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.

 

[phidauex]

Looking at some photos of the DFW showing, the blank slate there was equipped with a fifteen52 Analog HD wheel, in 17x8.0 ET25.

https://fifteen52.com/products/analog-hd-asphalt-black?variant=40382093983810

Scaling photos off the tire OD, I'm measuring the bolt pattern as a 5x115, which is a relatively common bolt pattern, but not a stock size from fifteen52. It is possible there is some distortion in the photo messing up my scaling. The closest stock size from fifteen52 is a 5x120. So either my scaling is off and it is a 5x120, or my scaling is right and they have a custom drilled 5x115.

Additionally, 5x4.5 (aka 5x114.3) is possible (mostly used on older vehicles, but it did get used on a lot) or 5x112 (a lot of european performance cars), but given the nature of the Slate, 5x115 or 5x120 still seem most likely.

Still no indication of counterbore dimensions.

Of course, this could all still be pointless if the prototype doesn't have the final hubs.

 

[AZFox]

Looking at some photos of the DFW showing, the blank slate there was equipped with a fifteen52 Analog HD wheel, in 17x8.0 ET25.

Thanks for posting!

I sent a request for the bolt pattern...

What is the bolt pattern of the wheels?​

Surely it's known now. It wouldn't be a last-minute switcharoo item.​

I'm looking for the nnn in "5 x nnn".​

 

[AZFox]

What is the bolt pattern of the wheels?Surely it's known now. It wouldn't be a last-minute switcharoo item.I'm looking for the nnn in "5 x nnn".

Reply:

Thanks for reaching out!​

​

We’ll be releasing finalized wheel and fitment details closer to production so please stay tuned.​

​

What I can share is that we’re using a very common bolt pattern specifically to give owners flexibility when choosing wheels. The goal is to make it easy to run widely available aftermarket options without anything proprietary or unusual.​

 

[KevinRS]

Yeah, trying to pull spec details from the reps seems to be a non-starter, even in something as simple as that. They must have instructions to not give any specs outside of what has been officially released. They probably mostly do get questions that have answers that can be found on the website or in videos, and that is what they are mostly there for.
I am halfway not even inclined to go to an event until they have production units at events, because then they will have true specs, production seats, etc. In my day to day use I carry some limited tools in my vehicle, I'd like to see if they would fit out of sight behind the seats, leaving the limited space in the frunk for other things. I'd like to know do the windows come with a reasonable level of factory tint, etc.