Why are aftermarket Tesla wheels much more expensive than other cars?

[mackgriggs]

I'm showing my naivete on the subject here...since I've only bought aftermarket tires once. It was for my 2018 toyota 4runner (which is what I'm selling now that I have my Model y).

Pretty much what was considered the "nicest" wheels were from stealth custom series, and even those were considered "expensive" by the toyota forums.
RAY 10

They were $215 each for 17"x8.5".

It looks like tsportline and martian wheels are about the only ones available for aftermarket wheels?

Tsportline falcons are $450 each.
Martian's are $550 each for 19".

Are 19" wheels just that much more expensive or are these made out of a different material or ...what am I missing?

 

[Silicon Desert]

maybe they figure if you can afford such an expensive car, then they can soak you for extra dollars
The "Tesla Tax"

 

[qingshan]

OEM wheels from my 05 STI (forged BBS) $600 each from Subaru people changing to Rays wheels were paying in that range.

Real forged wheels are expensive to make and buy - I still have 11 of them and while the bolt pattern is the same...

 

[P3dStealth]

Tesla tax. We are doing it to ourselves. There are people in this forum that swear by $400 floor mats, $1200 chrome deletes and $10,000 PPF. People keep paying those prices so that what we get.

 

[qdeathstar]

economies of scale probably also have something to do with it. Tesla is an specialist automobile manufacturer so there isn’t an install base to support mass market products so you pay hire prices.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Tesla tax. We are doing it to ourselves. There are people in this forum that swear by $400 floor mats, $1200 chrome deletes and $10,000 PPF. People keep paying those prices so that what we get.

right and recently I saw $250 lug nut covers

 

[TT97]

There are plenty of wheels available for less, check our tirerack.com and they have 65 wheels in 19" variety (many under $200). You do get what you pay for though. Also, the bigger the wheel the more expensive they will be - 19" cost more than 18" (or 17"). [On tirerack, wheels that come in both 18" and 19", there seems to be about a 15-20% difference price.]

As @qingshan pointed out, forged wheels are more expensive than cast. TSportline & Martian's are both forged wheels, the ones on tirerack are cast. Tesla is silent on their OEM wheels but I believe they are cast (as they do specify wheels when they are forged).

 

[mackgriggs]

Oh ok...so big difference between forged and cast. Got it. And tirerack/discounttire don't have any options for the model y...maybe because they just haven't added it to their databse or something? To use the same factory tires I guess would need ->

• Size: 19x9.5" Front & Rear
• PCD: 5X114.3
• Center Bore: 64.1mm
• Lug Nut Spec: 21mm Hex, 14X1.50 Thread

 

[StealthP3D]

As @qingshan pointed out, forged wheels are more expensive than cast. TSportline & Martian's are both forged wheels, the ones on tirerack are cast. Tesla is silent on their OEM wheels but I believe they are cast (as they do specify wheels when they are forged).

Tesla wheels are nicer than typical OEM wheels (meaning they are lighter/stronger than the cheap wheels most car manufacturers include). I can't speak to the other sizes but I can tell you the 18" Aero wheels are semi-forged. This means it is a cast wheel that is then worked after the casting but before the machining to give it some of the properties of a forged wheel, especially in critical areas like the barrel of the rim. A wheel made in this manner can be lighter and stronger than a pure cast wheel. It will cost more than a cast wheel and less than a fully forged wheel.

 

[TT97]

Oh ok...so big difference between forged and cast. Got it. And tirerack/discounttire don't have any options for the model y...maybe because they just haven't added it to their databse or something? To use the same factory tires I guess would need ->

• Size: 19x9.5" Front & Rear
• PCD: 5X114.3
• Center Bore: 64.1mm
• Lug Nut Spec: 21mm Hex, 14X1.50 Thread

Sorry, didn't realize this is the Y forum and not 3. In Tirerack, if you select the 3, the wheel specs are the same at the Y other than the width - you can narrow down the choices my width. The 255/45-19 tires will fit on any width from 8½-9½" (and likely even on 8" width).

 

[mackgriggs]

Sorry, didn't realize this is the Y forum and not 3. In Tirerack, if you select the 3, the wheel specs are the same at the Y other than the width - you can narrow down the choices my width. The 255/45-19 tires will fit on any width from 8½-9½" (and likely even on 8" width).

Thanks for that. So....if I put my tires on a narrower wheel, like....8.5", will that mean my tire sidewall will actually overhang the rims more which will lessen the possibility of curb rash?

I do understand that switching tires can have a negative (or positive) impact on efficiency depending on weight and aerodynamics...

 

[MY-Y]

Tsportline says "flow forged," which sounds like "not forged" to me. They might be great, but why would the term "forged" be in the name if they aren't forged? See: The Strength Difference Between Cast, Flow Formed and Forged Wheels

 

[cypho]

Tsportline says "flow forged," which sounds like "not forged" to me. They might be great, but why would the term "forged" be in the name if they aren't forged? See: The Strength Difference Between Cast, Flow Formed and Forged Wheels

Flow forged is kind of a hybrid between forged and cast. Some other makers call their wheels rotary forged which is similar: not really forged. For away over-simplification it is sort of like the spoke portion of the wheel is cast, but the barrel is forged. Not as good as fully forged but way better than traditional casting.

You can read a much better explanation here:

The Strength Difference Between Cast, Flow Formed and Forged Wheels

 

[Georgia_Y]

The prices seem in line with other cars I’ve had. The set of Forgeline rims on my Corvette where very pricey as well but probably some of the best and lightest I’ve had.

 

[TMThree]

It looks like tsportline and martian wheels are about the only ones available for aftermarket wheels? ...what am I missing?

Yeah, so they are marketing torwards tesla customers specifically, but your car isn't special and doesn't require special rims. You just need rims with the correct lug pattern and offset.


It was $1,361.00 shipped for the aftermarket flowforged 19" rims. Same weight as the stock 18" without caps. I wouldn't want the OEM upgraded rims simply because they're so heavy.

 

[qingshan]

There are plenty of wheels available for less, check our tirerack.com and they have 65 wheels in 19" variety (many under $200). You do get what you pay for though. Also, the bigger the wheel the more expensive they will be - 19" cost more than 18" (or 17"). [On tirerack, wheels that come in both 18" and 19", there seems to be about a 15-20% difference price.]

As @qingshan pointed out, forged wheels are more expensive than cast. TSportline & Martian's are both forged wheels, the ones on tirerack are cast. Tesla is silent on their OEM wheels but I believe they are cast (as they do specify wheels when they are forged).

And as they get bigger they better be stronger because they take a bigger beating with the low profile tires