More on the Tesla “hubcap”…

The Tesla “Aero” hubcap is a throwback to the good old days that certainly got my attention, especially when it’s said to extend the range of the car by at least 3% since range is such a big deal in gaining EV acceptance among consumers. 

So, the other day, I observed that the molded plastic wheel cover was exactly the same on the 4 wheels on the vehicle, as I had (wrongly) assumed that its curvaceous design was meant to stir up the air turbulence into a certain pattern and would have required a different design on both sides of the car, as the hubcap pattern is on the outside of the wheel if you see what I mean. 

This was therefore no the case and somehow I wondered if a totally flat hubcap shouldn’t be the way to go, especially on a Tesla, on which brakes are seldom used if one knows how to drive that car effectively.

Of course, car racing has been exposed for a while to the so-called “aero disc wheels” (see video below), but on a more down-to-earth level, I found this guy who did it on his Toyota Prius (pictured above) as evidence it can be done, including adding skirts over the rear wheels à la Citroën DS or Honda Insight, so Tesla might still have some progress to make in that department!