A recent revelation has surfaced regarding the latest batch of Cybertrucks, indicating that they were shipped without the customary aerodynamic wheel covers. The reason for this omission has now come to light – the distinctive angular design of these covers is causing significant wear and tear on the tires.
Despite the tires having a recess designed to accommodate the seven-pointed angles of the covers, friction occurs against the side wall of the tire when it makes contact with the road and deforms, touching the cover.
While these covers contribute to an enhancement in aerodynamic efficiency ranging from 5% to 10%, a small gap is maintained between the covers and the tires to facilitate air circulation for cooling the disc brakes.
In the course of initial testing, Tesla identified an issue with the gap being too large, leading to instances where the covers would detach from the wheels at high speeds. However, narrowing the gap has resulted in the tire closely interacting with the cover, resulting in notable wear and tear.
Acknowledging the problem, Tesla has committed to redesigning the wheel covers. In the interim, two potential solutions have been proposed. The first is straightforward – remove the wheel covers to prevent any undesired damage to the tires.
The second, though less certain in its effectiveness, suggests slightly inflating the tires to minimize deformation of the side wall upon contact with the road.