[Joule]

I'd bet serious money against that assertion. If there were 5% range increase in full wheel covers, no EV would ever be sold without them.

jack vines

Hey Jack, there are guys on other sites that have shown this type of gain. After the discussions in this thread, I can see that we do need more real-world tests to get more definite answers. I can't wait to get in the game.

 

[raitchison]

I guess I am missing the point of attempting to get more efficiency from a 238 Mile range EV.

238 miles of range is a lot for an EV but not for a car, my Mazda3 gets 350 miles to a tank on a bad day and over 400 miles on a good one.

For example the longest drive I could conceive of doing in the Bolt is to Vegas. I'd need at least ~350 miles to do it non-stop so that's out of the question but even if I wanted to do it with just one charging stop that would mean pushing the car well past my comfort zone. An range increase of just 10% would get me close to my comfort zone (not that I'd expect to get 10% from just lighter wheels 5% would be highly optimistic.)

 

[raitchison]

I just wanted access to factory drilled 5x105 ENKEI RPF1's on my bolt.

To answer your question I'd be willing to consider spending money on lighter wheels, but really for it to be worth it to me it would also need to improve the aerodynamics. As others have discussed lighter weight wheels will do little to improve range which is something I'm interested in.

 

[Zoomit]

I was discussing the effects of total weight reduction related to resistance at steady speed.

Just dropping in here to add that I did the math for the Bolt EV. At a constant speed of 70 mph with LRR tires (Crr=0.006), removing 44 lbs will reduce the power requirement by 0.17%. That will increase the theoretical full battery range about 0.4 mi.

As an aside, I used to track my energy consumption pretty closely in my Spark EV. I carpooled with a ~250lb guy for a few weeks and could never tell the difference in my energy consumption with him vs without him.

 

[[email protected]]

Hey Zoomit,
I dont think it a question of constant speed based on our discussions, which I might add have been great. Decreasing the unsprung weight is beneficial when your dynamic vs static. Which makes the math very difficult because of driver dependent behavior. Nonetheless, my idea is and was multifold not soley for range.
First off wheel choices for this car not good, heavy and mostly unattractive. So this is the type of co-operative avenue we would have to take in order to gain access to a broader spectrum of high performance wheels. My idea is straight forward, do folks want access to the RPF1 on there Bolt. Personally, I’m interested in the performance gain. Shes would fly with these shoes on. It’s all for enjoyment. Where trying to increase unsprung fun.
Cheers!

 

[Enzeder]

Well, marketing is also important. All engineering is a compromise and trade offs. Generally, public consensus is, wheel covers are hideous and ugly. Spindly, spidery looking wheels like those pictured in this thread are vogue. Manufacturers know all too well that "curb appeal" matters if you want to make the sale.

Having said all that, I'm surprised that manufacturers haven't offered wheels that accept aero wheel covers as an extra cost option. Even if they only worked to extend range the tiniest bit, some people would pay extra to get them.

What I still don't get is, that as a manufacturer you can offer more than one wheel (there are already two wheels for the Bolt). They have a fleet to spread them across (Cruze, Sonic, etc). And even if only a small number of cars rolled off the production line with them on (ala the Model 3 aero wheels), it would still allow the manufacturer to test with those wheels and loan them out to certain review sites (eg: Green Car Reports) and gain the benefit from whatever percentage they offer towards CAFE, etc. Then have the "sporty" looking wheels that we have now as a zero cost or low cost option for the average buyer. Heck, I might have gone with the aero wheels (especially if they were 16") and then used them for winter rims...

 

[redpoint5]

My idea is straight forward, do folks want access to the RPF1 on there Bolt. Personally, I’m interested in the performance gain. Shes would fly with these shoes on. It’s all for enjoyment. Where trying to increase unsprung fun.
Cheers!

I'd be interested if I owned a Bolt. I've been looking for a deal on those wheels for my Acura for years now. Never see used ones for sale near me in the size I need.

I'd mount winter tires on the OEM rims, and summer tires on the performance wheels.

 

[[email protected]]

I agree its a wheel with lots of bang for the buck. If no one show interest I might go with a 15lb proline pfx. Its reasonable. Otherwise Advan RGII could get me down to 12.9lbs but of course those cost quite a bit more. we shall see!

 

[One1whaoo.]

Just for the record, as far as ride is concerned, the improvement from lighter wheels would be greater if the Bolt weighed less.
A change of 8-10 lbs/corner on a 2000 lb. car would be major - on a 3500 lb.
Bolt, not so much.
The amount of "jolt" transferred to the car from an impact to a wheel is related to the ratio of unsprung mass to sprung mass. If the Bolt weighed 100,000 lbs., the impact transferred by a 50 lb. wheel hitting a bump would be negligible.

 

[[email protected]]

One1wahoo,
So how have decreased the weight of your 3500lb bolt

 

[[email protected]]

Timetoy, dropped his wheel weight to 17lbs and his 0-60 time was 5.989 from factory 6.5. So I’d say my 13lbs wheels would be a jolt. It’s fairly intuitive that increased vehicle weight would limit performance. So I can only control the controlables. But I am interested in how you circumvented that on your bolt

 

[Joule]

...If less power needed to move the car means better acceleration, then it should also translate to increased range....

Just dropping in here to add that I did the math for the Bolt EV. At a constant speed of 70 mph with LRR tires (Crr=0.006), removing 44 lbs will reduce the power requirement by 0.17%. That will increase the theoretical full battery range about 0.4 mi.

As an aside, I used to track my energy consumption pretty closely in my Spark EV. I carpooled with a ~250lb guy for a few weeks and could never tell the difference in my energy consumption with him vs without him.

Hey Zoomit, thanks for your input and the calculation. Assuming that it is correct, then a 44lb reduction in wheel weight is already 0.17% more accurate at estimating energy needs then the assumption that you can turn the engine off and coast to your destination once you reach some specified speed. I admittedly over projected the effect of weight on resistance, but that discussion was meant to include resistance as a way of addressing comments that seemed to equate space travel with car travel on earth. My original point quoted above was meant to add support for the OP's inquiry, and when all the benefits of a 44lb reduction in wheel weight are added together, in addition to performance gains, the range benefit should certainly go well beyond 0.4 mi/charge for nearly all Bolt EV users. Since I don't have an EV yet, I borrowed some images from Vertiformed who posted them in another thread as they relate I believe to his daily commute. I don't know what his daily commute consists of exactly in terms of driving conditions, but using his real world example shows that he would not only enjoy improved performance, but would likely also see a range benefit from the OP's suggestion. It would be interesting to see more people post their commute like Vertiformed did, especially if it includes higher speed segments. If I already had a Bolt, I would definitely be interested in making the type of improvements suggested here, but I am surprised so many aren't.

 

[Capital EV]

I've been looking for some smaller, lighter, and also more aerodynamic wheels. As far as I can tell, short of being custom made, there aren't any. Ideally, they'd be 15"x6" and much more of a smooth, closed aero design like the Mercedes B-Class had [or like the Model 3 aero cover]. All of the wheels you guys have been posting about are performance oriented with skinny spokes and big air voids.

 

[zbrown]

I've been looking for some smaller, lighter, and also more aerodynamic wheels. As far as I can tell, short of being custom made, there aren't any. Ideally, they'd be 15"x6" and much more of a smooth, closed aero design like the Mercedes B-Class had [or like the Model 3 aero cover]. All of the wheels you guys have been posting about are performance oriented with skinny spokes and big air voids.

Fastwheels EV01+ is probably the closest you're going to get. They come in a 16x7 and weigh 17lbs.

EV01(+) Titanium

EV01(+)

www.canadawheels.ca

 

[Capital EV]

Fastwheels EV01+ is probably the closest you're going to get. They come in a 16x7 and weigh 17lbs.

EV01(+) Titanium

EV01(+)

www.canadawheels.ca

Nice! Thanks.

 

[EV Engineering]

Only worth option is fast wheels that are aerodynamic and little lighter than stock. I have 4 of them waiting for summer 17X7 and they fit stock michelin tires just fine... Very good quality and outstanding coating if you decide to run them in the winter. Folks from Canada do know how to make wheels for harsh weather.
They are different offset than stock and no spacer needed.
Stock michelin tires do allow 7 inches wide wheels.
I will update once I have them on the Bolt. For now they are seating in the shop and collecting dust.