Size matters: Bigger wheels cost EV drivers up to 50 miles in range

Bigger wheels can cost EV drivers up to 50 miles worth of range per-charge, warns a report from battery testing and analytics firm, ClearWatt.

Its findings showed that even an inch difference in wheel size can make a significant impact. A rear-wheel drive 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range riding on 18-inch wheels has a real-world range of around 300 miles. With the larger 20-inch wheels fitted, this drops to 250 miles – 50 mile difference and a 20% loss in efficiency.

In monetary terms, this would cost the owner £120 more each year to cover the average UK motorists’ annual distance of 7,400 miles.

On the Tesla Model 3 – the UK’s most popular used EV – the difference in making the jump in wheel size from 18-inches to 19-inches costs drivers 37 miles per-charge, the equivalent of a 12% efficiency loss. During its research, ClearWatt found that the addition of aero covers on the smaller wheels give the Model 3 a range boost of 4%.

Meanwhile, the Jaguar I-PACE displayed a reduction in real world range from 240 to 206 miles when riding on optional 22-inch wheels instead of the the standard 18-inchers. This 34-mile loss marked an efficiency loss of 12%.

In terms of how this works, larger wheels reduce EV range partly because they weigh more than smaller ones. Therefore, their extra mass requires more energy to get moving. Rolling Resistance is also a factor. Larger wheels usually come with wider, lower-profile tyres that have more contact area on the road and cause more friction between the road and the tyre. Aerodynamics are equally as important. A larger wheel with a more complex design than a smaller, dedicated aero wheel disrupts airflow around the car.

These factors combined mean that when riding on bigger wheels, a car’s electric motors need work harder and consume battery energy faster than they would do if paired with a smaller set of wheels.

After publishing its research, ClearWatt co-founder and managing director, Patrick Cresswell, explained: “When buying an EV, it’s obvious that you should check the range, and mileage of the vehicle, but it’s also important to understand the impact that things like wheel size and aerodynamics are going to have in terms of how it performs in the real world. As our data shows, it doesn’t take much change in size to have a big impact on the car’s performance.”