Tesla's reason for not adding spare tires, doesn't make sense.

[GNFO]

I still don’t get the efficiency and space improvement argument. Model Y weights around 4,400 lbs, spare tire maybe 30 lbs, jack and wench maybe 10 lbs. that is less than 1% at most more weight. How much reduction in efficiency is 1%? Likely not noticeable.

I have never meet someone who took off their spare to make room in the trunk. Maybe some have, but probably very few. Meaning customers never requested more room in replacement for a spare.

Also if you cannot chance spare due to safety or health issues, you can just have aaa or Tesla mobile service change it for you. Still quicker than dragging your vehicle to a service center and waiting hours for a repair.

Increase in efficiency and trunk space is just marketing successfully convincing everyone it is needed, but if you think about it. Makes no sense.

It's not a big argument that I would use as a reason, but like all things it depends on how it's implemented. My old 2002 Yukon XL that I still have for occasional heavy towing or big items has a full spare mounted underneath the vehicle like a lot of pickups do. I'm sure that would be a big aerodynamic hit for a contoured, smooth bottomed EV, but the Yukon's already so inefficient you couldn't tell. Our 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid that the kids still use gets you both ways: the jack and other associated items are under the back flooring, but it also has to use this manual winching thing to lower the spare from under the car - same aerodynamic problem despite the plastic cover they have for it. An old 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee we used to have just mounted the whole tire in the back area with a vinyl cover over it. That just sucked up all sorts of useful room with the added benefit of collecting dog slobber.

From my perspective the efficiency hit would be mostly if it interferes with the aerodynamics and less so from weight. From a space perspective, no matter how you package it, I can fit at least a duffle bag or a small suitcase in the space taken up by a tire and a jack. I may only need that much extra room on a trip, but I'll still use that extra space way more frequently than I would actually use a spare tire.

 

[Iron]

I still don’t get the efficiency and space improvement argument. Model Y weights around 4,400 lbs, spare tire maybe 30 lbs, jack and wench maybe 10 lbs. that is less than 1% at most more weight. How much reduction in efficiency is 1%? Likely not noticeable.

I have never meet someone who took off their spare to make room in the trunk. Maybe some have, but probably very few. Meaning customers never requested more room in replacement for a spare.

Also if you cannot chance spare due to safety or health issues, you can just have aaa or Tesla mobile service change it for you. Still quicker than dragging your vehicle to a service center and waiting hours for a repair.

Increase in efficiency and trunk space is just marketing successfully convincing everyone it is needed, but if you think about it. Makes no sense.

You're thinking like an individual who bought a car. I would love one too. However, car makers think volume. If you can reduce weight by say 1%, over a fleet of millions, that becomes huge number. If you can save even as little $20 (lowball est) per car by not providing a wheel and jack, multiplied by millions of vehicles, that means something. Now multiply by the amount of things you can remove. Spares, radar, sensors, knobs, buttons, displays, etc. You name it.

 

[ewoodrick]

You're thinking like an individual who bought a car. I would love one too. However, car makers think volume. If you can reduce weight by say 1%, over a fleet of millions, that becomes huge number. If you can save even as little $20 (lowball est) per car by not providing a wheel and jack, multiplied by millions of vehicles, that means something. Now multiply by the amount of things you can remove. Spares, radar, sensors, knobs, buttons, displays, etc. You name it.

And you can think the same about range, add all the "maybe a mile" up across the cars and you end up with a lot less energy used.

But the most major reason is that spares are seldom used anymore. Sure, you may have had to use one, but overall, the numbers are really low. I haven't had a car in nearly 10 years that had one, I hadn't needed one in over 20 years. My wife has had one a few years ago, but it wasn't a big deal without the spare.

 

[howardnj]

Not only are spare tires no longer needed along with cheap dangerous jacks, tires that unfortunately have a nail in them will no longer receive a plug as it is too dangerous to try and repair a tire.
Just replace the tire by either calling Tesla Road Service or AAA.

 

[patmurphey]

Geez! over a hundred posts... The car is designed without a spare, if you need a car with a spare designed to fit, buy something else.

 

[Eto Demerzel]

Not only are spare tires no longer needed along with cheap dangerous jacks, tires that unfortunately have a nail in them will no longer receive a plug as it is too dangerous to try and repair a tire.
Just replace the tire by either calling Tesla Road Service or AAA.

plugs in the middle tread are perfectly safe and any major tire chain will repair them. Shoulder punctures, they won't.

manufacturer oem jacks are reliable as are spare tires. They require user knowledge, which many aren't willing to put in the effort.
So, the reason manufacturers can so easily delete the spare is consumers just DGAF.

Some do, but the self-sufficient, be prepared mentality is disappearing faster than the spare tires.

 

[Konicom04]

Some do, but the self-sufficient, be prepared mentality is disappearing faster than the spare tires.

HAHA - ^^^ this ^^^

 

[ucmndd]

Sad, cost cutting has come down to cutting features actually needed.

I’ve driven close to a million miles in a dozen cars over the last ~30 years. I’ve literally never needed or used a spare tire.

Might I someday be able to use one? Maybe. Is that worth carrying one everywhere I go for a million miles? I’m gonna say no.

Plug kit and compressor has come in handy many times but that’s all I’ve ever needed.

 

[zoomer0056]

have a nail in them will no longer receive a plug as it is too dangerous to try and repair

Not true, and it depends..... Many have repaired with a plug. A patch is better than a plug and of course a new tire is the best.

 

[ewoodrick]

Not true, and it depends..... Many have repaired with a plug. A patch is better than a plug and of course a new tire is the best.

But the noise cancelling foam in the tire does keep many reputable companies from repairing it.

 

[ucmndd]

But the noise cancelling foam in the tire does keep many reputable companies from repairing it.

Maybe in 2017, but not today. They're super common and everyone has solved this problem at this point.

 

[Midpack]

Tesla is like many….offering a spare as an option doesn't make sense.

Here is the list of cars with no spare wheel (in 2020!):

• Acura NSX
• Audi R8
• Audi TT
• BMW 2 Series
• BMW 3 Series
• BMW 4 Series
• BMW 6 Series
• BMW i3
• BMW i8
• BMW X3
• BMW X4
• Cadillac ATS
• Cadillac CTS
• Chevrolet Bolt EV
• Chevrolet Camaro
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Chevrolet SS
• Chevrolet Volt
• Dodge Viper
• Fiat 500
• Fiat 500L
• Fiat 500X
• Ford C-Max
• Hyundai Accent
• Hyundai Ioniq
• Infiniti QX30
• Jaguar F-Type
• Jeep Cherokee
• Jeep Compass
• Jeep Renegade
• Kia Forte
• Kia Niro
• Kia Rio
• Kia Soul
• Mazda MX-5 Miata
• Mercedes-Benz B-Class
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class
• Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
• Mini Cooper Countryman
• Mitsubishi i-MiEV
• Nissan GT-R
• Nissan Leaf
• Porsche 718 Cayman
• Porsche 911 Carrera
• Porsche Panamera
• Smart ForTwo
• Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model X

 

[ewoodrick]

Maybe in 2017, but not today. They're super common and everyone has solved this problem at this point.

I'm not quoting personal experience or technical knowledge. I'm just relaying what has been said on the forums.

 

[stopcrazypp]

You're thinking like an individual who bought a car. I would love one too. However, car makers think volume. If you can reduce weight by say 1%, over a fleet of millions, that becomes huge number. If you can save even as little $20 (lowball est) per car by not providing a wheel and jack, multiplied by millions of vehicles, that means something. Now multiply by the amount of things you can remove. Spares, radar, sensors, knobs, buttons, displays, etc. You name it.

Yeah, look at auto design shows like Munro. They stress over little things like nuts and screws and do everything to reduce parts complexity and weight. 1% in weight is a huge difference for an auto manufacturer. Porsche for example sold hugely expensive lithium starter battery options to save a similar 40 lbs.

It makes complete sense if 99% of the users will just call a tow truck anyways or can use a can of fix a flat or a tire plug. Not all tire punctures require a spare tire.

 

[zoomer0056]

But the noise cancelling foam in the tire does keep many reputable companies from repairing it.

Then they really aren't reputable, and not up to speed.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I'm not quoting personal experience or technical knowledge. I'm just relaying what has been said on the forums.

This has been discussed at length in the forum, it's mainly from inexperienced tire shops. The official tire repair guides used by the largest tire repair supplier (used by practically all tire shops) have the official procedure and all it involves is cutting out the section of foam and optionally gluing it back.

https://www.rematiptop.com/assets/tech/trm/Reference/Sound-Suppression-Tires-Repair-Guide.pdf

For people worried, just print out a copy of the guide and leave it in the glovebox.

 

[ewoodrick]

This has been discussed at length in the forum, it's mainly from inexperienced tire shops. The official tire repair guides used by the largest tire repair supplier (used by practically all tire shops) have the official procedure and all it involves is cutting out the section of foam and optionally gluing it back.

https://www.rematiptop.com/assets/tech/trm/Reference/Sound-Suppression-Tires-Repair-Guide.pdf

For people worried, just print out a copy of the guide and leave it in the glovebox.

Or a shop that just doesn't want to go to all that work for such a little return and risk.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I still don’t get the efficiency and space improvement argument. Model Y weights around 4,400 lbs, spare tire maybe 30 lbs, jack and wench maybe 10 lbs. that is less than 1% at most more weight. How much reduction in efficiency is 1%? Likely not noticeable.

I have never meet someone who took off their spare to make room in the trunk. Maybe some have, but probably very few. Meaning customers never requested more room in replacement for a spare.

You are look at this the wrong way. No one takes out their spare to make room because it's a hassle to do so, and the space left usually is poorly shaped for storage (it usually is made into a circle to hold the spare without it moving around).

Instead without a spare from the factory at all, it allows for things like the bottom trunk in the Model 3/Y, which many people use and appreciate.

Also if you cannot chance spare due to safety or health issues, you can just have aaa or Tesla mobile service change it for you. Still quicker than dragging your vehicle to a service center and waiting hours for a repair.

The fact is most people don't consider the spare at all in the first place, which is why manufacturers felt it made sense to leave them out completely. For people that stress out about spares, they can buy one themselves, but it's a relatively niche demand.

 

[ewoodrick]

You are look at this the wrong way. No one takes out their spare to make room because it's a hassle to do so, and the space left usually is poorly shaped for storage (it usually is made into a circle to hold the spare without it moving around).

Instead without a spare from the factory at all, it allows for things like the bottom trunk in the Model 3/Y, which many people use and appreciate.


The fact is most people don't consider the spare at all in the first place, which is why manufacturers felt it made sense to leave them out completely. For people that stress out about spares, they can buy one themselves, but it's a relatively niche demand.

Let alone the number of spares that are found to be dry rotted and unusable.
With fancy wheels and direction rated tires, many spares sit there unused and uncared for.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Let alone the number of spares that are found to be dry rotted and unusable.
With fancy wheels and direction rated tires, many spares sit there unused and uncared for.

Yep, even when spares were full sized, most people didn't rotate them. So when it comes time to use it, they easily get left with a rotted tire. And among cars today that still offer spares, most of them have switched to space savers, which means it will never get rotated out.