When looking to upgrade their electric vehicles, many people decide on their wheels as the first thing they want to change. Not only are they easy to replace, but they help define the look of your car. However, switching from the wheels the manufacturer provides will impact your vehicle’s performance. In this brief guide, we’ll review how your tire and wheel choice affect your electric vehicle.
Grip of the Tires
One of the biggest things that impacts the performance of your EV car is the grip of your tires. While grip is overall a good thing since it keeps your vehicle from sliding off the road, it can also slightly slow down your car.
This is because a grippy tire will hold onto the road more than a sleeker one will, meaning you’ll have a higher level of resistance per rotation. If you live in an area that requires tires that can stick to the road, the tradeoff you get on your EV’s range will be worth it, but for everyone else, a sleeker tire might be a better option.
An important thing to note is that, even if you have a sleek tire, if you don’t keep it properly inflated, it will grip onto the road more than you’d like. That means you must monitor your tire pressure to ensure you get the most range possible out of your car.
Width of the Wheelbase
The width of your wheelbase is another aspect you’ll need to consider before buying new wheels for your EV. The biggest reason for this is that the wider your tires are, the more they’ll grip the road. A thinner profile will help you get the most out of your electric car’s range.
Wide wheelbases affect more than just your grip, though. They also slightly affect the aerodynamics of your car. While this impact is relatively minor, it’s still worth noting since a wider wheel will cause more drag from the wind passing under your vehicle.
Size of the Wheels
The final tire and wheel decision that’ll affect your electric car is the actual size of your wheels. Larger wheels will take more energy to turn than smaller ones. The reason for this is that the rolling resistance of a larger wheel will be higher. That means the power your vehicle needs to use to force it to turn and retain that momentum will be higher than that of a smaller wheel.
All of this boils down to the fact that smaller wheels will help you retain your EV’s highest potential range. That means when searching for aftermarket EV wheels, while the bigger ones might look good, purchasing a smaller wheel will benefit your car in the long run.