Factory OEM Wheels & Tires Specs

[Turkey Trot]

My next in a series of overthinking replies: Keep in mind that it's not just weight that increases the amount of work needed to spin a rim, it is also how far away from the center of rotation that weight is. So, everything else being equal, even if a 16" rim and a 17" rim weigh the same, the 17" rim will be less efficient as it's overall weight is further from the axle.

This is particularly of note in rims because such a large portion of the weight is on the outer edge of the rim where it is thicker to capture both sides of a tire. The "spokes" section of the rim is usually a smaller ratio of the mass.

Combine that with the comfort and grip benefits of a taller sidewall, most offroaders will try to fit the smallest rim with the tallest tire that they can on a vehicle. My Jeep, for instance, has 15" rims and 33" tires. I would suggest that most EV drivers should consider this as well. There is only one performance downside to taller sidewalls: cornering. With our heavy EV's this is a notable factor although I personally find the slight tradeoff of cornering to be worth the benefits of a tall tire. The other potential downside is aesthetics as some people love the look of big dubs on a car. I'm not about that, but to each their own.

I see a lot of conjecture about rims but IF everything else is equal, smaller rims will be more efficient every time due to the rotational mass benefits.

I personally will be considering swapping the cheapest rim option for 16" rims should those be confirmed to fit.

 

[AZFox]

I personally will be considering swapping the cheapest rim option for 16" rims should those be confirmed to fit.

I asked Slate about that.

At first they said yes, but I persisted by asking them to make sure and ask the engineering and design crew. The eventual reply was that no size smaller than 17" would fit.

 

[Driven5]

BTW, calling most aluminum manufactured an alloy is technically more correct as no modern aluminum forging or casting is pure aluminum. They are usually and alloy comprising of mainly aluminum but other trace elements to upgrade properties of the material (e.g. magnesium and silicone in 6061)

Sincerly, a pedantic engineer

The 'technically more correct' term is aluminum alloy. But since any metal that is not commercially pure is technically an 'alloy', if you're going to drop one of the words for brevity, it is more functionally descriptive to drop the word alloy and keep the base material name (aluminum) instead. That way you at least know if it's primarily aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, magnesium, titanium, iron, etc... Of these options, 'alloy' by itself is the LEAST technically correct.

"Alloy" applies every bit as much to steel wheels as it does aluminum wheels. So technically, the 'blank' Slate already comes standard with 'alloys'.

It's generally wise to avoid prematurely playing the 'engineer card'.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

I'll bet 16" steelies would fit. Those brakes don't look that big. I'll definitely be going smallest diameter that clears the brakes for the set of wheels that'll get snow tires.

 

[Turkey Trot]

"Alloy" is just as applicable to steel wheels as it is aluminum wheels. So technically, the 'blank' Slate already comes standard with 'alloys'.

It might be advisable not to be too quick to play the 'engineer card' in the future

I hereby humbly resign my credentials that’s didn’t even last a single post lol

 

[AZFox]

"In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium." -- Wikipedia

 

[Driven5]

"In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium." -- Wikipedia

 

[AZFox]

It seems pretty clear to me that the Marketing Department dominates the Engineering Department at Slate Automotive.

Example:
In the Jay Leno video Jeremy Snyder says "Safety is our number one priority."

If that's true, why did the engineers not include easily adjustable side mirrors and blind spot warning capability?

I think it's because getting a five-star crash rating and a IHS top safety pick is enough safety for marketing purposes.

 

[cadblu]

It seems pretty clear to me that the Marketing Department dominates the Engineering Department at Slate Automotive.

Example:
In the Jay Leno video Jeremy Snyder says "Safety is our number one priority."

If that's true, why did the engineers not include easily adjustable side mirrors and blind spot warning capability?

I think it's because getting a five-star crash rating and a IHS top safety pick is enough safety for marketing purposes.

I think the finance guys (aka bean counters) managing the vehicle budget/ cost engineers also weigh in to every decision as do engineers, marketing, safety, reliability, etc.

We can all agree that BSW and those little joysticks to adjust mirrors (not talking power adjustable mirrors here) are going to add cost, up the parts count, and add complexity. I’m sure the trade-offs of NOT including these items allowed some other cool options… or maybe just kept the price down a bit more…

 

[AZFox]

I think the finance guys (aka bean counters) managing the vehicle budget/ cost engineers also weigh in to every decision as do engineers, marketing, safety, reliability, etc.

We can all agree that BSW and those little joysticks to adjust mirrors (not talking power adjustable mirrors here) are going to add cost, up the parts count, and add complexity. I’m sure the trade-offs of NOT including these items allowed some other cool options… or maybe just kept the price down a bit more…

I agree with all of that.
I don't mind the features being absent.
If safety is their number one priority they'd be present.