aftermarket wheelson the RAV4 EV

[robertantal]

Anybody replaced the OEM wheels on their RAV4 EV?
I'm intrested what is the impact on the maximum milage from case to case using different wheels and tires.
I used Giovanna Mecca 20x10 wheels +40mm offset with 255/45ZR20 tires.

 

[dark]

you are going to get 10 to 15% range drop.

Front: 235/45-20
Rear: 275/40-20

Mounted on Volks G2 Forged, about 2 to 3 lbs lighter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8317976@N05/9328895273/

 

[Blastphemy]

Is the traction better on either of your aftermarket tires? Are you really seeing a real-world loss of 10-15 miles per standard charge because of them?

 

[fusiondynamics]

I think it's more the fact of losing range because of going wider more than anything.

 

[Blastphemy]

I'm willing to lose 5-10 miles of range if different tires noticeably improve the traction. But I can't seem to get an answer to that simple question, whether the aftermarket tires noted in this thread or others improve the Rav4 EV's traction.

 

[Luckyduckie]

Is the traction better on either of your aftermarket tires? Are you really seeing a real-world loss of 10-15 miles per standard charge because of them?

Any improvements???

I notice some slipping when I go over train tracks or potholes on the road ... but I wonder if this is cause by poor tires or just the suspension system??? Any ideas??? I'm worried about the rainy weather we'll be getting in the next 4-5 months.

TIA

 

[reeler]

Does anyone know of any lighter rims that look decent? Not carbon fiber or anything, just something that is a few pounds cheaper per wheel. Same diameter and even something off another model/year Toyota would be great.

 

[Ampster]

Dark had some nice ones at the last SoCal meetup. Larger I think.

I also saw the stock sized ones that AmpedToy put on his car. Five lbs lighter he says

 

[robertantal]

Is the traction better on either of your aftermarket tires? Are you really seeing a real-world loss of 10-15 miles per standard charge because of them?

I feel the car gripping the road better with the wider tires but my range decreased significantly (20%) and this is probably also due to my agressive driving. On the extended charge I'm getting an estimated 82 miles per charge and my efficiency is an average 2.3 miles/kWh.

 

[robertantal]

Does anyone know of any lighter rims that look decent? Not carbon fiber or anything, just something that is a few pounds cheaper per wheel. Same diameter and even something off another model/year Toyota would be great.

The rims I got are light weight but you should also consider the weight of the tire as well.
Here is the manufacturers photo for the Giovanna Mecca 20x10 +40mm:

I got the 10" Wide rims because I like the wider look but you can get a narrower setup to save weight all togheter.

 

[rayray]

Has anyone taken one of the wheels off, and taken the total weight ?
The width will not have a significant affect on the range, and rather the increased weight of the wheel and the tire.
So, if you can find a combination that is 2 to 5 pounds lighter, you would actually get better range.

 

[robertantal]

Has anyone taken one of the wheels off, and taken the total weight ?
The width will not have a significant affect on the range, and rather the increased weight of the wheel and the tire.
So, if you can find a combination that is 2 to 5 pounds lighter, you would actually get better range.

The width it makes a big difference because the extra weight what goes in to the tires and rims.
If you go wider and bigger most likely you will also go heavyer to.
I do not think you can reduce the weight by goingto aftermarket wheels in less yo go narower. Think about all those funny looking bycicle tires on most of the EV's. There is a reason for that ... and is to extend the range.

 

[rayray]

Yes .. in general that's a given... more width = more rubber = more weight.
But there are different tires and wheels that could have a lighter wight combination.....
The bicycle tires are cable of going up to 200 PSI, so s skinnier tire can support more weight ..

I personalty want the taller wheel, and not necessarily a wider tire ... So it is possible to have the car look nice, and not lose range, and even gain a few miles...

There could be another possibility .... Tires that can be inflated to 60+ PSI ....
I get .3 m/kwh on average when I pump my tires on the RAV to 45 pounds ..

 

[Khoa]

I'm taking a guess here but hopefully a scientific one...

Wider tires would also decrease your mileage since it increases the amount of surface area touching the asphalt which increases the amount of friction which means your car will "stick to the road" more... which ultimately means the road will slow down your car quicker. More than anything I think this affects your cruising speed when you are not putting power to the wheels.

With that said, with more friction you also spend less power getting the car going since you're wasting less power on the wheels "slipping".

I think in the end though, you have a net loss of mileage with more friction.

 

[miimura]

Not only do they have more rolling resistance, but wider tires present more frontal area, so they increase aero drag as well.

 

[robertantal]

I'm also intrested how the mileage will be afectyed if you chose overall taller tires, this having a larger circumference than the factory one. Is the odometer reading the tire rotation to determin the distance or is GPS based?

 

[TonyWilliams]

I'm also intrested how the mileage will be afectyed if you chose overall taller tires, this having a larger circumference than the factory one. Is the odometer reading the tire rotation to determin the distance or is GPS based?

The speedometer is wheel rotation calculated, and the navigation uses GPS.

 

[robertantal]

I'm also intrested how the mileage will be afectyed if you chose overall taller tires, this having a larger circumference than the factory one. Is the odometer reading the tire rotation to determin the distance or is GPS based?

The speedometer is wheel rotation calculated, and the navigation uses GPS.

So there is any way to adjust to the tire size?

 

[TonyWilliams]

I'm also intrested how the mileage will be afectyed if you chose overall taller tires, this having a larger circumference than the factory one. Is the odometer reading the tire rotation to determin the distance or is GPS based?

The speedometer is wheel rotation calculated, and the navigation uses GPS.

So there is any way to adjust to the tire size?

I'm sure there is some adjustment. On the LEAF, for instance, you could adjust the speed from the maintenance/service screen on the navigation unit.

I suspect that's where is can be soft where adjusted.

Nobody has actually gotten into that screen on the Rav4 EV, even though it is described in the service manual.

DIAGNOSTIC MODE ON NAVIGATION

After the power switch is turned to on (IG), check that the map is displayed before starting
diagnostic mode. Otherwise, some items cannot be checked.

(a) Turn the power switch on (READY).

(b) Press the "Home" switch 3 times, while pressing and
holding the switch the third time, operate the light
control switch: Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off

 

[dark]

I can tell you the difference, with my Volks G2 Forged 20", it is 5 lbs lighter than OEM wheels, but wider tires are heavier, so net weight of my 20" wheel+tire is about the same as OEM.

Front: 235/45-20
Rear: 275/40-20

However, I am losing range due to wider tire friction and wind resistance. Now think about this, hybrid and EV they are inefficient when you accelerate, you gain MPG by gliding/cruising. The Rav4 EV got so much power, acceleration with the wider wheels would have minimum impact vs. glide/cruise impact. The easier it can glide/cruise the less energy it uses.

My car with the bigger wheels I notice big difference when I cruise, the car slows down much quicker than before. This means that the more freeway (high speed), the more you are going to lose in range. On the other hand, if you drive mostly local and stop/go traffic, wider tires would have minimum impact.

Give you an example, with my OEM wheels, I can easily drive 110 miles (normal/single charge). Now with my 20" wheels, I can barely make 100 miles (normal/single charge). 80% freeway, same route to work.