When Tesla announced the refresh Model S earlier this year, they also introduced an updated set of wheels for the flagship sedan. In the images released, the 21″ Arachnid wheels look great, but came as a hefty $5,900 CAD ($4,500 USD) optional extra.
Not only will you have to fork out more money, you will also be sacrificing a lot of range for the good looks.
Tesla has updated their online configurator to show the 21″ wheels result in a 9% loss in efficiency for the Long Range Model S compared to the standard 19″ Tempest wheels.
The loss is slightly higher for the Plaid Model S. Opting for the 19″ Tempest wheels will get you an estimated 390 miles (627km) on a full charge. With the Arachnid wheels that decreases to an estimated 350 miles (563km), a drop of more than 10%.
The loss shouldn’t come as a surprise as shifting from 19″ to 21″ wheels will always result in range loss.
It is also worth remembering that even with the larger (and much better looking) wheels your Model S still gets more than enough range for the average driver. And more than the competition.
Only the U.S. version of the Design Studio shows the new range estimates. The Canadian site still shows the same range for both wheel options.
We are still waiting for the first deliveries of the refresh Model S to take place. A red one was recently spotted leaving Tesla’s Fremont factory on the back of a car carrier, indicating they could begin soon.
