Dear Tesla Driver,

if you're looking for wheels for your Tesla and want to learn about the right rims, tires + sensors beforehand, then you've come to the right place in this blog post.

From over a hundred complete wheel sales, we have received a lot of customer inquiries over time. Since we haven't found a guide online for buying rims and wheels specifically for Tesla vehicles, we would like to share the answers to most questions with you here.

How are the wheels changed on the Tesla Model Y?

Changing wheels on the Model Y works almost like any other vehicle. However, there are some special considerations for the Tesla Model Y:

• Tesla specifies a rather high tightening torque of 175NM for the original wheel nuts. Please ensure that your torque wrench can reach this torque.
• Be careful when lifting! Never lift by the battery. The Model Y has 4 lifting points on the underside. The car may only be lifted at these points. There are special jack pads that slide into the receptacles, ensuring the car is always lifted correctly.
• For directional tires or rims (available for the Model Y - this is very unusual for other vehicles), the orientation (indicated on the tire sidewall) must be maintained.

Do the tire pressure sensors also work after a wheel change?

All Tesla Model Ys are equipped with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) sensors in the wheels. These report the tire pressure to the vehicle every few minutes. The Model Y has a receiver unit that receives the signals from the sensors. This is located in the rear part of the vehicle. The unit recognizes the distance to each sensor via signal strength and can thus assign the sensors to the individual wheels.

After a wheel change, the sensors automatically send their signal to the receiver unit and are detected (if all sensors are intact) within a few minutes. Retraining the sensors is no longer necessary. No additional device is needed for connection either. While BLE sensors are not exactly inexpensive, they are very convenient for wheel changes. You will then see the result in the main menu => Software a few minutes after the wheel change, and it should look like this:

How do I identify suitable rims for my Tesla Model Y?

Rims in electric vehicles serve the same function as in internal combustion engines. However, electric vehicles usually have more power than internal combustion engines, but a shorter range, which results in slightly different requirements for the rims.

1. Rim approval for your Tesla:

If you want to drive the rims on the road, they must of course be approved. Any rim can, in principle, be registered through an individual inspection by TÜV. However, this is very time-consuming and costly. We clearly recommend buying a rim with ABE or ECE approval. These can simply be bolted onto the Tesla without inspection, and you can drive off immediately.

• ABE approval: Here, an expert opinion is issued for the vehicle and the rim in combination, stating that this rim is approved for this vehicle. This document should be printed and carried in the glove compartment.
• ECE approval: With ECE approval, only the rim is inspected, and an E-number is applied to the rim. This rim size must match an permitted series size (from the COC paper). Unlike ABE, ECE is valid throughout Europe. Tesla drivers from Austria or Switzerland, in particular, should pay attention to ECE approval.

Our recommendation:

A good rim dealer will do the work for you and tell you which rims fit your car. For example, with us, you can simply select your model here and only be shown rims that you are allowed to drive in Germany without approval. You can download the corresponding expert opinion directly on the rim's product page.

2. Aerodynamics of the Rims

Especially on highway drives, air resistance plays an important role in consumption. Part of the air resistance is caused by air turbulence at the rims. This can be influenced by the choice of rims, but the achievable range changes are in the low single-digit percentage range.

In general, closed rims are more aerodynamic than open rim designs and thus slightly more economical. This is also the reason why Tesla mounts hubcaps on alloy wheels on the SR+ and Long Range models.

Since the rims on the left side are flowed against differently than on the right side, a further reduction in air resistance can be achieved by using directional rims. With this type, there are two rims for the left side and two for the right side, and these must not be swapped. The only directional rims we know of for the Model Y are the New Aero rims.

In our shop, you can specifically filter for particularly aerodynamic rims that can improve your Tesla's range.

3. Susceptibility to curb damage

The standard rims installed by Tesla are specified very wide (in relation to the tire width used), so that protruding rims (especially on performance models) can quickly lead to curb damage. Accessory rims generally do not protrude beyond the tires. For some rims, different tire sizes can also be used. Often, 5 or 10mm wider tires are worthwhile, as these then protrude significantly beyond the rim and protect it from curb damage.

4. Weight

A low rim weight is often a selection criterion for sporty Tesla drivers. Indeed, the rims belong to the unsprung and moving masses of the car, so a weight reduction in the rims is noticeable through slightly improved acceleration and increased agility. These changes are so small that they are not noticeable or significantly measurable in everyday life.

When driving at a constant speed on the highway or country road, the rim weight therefore plays almost no role. Here, aerodynamics are more important. Those who mainly use their Tesla for everyday driving and do not intend to take it to the racetrack should place little value on rim weight.

5. Design

Ultimately, the selection of rims always comes down to taste and appearance. Prices also vary greatly depending on the rim design.

Even minor technical advantages (see above) are of no use to you if you are not satisfied with the appearance of the rims. For us, this is clearly the most important point: You must like the rims!

  

The most popular aftermarket rims for the Tesla Model Y

	Platin P 106	AEZ Atlanta Black	The New Aero
Size	19 inch	20 inch	19 inch
Weight	12kg	14 kg	15 kg
Price (4 pieces)	approx. 1200€	approx. 1400€	approx. 2100€
	To the rim here	To the rim here	To the rim here

 

Should I buy original Tesla wheels instead?

Every Tesla comes with summer tires. Optionally, you can also order winter tires. These wheels are of good quality and equipped with solid tires. However, Tesla's wheels are significantly more expensive than aftermarket wheels, and there is no choice in design or tires. Therefore, most Tesla customers ultimately choose aftermarket wheels.

As long as the wheels are approved for the Tesla, this does not restrict the warranty from Tesla.

 

Finding the Right Tires for Your Tesla Model Y

Just like for all other vehicles, summer, winter, and all-season tires are offered for the Model Y. However, all-season tires are no longer offered for the Model Y in the maximum permissible size of 21 inches.

Whether all-season tires up to 20 inches make sense depends on the place of residence, the frequency of snow, and the driving profile. We would be happy to advise you individually on this.

To make tires more comparable, all tires have had to undergo standardized tests since 2012 and are compared in the following disciplines:

• Fuel efficiency
• Wet grip
• External noise level

Since range is an important issue for most Tesla drivers, we recommend tires with good fuel efficiency and thus low rolling resistance.

Anyone who has bought a Tesla to enjoy the "quiet gliding" over the road should pay attention to the rolling noise of the tire.

Many manufacturers also offer special tires for electric cars. These tires differ from regular tires particularly in their optimization for fuel efficiency and noise level, thus reflecting the preferences of many electric vehicle drivers.

Caution when comparing cheap and expensive tires:

Although the tests are standardized, they are carried out by the tire manufacturers themselves. Therefore, a healthy skepticism towards the stated comparative values is appropriate for unknown manufacturers. Among premium manufacturers, the data can be compared without problems.

 

What should be considered when ordering complete wheel sets?

Complete wheel sets are pre-assembled wheels consisting of rims, tires, and tire pressure sensors. If you can change the wheels yourself, complete wheel sets are the very first choice, as you can order them directly to your home and mount them there immediately.

All Tesla Model Ys have BLE sensors, so make sure these are installed in the wheels. Some configurators on the internet are outdated and want to deliver the wheels without BLE sensors or with outdated TPMS sensors. In that case, you will constantly receive an error message in the center screen, and the tire pressure cannot be measured. Without these sensors, the vehicle may not be operated, and the operating license will expire. Therefore, the correct BLE sensors must be installed.

For some rims, additional fastening material is necessary (e.g., longer wheel nuts or a centering ring for insertion into the rim). We recommend checking with the dealer beforehand, just to be safe, whether the additional material is included.

Furthermore, you should check whether the dealer has experience in shipping complete wheel sets. Otherwise, the rims could be damaged due to insufficient packaging.

 

 

If you heed all these tips, you are guaranteed to enjoy your new wheels for your Model Y!

If you have any further questions about rims and wheels for your Tesla Model Y, please feel free to send us an email at support@Tesvolution.com or reach us by phone at 0341/91068679.

The Tesvolution team wishes you a safe journey at all times and sends electric greetings from Leipzig!

 

Your Tesvolution Team