Tesla re-invents the hubcap

The hubcap, as we used to know it, originated in the early 1930s and served several purposes, one of which to prevent debris from entering and interfering with the inner workings of the wheel. 

Eventually, some car manufacturers wondered if there could be an advantage to expanding the center cap to cover more of the wheel, which is exactly what the Cord Automobile and Hudson Motor Car Company did. 

When pressed steel wheels became commonplace, these were be painted to match the car body and hubcaps were expanded to hide the lug nuts that attached the wheels to the car, including some optional chrome rings and even fake wire spoke wheels. Unfortunately, my first car, a Citroën 2cv, had none! 

These adjuncts would be displaced in recent year by aluminum wheels in all kind of appearance and finish. The hubcap was dead except for some cheap, entry-level plastic versions, that represented some fake aluminum alloy wheels. 

Then came the Tesla 3 and the electric car maker focused on increasing the driving range of its new, more affordable car, with smaller batteries than its predecessors Model S and X, and in the process, re-invented the hubcap. Tesla Model 3 and Y both come with aluminum wheels equipped with Aero covers. 

Car and Driver tested a Model 3 to determine how much savings in energy consumption and increase in range its aero covers provided. Their tests revealed that Model 3's efficiency was more than expected. It averaged an increase of 3.4% in consumption efficiency and added about 10 miles of range. 

At 50 miles per hour the range increased from 312 to 322 miles. At 70 miles per hour range increased from 253 to 260 miles, and at 90 miles per hour the increase of range was 4.7% totaling 199 miles. 

Consumption of kWh/mile, driving at 50 miles per hour decreased by 3.1%, at 50 miles per hour it decreased by 2.5%, and at 90 miles per hour it decreased by 4.5%. 

The video below features a series of road test featuring a Model Y that claim over a 7% improvement! So even if you don’t like them, the Tesla hubcaps do their job well... 

Now you know that the defunct, then glorified and resurrected hubcap might be here to stay!