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Which is heavier, an inch of aluminum wheel rim or tyre?

Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Asked on June 28, 2021

I currently have 225/65R17 tires on my car. I have noticed that many new electric cars come with larger wheel rim and lower profile tire, such as 235/45R21 tire. I wonder why — after all, lower profile tires are less comfortable and have higher rolling resistance. Electric cars, if any, should avoid using low profile tires because range is such a critical parameter for them.

If we pick two rims and pair them with tires in such a manner that the rolling diameter stays the same, which is heavier:

  • A traditional tire + wheel rim where the rim diameter in inches is small, or
  • A low profile tire + wheel rim where the rim diameter in inches is large and the tire aspect ratio is modified accordingly to keep rolling diameter approximately the same?

The reason I’m interested is that it seems to be impossible to find any electric SUV with 17-inch wheels. Thus, I’ll probably have to accept larger wheel rims (fortunately probably not 21" as 19" rims seem to be available in some limited cases). However, the 225/65R17 wheel+tire combo is already so heavyweight that my muscles ache for a day or two after seasonal wheel swap (where I live, I have to use dedicated winter tires during the winter).

Is the added aluminum lighter or heavier than the eliminated rubber in the low profile tires? (Let’s consider only aluminum rims — steel rims are outdated.)

One Answer

Typically, a larger wheel and lower aspect tire will be heavier than a small wheel and higher aspect tire.

While not a scientific comparison, you can see on some higher trim level vehicles with larger wheels actually have reduced fuel economy vs base models. Per Car and Driver for the 2021 Accord Hybrid:

[F]uel economy remains practically the same, with the 2021 model's EPA combined estimate remaining 48 mpg and the highway score moving up a tick from 47 to 48 mpg. But that's for the lower-spec models riding on 17-inch wheels. The Touring trim rides on 19s and carries a 43-mpg combined and a 41-mph highway rating.

Car and Driver

It's possible that the touring has stickier tires, but I believe the higher rolling resistance due to higher overall wheel+tire weight is the main culprit for reduced efficiency.

Correct answer by masospaghetti on June 28, 2021

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