Winter Wheels and Tires - Is it the 18" Tire or the Aero Cover?

[Birdman325]

I currently have the 19" on my Model 3 and like many others, I am exploring different alternatives for winter tires and rims. I am definitely going to drop down to 18" and while I am not a big fan (personally) of the look of the 18" Aeros with the covers on, I am tempted by the "easy" solution of ordering from the Tesla site, and having them come to my door with mobile service to install.

But I have also been looking at some of the other solutions posted on these forums, and while the Tesla package is $2,400, I have come across some much nicer looking options - although nothing less than apx $2,000 when you include mounting, TPMS etc.

Then I started thinking about range and energy loss in the winter. Question - Any thoughts on whether the primary "benefit" over the 19" rims is obtained simply by dropping down to the 18" in which case, (other than aesthetics and cost, both of which are very important) any 18" tire and rim package will get that benefit; OR do the aero covers themselves add the mythical 10% range, in which case, the Tesla package may offer some additional benefit, other than just ease of purchase / install process?

(If I were to engage in some self analysis, I guess what I would be saying, is that I'm looking for some further justification to make me feel better about simply selecting "Add to Cart" on the Tesla website and be done with it! - Further material range benefit from the Aero covers over other 18" choices may be enough to tip the balance for me).

TIA

 

[Flexbomb]

I personally didn't put the aeros in the winter cause I think (depending on where you live) the snow is going to make that wind resistance moot. Having smaller tires in winter is great anyways.

I have the aeros in the summer when the ground is clear, and have Replikas for winter. Both 18.

 

[Darthbenji]

I personally didn't put the aeros in the winter cause I think (depend on where you live) the snow is going to make that wind resistance moot. Having smaller tires in winter is great anyways.

I have the aeros in the summer when the ground is clear, and have Replikas for winter. Both 18.

Do you have replikas on a model 3? Any issues with your regen after install?

 

[Flexbomb]

Do you have replikas on a model 3? Any issues with your regen after install?

No? I didn't think that was a thing.

I have issues with regen cause it's cold out... but that's about it.

 

[Ludatik]

Then I started thinking about range and energy loss in the winter. Question - Any thoughts on whether the primary "benefit" over the 19" rims is obtained simply by dropping down to the 18" in which case, (other than aesthetics and cost, both of which are very important) any 18" tire and rim package will get that benefit; OR do the aero covers themselves add the mythical 10% range, in which case, the Tesla package may offer some additional benefit, other than just ease of purchase / install process?

There are probably two factors at play for the range increase between 18" Aerowheels and the 19" Sport wheels.

1) Weight - the Aerowheels (with or without the covers) are lighter than the 19" wheels. Lighter weight means faster acceleration and less weight to haul around. See this post for some details on the stock rims:
Model 3 Stock & Aftermarket wheel info. : teslamotors

2) Aerowheel covers - With the covers on, improved aerodynamics leads to a slight increase in range. I've heard that the increase is on the order of 5% but I have not tested this myself.

So, you definitely could see an increase in range dropping down to 18" wheels, depending on the weight of the rims you select. However, keep in mind winter tires may also impact your range so it will be difficult to compare.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

There are probably two factors at play for the range increase between 18" Aerowheels and the 19" Sport wheels.

1) Weight - the Aerowheels (with or without the covers) are lighter than the 19" wheels. Lighter weight means faster acceleration and less weight to haul around. See this post for some details on the stock rims:
Model 3 Stock & Aftermarket wheel info. : teslamotors

2) Aerowheel covers - With the covers on, improved aerodynamics leads to a slight increase in range. I've heard that the increase is on the order of 5% but I have not tested this myself.

So, you definitely could see an increase in range dropping down to 18" wheels, depending on the weight of the rims you select. However, keep in mind winter tires may also impact your range so it will be difficult to compare.

The biggest factor on range is driving style. It's hard to notice the 5% efficiency gain in day to day driving as we're not test drivers using autopilot for 500kms to measure such gains. Just have to believe in it.

I got average 135Wh/km vs the rated 150Wh/km = more than 5% gains with Aeros on. Only true test now is to drive 8000kms without the Aeros next Spring/Summer and see the results on Trip A.

 

[Birdman325]

What was your speed to get those kinds of numbers?

I just did a mini road trip out and back to London Ontario and while I was pretty happy with my range, I was over 200Wh/km the entire time with my 19". Although in fairness, my average speed was higher than the posted 100 km/h.

Left home with a full charge, and made it to London, a little bit of driving around and then back to Cambridge on the way home with about 15%. Charged for around 18 minutes and then made it home with about 35% left.

 

[Darthbenji]

No? I didn't think that was a thing.

I have issues with regen cause it's cold out... but that's about it.

Didn’t think it was a thing either. A friend of mine had replikas installed on his 3 last Friday with winter tires. Since he’s had no regen until he’s going quite slowly. Regen set to standard, charged to 80%, warm battery and no dots indicating limited regen. We can’t figure out what the issue is.

Do you have a 3 with replikas?

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Didn’t think it was a thing either. A friend of mine had replikas installed on his 3 last Friday with winter tires. Since he’s had no regen until he’s going quite slowly. Regen set to standard, charged to 80%, warm battery and no dots indicating limited regen. We can’t figure out what the issue is.

Do you have a 3 with replikas?

When I got my winters on - the car felt weird also. I think it's the motor adapting to the new weight? Try setting the regen to low for a bit and then switch back to standard. Once the battery warms, everything drives as normal. Cold battery = no/low (1/3rd in the morning) regen even if it says it's regening.

 

[Darthbenji]

So he drove 30 minutes on the highway today with no dots indicating limited regen. When exiting he had to manually brake until about 20mph when it kicked in.

The only thing he hasn’t tried is putting the car on low regen for awhile. I can suggest that. I’m concerned because I’m getting the exact same install on Saturday and don’t want to lose regen. I know about too full a charge and cold temps. The problem is still there when those two variables have been eliminated.

 

[dusdev]

Left home with a full charge, and made it to London, a little bit of driving around and then back to Cambridge on the way home with about 15%. Charged for around 18 minutes and then made it home with about 35% left.

Nice road trip! Seems like the charge in Cambridge could have been even less if you had 35% buffer. But can't go wrong with 18 minutes total on-trip charge for that journey. If there was a Mississauga or Milton Supercharger one could possibly have pushed it further and done a 10 minute charge there.

I think your trip is a great testament to the value of the Supercharger network and just how much real-world range this vehicle has! It's surprising that people still say that EV's are not good for longer trips. What baloney.

 

[RedSafari]

I’ve installed 18” aero rims (with covers) for winter specifically to get as much range as possible. It seems even more important in winter given that the range is reduced compared to summer temperatures.

 

[Ludatik]

The biggest factor on range is driving style. It's hard to notice the 5% efficiency gain in day to day driving as we're not test drivers using autopilot for 500kms to measure such gains. Just have to believe in it.

I got average 135Wh/km vs the rated 150Wh/km = more than 5% gains with Aeros on. Only true test now is to drive 8000kms without the Aeros next Spring/Summer and see the results on Trip A.

Driving style for sure impacts range but @Birdman325 was asking about 18" vs 19" rims. For comparison sake, we can assume that the driving style will, on average, be the same since @Birdman325 will be the driver and can take that out as a variable.

If we want to discuss other factors beyond rim size, there's also temperature. Cold winter temperatures will decrease range due to energy used to heat the cabin and battery, not too mention denser air increasing resistance.

 

[Ludatik]

So he drove 30 minutes on the highway today with no dots indicating limited regen. When exiting he had to manually brake until about 20mph when it kicked in.

The only thing he hasn’t tried is putting the car on low regen for awhile. I can suggest that. I’m concerned because I’m getting the exact same install on Saturday and don’t want to lose regen. I know about too full a charge and cold temps. The problem is still there when those two variables have been eliminated.

I can't see this regen problem being specific to these wheels. I haven't looked but you should see if other owners that have installed aftermarket wheels have run into similar regen issues. Something seems off.

 

[Darthbenji]

Agreed. I’ve asked on other threads to see if there’s a common issue.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

I think it's the different weight of the new rims + tires. Maybe the motor needs more kms to adjust to a new regen modelt. I notice the regen is light at high speeds where as it's fine at sub 40kph. I honestly believe it's the low temperatures outside limiting the charge rate allowed into a semi cold pack even though the dotted lines are gone.

 

[Darthbenji]

I’d agree if it came back after driving for awhile or first thing in the morning when the battery is warm from charging. My understanding is no dots means full regen and it’s not. We’ll see if a few hundred kms changes things.

 

[Flexbomb]

Didn’t think it was a thing either. A friend of mine had replikas installed on his 3 last Friday with winter tires. Since he’s had no regen until he’s going quite slowly. Regen set to standard, charged to 80%, warm battery and no dots indicating limited regen. We can’t figure out what the issue is.

Do you have a 3 with replikas?

Yes. I wouldn't pin that to the replikas, but for me at least since last week, it's gotten a lot colder. Once I drive for a bit, it goes away (eg. battery gets warmer).

 

[Darthbenji]

Yes. I wouldn't pin that to the replikas, but for me at least since last week, it's gotten a lot colder. Once I drive for a bit, it goes away (eg. battery gets warmer).

I agree it’s not the rims since others experience it with the OEMs. Has to be the tires. I haven’t seen anyone mention the issue outside of the continentals.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

I agree it’s not the rims since others experience it with the OEMs. Has to be the tires. I haven’t seen anyone mention the issue outside of the continentals.

I experience this with Nokian R3s. Regen above 50kph is very low compared to the OEM tires (I heard these were specially engineered for the model 3).