H at 25 PSI (172 kPa)
• Rear: Pirelli 240 Snowsport 215/45/R17
91H at 36 PSI (248 KPa)
If snow chains are necessary, Tesla
recommends PEWAG Neon x3 Montage.

In some European countries Winter tires are compulsory or are at least very advisable to keep out of difficulties with the law and insurances.

 

[vfx]

Not related much but at 3.5 months and 5,600 miles, my rear "stock" tires are worn out. US $300 for a new pair. Not an expense that is mentioned when you buy a far too fun electric car.

 

[kgb]

Replacements

To keep this in perspective, my current fun car (as I wait for a Tesla) is a Mercedes SL 55. With 500 hp and 0-60 around 4.5, I burn through tires fast too. $300 is a bargain.

My Michelin replacement tires cost $1,200 from Discount Tire. It's a little over $400 for the fronts and around $700 for the rears. I am looking forward to the day that I will save on gas and tires. Let us not forget that tires are a petroleum product as well... so smaller tires also decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

kgb

 

[donauker]

Not related much but at 3.5 months and 5,600 miles, my rear "stock" tires are worn out. US $300 for a new pair. Not an expense that is mentioned when you buy a far too fun electric car.

Is that really $300 for the pair? If so, where?

 

[Gunnar]

There are lots of wintertires available in 195/50-16. If you need studs, go for 195/55-16 where you can even have the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7. You should find replica rims available with 5x112 bolt pattern, 6x16 ET28 front and 7.5x17 ET38 rear if I remember it correctly. However, make sure that the design of the spokes allows space for the front calipers. 5x112 is a typical Mercedes pattern, but you can even use rims from i.e. > 06 Lotus Europa S.

I am just about to send out 6 complete sets of winterwheel to my clients..

 

[Cobos]

For those living in places that are not that used to snow take a look at Motor's yearly winter tire test. (Motor is NAFs car related magazine and NAF is similar to the US AAA.)

It's in Norwegian but it's numbers heavy so should be understandable. A quick translation help: Snø = snow, Is = Ice, Asfalt = asphalt, våt = wet, tørr= dry, bremsing=braking, unnamanøver= evasive manouver, kjørefølelse =driving feel, piggfritt = no spikes, piggdekk= spiked tires

Cobos

 

[LST]

The more i dig into the theme the more i get confused. I still try to get the winter tires on my Tesla, but there are some points where it gets difficult. Apparently the Pirelli 240 Snowsport are no longer available over here (Switzerland). The guy at my garage thinks its rather strange to put 195 on the front (2 sizes taller than in summer !) and ones smize smaller on the rear tires. Normally (so i'm told) one would choose slightly smaller tires on each wheel to prevent aquaplaning an better grip on snow.
As you might also now we had (or are still having) quite some trouble concerning the homologation of the car here in EU and especially in Switzerland. I'm lucky enough to have the car on the road with plates and everything. But to be able to drive with the car in winter with the winter tires, they should also be designated in the cars papers.. wich of course they arn't. Worst case, when an accident would occur, the insurance coverage would not be provided. How do you guys in the North and East deal with that ?

 

[RGB]

This whole subject is an annoyance. That's really all there is to say. Was texting back and forth a couple of times these last few days with my rep, the reply was: "News tomorrow" (on Thursday)...."News on Monday" (on the weekend) Well, it's Tuesday now. The news I got when I called them today was:
"We're testing. By the end of the week we will possibly issue a recommendation for the wheels."
I won't be able to purchase neither the tires nor rims through them though since the rims are reserved for production roadsters and they can't get any in so quickly. I was told though that those would look nice since they are a little darker in color than the base wheel they sell with the roadster now. Well, good to know.
I asked if, once they have a recommendation for the tires out, I could just go for aftermarket rims. Well, I shouldn't. That would cause issues with the pressure sensors. Which - yes, of course - can't be disabled.

And so on.

Meanwhile, winter tires will be compulsory here as of next Sunday. Winter must have really come as a surprise for Tesla this year.



Why they have to test something that they already have in writing in their manual will probably stay a secret.

 

[Alfred]

Recommended Winter Pirellis not available

Indeed, those Winter-Pirellis in the manual are no more listed. Looking around what would be available in Switzerland, I found two brands with the same sizes as the summer tires recommended for the Roadster Sport, rated H and none corresponding to the summer tires of the standard Roadster. It seems that the choices are quite limited and there were none with 175. The two I found are:

Yokohama W.drive, Yokohama Yokohama
195/50R16 H 88
225/45R17 H 91

Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 Bridgestone Switzerland German - Premium Tyres
195/50 R16 84H
225/45 R17 91H RFT

I was checked once in Germany (in another car) and the officer was only looking whether my winter tires had the same H-rating as my summer tires and explained that this was the most important spec they were looking for.

 

[Lennart]

I talked to Craig yesterday, he said they would send us the recommendation soon and would likely be a Pirelli.

But no way to buy Rims from them until spring. He suggested mounting the wintertires on our rims and getting new rims from them before summer...

 

[Neb]

I got word today that they're recommending the Pirellis. There also, apparently, is some kind of firmware adjustment that has to be applied, without which the TC gets confused and won't deliver torque.

Moreover, they're supposedly going to push another firmware update to allow end users to toggle between "winter tire mode" and "summer tire mode," but that's not going to be ready for a month or more. In the mean time, the switch has to be made manually by Tesla service.

 

[RGB]

FINALLY! They provided the recommendation.

 

[f0x]

Custom rims does not work

We are 2 Roadster owners in Sweden. My friend have tried to buy custom rims that were specially made for the Roadster. He used the following tyres.

Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 195/50 R16 88H
Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 225/45 R17 91H

When the wheels were mounted on the Roadster the pressure measurement system are constantly warning which makes it impossible to use the wheels. He has now ordered original rims from Tesla and got the same message, that they can not deliver.

Does anybody know if it is possible to buy pressure sensors for the rims to make it work with custom rims?

 

[RGB]

Does anybody know if it is possible to buy pressure sensors for the rims to make it work with custom rims?

I'd be happy if only the tires they recommend were available.

 

[daghb]

f0x, I got the 2010 EU Roadster Sport and changed to new rims & tires today. I use the same tires as you do except they are PA2, not PA3. Rims are BM Racing, Asti. I had only one pressure warning (front left) happening as I was changing, but no warnings at all afterwards.

Could this be a firmware problem? You got a 2008 model?

 

[f0x]

f0x, I got the 2010 EU Roadster Sport and changed to new rims & tires today. I use the same tires as you do except they are PA2, not PA3. Rims are BM Racing, Asti. I had only one pressure warning (front left) happening as I was changing, but no warnings at all afterwards.

Could this be a firmware problem? You got a 2008 model?

Interesting! And great news!

It is the other Swedish owner that have tried custom rims. I will ask him and post info here. It can of course be a firmware issue. What is your firmware daghb?
I have firmware 4.1.21.23 in an ordinary (not Sport) Roadster 2.0 (2010).
The other swede has firmware 4.1.28.33 in an Roadster Sport 2.0 (2010).