Other than potentially making your car look better, putting larger wheels on a regular road vehicle brings almost exclusively negative consequences. One of the biggest downsides of bigger wheels is their negative effect on a vehicle’s efficiency, which in the case of an electric vehicle means a noticeable reduction in range.
Most automakers offer several range ratings for their EVs, and they get progressively lower as wheels get larger. If a manufacturer doesn’t list more than one range number for an EV, it probably means it’s only publishing the best possible range, which is achieved with the smallest available wheels.
Let’s look at exactly why big wheels have such a negative effect on EV range.
How Much Do Bigger Wheels Reduce Range?
The Tesla Model S configuration app lists the vehicle as being available with two wheel sizes: 19-inch and 21-inch wheels. If you select the smaller wheels, the manufacturer lists an EPA range of 405 miles, while for the bigger wheels, that drops to 375 miles.
For the top-of-the-rage version of the Lucid Air sedan, the Dream Edition, the manufacturer listed the official range as 520 miles, making it one ofthe longest-range EVs you can buy. However, that only applies if you keep the standard 19-inch wheels. If you go for the larger 21-inch wheels, range will drop by 39 miles (around 7.5 percent).
Why Do Bigger Wheels Reduce Range?
Simple physics dictate that the more mass an object has, the more energy you need to move it. For reference, if a 17-inch alloy wheel weighs about 20 pounds, the 20-inch version of the exact same wheel will weigh closer to 30 pounds.
There could therefore be as much as a 10-pound difference between the smallest and largest wheels available for an EV, and if you multiply that by four, that’s quite a lot of extra weight. If you factor in the weight of the tires, which varies depending on several factors including the height of the sidewall, the compound, and how heavily reinforced their structure is, the difference will be even bigger.
Having to move the heavier wheel and tire combo is where much of the range loss comes from. However, bigger wheels require also require wider tires, which will increase rolling resistance and thus put an even bigger dent in the official range numbers. Even forsporty EVs designed to please driving enthusiasts, manufacturers will still usually offer an efficient set of wheels, although you may need to buy them separately.
Maximize Your EV’s Range by Avoiding Big Wheels
If range is your main priority when buying an electric vehicle, then you should always go for the smallest wheels available. The lighter and smaller the wheel, lighter the tire will usually be and this will also improve ride comfort along with range.
You may think that a few dozen miles less range per charge is not significant, especially if you don’t plan on taking your EV on road trips, but over time those miles will add up into thousands of miles less range over the life of the vehicle. This will mean fewer trips to the charging station or less downtime while you wait for the car to charge in your garage.
