I've seen a lot of posts on here about the range impacts of shifting to a different size wheel/tire combo, or shifting from summer to all season tires. I'm curious about the design of the wheels themselves. Does anyone have thoughts or information about the impacts of different wheel styles (ex mesh vs open wheels) on efficiency. And, would that impact be enough to even notice/measure?
For reference I've seen tests where Tesla owners tried the standard 18" wheels with and without the aero covers and saw a measurable difference. Would more spokes (mesh) improve aerodynamic efficiency? Would the higher weight introduce more loss due to increased rotational inertia? Which effect do you think would be more significant?
There might not be a clear or data-driven answer but I'm curious what the hive mind thinks.
Mesh example (more surface area, but also likely heavier):
Open Example (more open area, but likely lighter weight):
*Please note: these are just google image search results, not specific wheels I am considering. They're just for visual reference to better explain what I'm on about.
For reference I've seen tests where Tesla owners tried the standard 18" wheels with and without the aero covers and saw a measurable difference. Would more spokes (mesh) improve aerodynamic efficiency? Would the higher weight introduce more loss due to increased rotational inertia? Which effect do you think would be more significant?
There might not be a clear or data-driven answer but I'm curious what the hive mind thinks.
Mesh example (more surface area, but also likely heavier):
Open Example (more open area, but likely lighter weight):
*Please note: these are just google image search results, not specific wheels I am considering. They're just for visual reference to better explain what I'm on about.