Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Gen 3 with covered wheel wells?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I like the look of the VW XL 1 from the side with the covered wheel wells. This car shows us that covered wheel wells can look cool, at least from the front side profile. The rear of the XL 1 is a total disaster. I am sure it could be fixed though. What is every ones thoughts on having this for Gen 3? It looks futuristic.

Cool:

2014-volkswagen-xl1-fd.jpg



Not Cool:

lead5-2014-volkswagen-xl1-fd.jpg


futuristic-cars_00258189.jpg
 
Last edited:
I like the look of the VW XL 1 from the side with the covered wheel wells. This car shows us that covered wheel wells can look cool, at least from the front side profile.

Agree, though I'd like to see a design where the wheel covers can be removed and the car still look good, since I know some people will hate the wheel cover look. The wheel covers probably don't need to go quite that low to still be effective. I thought optional wheel covers for the S would have been a good idea, something you can install for long trips if you don't normally like the look.

My crude chop of the S from another thread:

Model S skirt.jpg
 
How do you think buyers would choose between a 300 mile range $30000 car that has wheel covers and a 300 mile range $40000 car that does not?
Judging by the aero wheels, it'll probably be more like a 200 mile $30k car without wheel covers vs a 206 mile (3% improvement of the aero wheels) $32k car ($2k option) with wheel covers.
 
Judging by the aero wheels, it'll probably be more like a 200 mile $30k car without wheel covers vs a 206 mile (3% improvement of the aero wheels) $32k car ($2k option) with wheel covers.

I believe that covering those gaping holes in the side of the car would do a lot more than the aero wheels can do. Also covering up the wheels would let you use wheels appropriately sized for efficiency - instead of giant monsters chosen for appearance.
Obviously there is no way for us to find out without a wind tunnel.

How about this. Concede a thought experiment in which a theoretical weird looking $30K car has a 300 mile range, versus a normal looking $40K car with 300 mile range.
Do you think consumers would go for a radical new look?

Some have floated similar ideas before, but they had handicaps. Like being afraid the company that made it would vanish ( yep happened ). And being afraid that the technology didn't actually work ( Tesla has proved it does ).
 
Efficiency ideas are fine, however the more odd the car looks the more you will limit sales. The Volt, i3, and the Leaf are good examples of this. I think Tesla proved with the Model S that if there are no compromises, including the standard car look, that you can have a hit on your hands.

IMO the Gen III needs to be an elegant, expensive looking, yet reasonably priced mid-sized sedan and Tesla will sell 500K of them. If you make the car polarizing, then your sales will be polarized as well. Tesla needs a car that everyone will want to own. Everyone. Because of the smaller size it will already be more tricky to get as low a Cd as the Model S without compromising the looks. I have faith in Tesla and Franz to get it done though.

You can always go for unique efficiency extras as add-ons. They did drop the aero wheels for the Model S though...
 
Looks are subjective but I fully believe a car with good aero efficiency can also be made attractive, and I think the Tesla team can do it. The big problem with the aero wheels is they were an unfortunate and rare design fail from Tesla, and most people seem to find them unattractive, including me. I'd expect the wheel covers would provide a larger benefit than aero wheels, it would be easy enough for someone to do a test on an existing Model S. Get some foam insulation board, cut it to the wheel opening shape, hold it in place with some double sided tape, and see what the results are.
 
How about this. Concede a thought experiment in which a theoretical weird looking $30K car has a 300 mile range, versus a normal looking $40K car with 300 mile range.
Do you think consumers would go for a radical new look?
Okay, let's assume you do get a 33% improvement in range from having a weird looking car.

To your question, I think the answer will still be no in the context of the mass market. SOME customers might go for it, but likely not enough to reach past 10k annual sales. Tesla is targeting 500k annual sales so more widespread appeal is necessary.

However, I think the comparison people will make is rather than having a set "range budget" (esp. since past ~200 miles of range, it's "enough" for most people), they would have a set cost budget. So they would more likely be cross shopping a 225 mile $30k "normal" looking car with your 300 mile $30k weird looking car. I think a lot of people would still pick the "normal" car.
 
I'm fine with whatever modifications or accessorization owners do after-sale, but I wouldn't want fender skirts or covers mandatory. I know their might be an incremental efficiency improvement, but I'm with most of the other posters here in that uncovered wheels wells look less "weird."
 
I would be surprised if the wheel wells did not contribute substantially to the drag - certainly way more than mirrors. EVs already have tidy undersides and less through flow of air for cooling a huge hot ICE so their drag, which is critical to range and performance, can only be helped further by aero tweaking.

I doubt their is too much more to come from the basic shape so it will now be details.

Certainly covered wheels are an 'acquired' taste but this is a revolution and once EVs have proved their point competing on a more conventional basis, there will be room to try more outrageous ideas. The clumsiness of covered wheels can be mitigated by design language from the start - you cannot usually just cover the wheels and hope it will look OK! Look at the Citroen DS with designed in covered rear wheels - stylish and classy and 'radical'...........Ditto the VW XL1.

I believe that covered wheels may become the 'norm' in the future - and it will look more in keeping with futuristic EVs. OK maybe they will be options or removeable until people get to accept them.

How many people would accept 10% less range because they didn't 'like' the new streamlined and unusual designs? I'd go for the radical look every time! (As long as it was still practical.........)
 
Just another thought. It may be difficult to make a design that is interchangeable - a design that looks good with wheel covers may not work so well when they are removed.

Not only proportions but sculptural details around the wheel arch - look how awkward is that mocked-up picture of the Model S earlier in this thread because the covers are just overlaid and the design does not now work.