While the Tesla Model 3 requires very little regular mechanical maintenance, its relatively high levels of torque may require more frequent tire replacements than the average car owner is accustomed to. One of the most frequent questions I see on Facebook groups and forums involve what replacement tire sizes and models fit on the Model 3. This article is a quick reference to all of the tire sizes that are compatible in 18", 19", and 20" wheel diameters. Please note that some of the wider treadwidths may not fit your car without modification. They may require the use of spacers or custom alignment settings and parts.
Understanding Tire Sizes
Pirelli PZero PZ4 Elect Tire Size 235/35R20
Almost everything you need to know about whether or not a tire is going to fit on your car is captured on the sidewall of your tire. In the case of the Emotive shop 2022 Model 3 Performance that information is in the tire size 235/35R20. This format is standard for virtually all passenger cars on the road today.
315mm tire treadwidth on Falken 315/30R18 RT615K+
235 is the treadwidth. The treadwidth is an approximation for how wide the tire is as measured in the direction the vehicle is traveling expressed in millimeters. The stock Pirelli tires on our Model 3 Performance have a 35 aspect ratio. The aspect ratio is how "tall" the tire is from the tire bead to the top of the tread expressed as a percentage of the treadwidth. In this example, the "ring" of the tire is 35% of 235mm which is approximately 82mm. In the photo below you will note that it is difficult to determine exactly where that 82mm starts.
82mm aspect ratio of 235/35R20
For whatever reason, we mix metric with imperial units in tire sizing. Previously known as dubs, the stock Model 3 Performance Uberturbines are a 20" wheel. The 20" is the diameter of the outer wheel rim. The wheel diameter in tire sizes is the inner diameter of the wheel from bead seat to bead seat as expressed in inches. This is not simply the diameter of the metal showing from the side of the car. Congratulations, you are now an expert in what all of those numbers mean.
Wheel diameter of 20" Tesla Model 3 Performance Uberturbine
Tesla OEM Sizes
Now that a degree has been conferred in tire sizes, we can calculate that the overall tire diameter of the stock 20" Pirelli tire on the Model 3 is 67.25cm. Tesla offers an 18" Aero Wheel and Winter Tire package for use on the Model 3 Performance that comes standard with a 235/45R18. If we calculate the tire diameter in inches this comes to 66.87cm. This is a 0.6% smaller tire, which ends up being a fairly inconsequential difference. In fact, a tire will lose approximately 0.6cm or 0.25" of diameter due to wear over its treadlife. When using a tire size different from the OEM tires the rule of thumb is to have a 3% plus or minus variance in overall tire diameter. The lower the variance, the better.
On most vehicles, people placing different sized tires on cars will live with the difference in calculated speedometer speeds. Because they offer different wheels as accessories, Tesla offers a unique feature which allows you to configure the car for specific tire diameters. This can be accessed in the Service menu on the vehicle under Wheel Configuration. This allows Tesla owners to optimize to the closest overall tire diameter for speedometer purposes, but also to help properly calculate estimated range and adjust for low tire pressure alerts. Changing this setting will also change the graphic of your car on the in-car computer.
Tesla MCU showing Model 3 Wheel Configuration Settings
The following is a list of the suggested tire sizes for the Tesla Model 3 that are within 3% of an OEM tire size with OEM sized tires in bold. The ideal is to get as close to a 0% differential as possible. A negative value denotes an overall shorter tire while a positive value is taller. 225 treadwidth is used as the minimum in the case you wanted a tire to optimize range or winter abilities. The upper end of the range stops at 325 which is a massive treadwidth to fit under the stock Model 3 fenders. As a reference, Mountain Pass Performance recently fit some properly wide 305/30R19 Nankang AR-1s on their 19x10.5 Aspira AF-10 wheels. Please note that these are theoretical tire size fitments and are not a recommendation. For instance, many owners of Uberturbine wheels struggle with dented wheels in the OEM 235/35R20 sizes. A 235/30R20 theoretically fits the parameters of being within 3% of the OEM 18" tire size, but I would personally not recommend this setup. Additionally, having a size listed here does not mean a tire exists that is made in that size or that your desired tire will be made in that size. This is particularly a struggle when attempting to fit ideal sized tires to a specific model of high-performance rubber.
18" Tire Sizes for the Tesla Model 3
Factory 18" diameter wheels for the Tesla Model 3 are the 18" Aero with the optional Aero Wheel Cover and the slightly revised Aero V2 which all came with 235/45R18. For specific tire recommendations please see the 18" Tire Recommendation Guide for Model 3s. This tire is a 66.87cm overall diameter. Please note this is a list of 18" tire sizes that fall within 3% of the OEM sizes. This does not guarantee fitment or that tires exist in that size.
| Tire Size | Tire Diameter in cm | %Δ 18" OEM | %Δ 19" OEM | %Δ 20" OEM | %Δ Track Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225/45R18 | 65.97 | -1.3% | -1.6% | -1.9% | -2.9% |
| 225/50R18 | 68.22 | 2.0% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| 235/45R18 | 66.87 | 0.0% | -0.3% | -0.6% | -1.6% |
| 235/50R18 | 69.22 | 3.5% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| 245/40R18 | 65.32 | -2.3% | -2.6% | -2.9% | -3.9% |
| 245/45R18 | 67.77 | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 255/40R18 | 66.12 | -1.1% | -1.4% | -1.7% | -2.7% |
| 255/45R18 | 68.67 | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| 265/40R18 | 66.92 | 0.1% | -0.2% | -0.5% | -1.5% |
| 265/45R18 | 69.57 | 4.0% | 3.7% | 3.4% | 2.4% |
| 275/35R18 | 64.97 | -2.8% | -3.1% | -3.4% | -4.4% |
| 275/40R18 | 67.72 | 1.3% | 1.0% | 0.7% | -0.3% |
| 285/35R18 | 65.67 | -1.8% | -2.1% | -2.3% | -3.4% |
| 285/40R18 | 68.52 | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.8% |
| 295/35R18 | 66.37 | -0.7% | -1.0% | -1.3% | -2.3% |
| 295/40R18 | 69.32 | 3.7% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.0% |
| 305/35R18 | 67.07 | 0.3% | 0.0% | -0.3% | -1.3% |
| 315/35R18 | 67.77 | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 325/35R18 | 68.47 | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
19" Tire Sizes for the Tesla Model 3
Factory 19" diameter wheels for the Tesla Model 3 are the 19" Sport and the slightly revised Sport V2, as well as the 19" Gemini wheels which were once available as part of the winter tire package for Performance models. For specific tire recommendations please see the 19" Tire Recommendation Guide for Model 3s. These all came with 235/40R19 tires which are a 67.06cm overall diameter. Please note this is a list of 19" tire sizes that fall within 3% of the OEM sizes. This does not guarantee fitment or that tires exist in that size.
| Tire Size | Tire Diameter in cm | %Δ 18" OEM | %Δ 19" OEM | %Δ 20" OEM | %Δ Track Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225/40R19 | 66.26 | -0.9% | -1.2% | -1.5% | -2.5% |
| 225/45R19 | 68.51 | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.8% |
| 235/40R19 | 67.06 | 0.3% | 0.0% | -0.3% | -1.3% |
| 235/45R19 | 69.41 | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| 245/35R19 | 65.41 | -2.2% | -2.5% | -2.7% | -3.7% |
| 245/40R19 | 67.86 | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| 255/35R19 | 66.11 | -1.1% | -1.4% | -1.7% | -2.7% |
| 255/40R19 | 68.66 | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.0% |
| 265/35R19 | 66.81 | -0.1% | -0.4% | -0.7% | -1.7% |
| 265/40R19 | 69.46 | 3.9% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| 275/35R19 | 67.51 | 1.0% | 0.7% | 0.4% | -0.6% |
| 285/30R19 | 65.36 | -2.3% | -2.5% | -2.8% | -3.8% |
| 285/35R19 | 68.21 | 2.0% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| 295/30R19 | 65.96 | -1.4% | -1.6% | -1.9% | -2.9% |
| 295/35R19 | 68.91 | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 1.4% |
| 305/30R19 | 66.56 | -0.5% | -0.7% | -1.0% | -2.0% |
| 305/35R19 | 69.61 | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| 315/30R19 | 67.16 | 0.4% | 0.1% | -0.1% | -1.2% |
| 325/30R19 | 67.76 | 1.3% | 1.0% | 0.8% | -0.3% |
20" Tire Sizes for the Tesla Model 3
For specific tire recommendations please see the 20" Tire Recommendation Guide. Factory 20" diameter wheels for the Tesla Model 3 are the 20" Performance and the 20" Uberturbine which were shod with 235/35R20 rubber from the factory. There are also the somewhat rare 20" Zero G Gunpowder which came with 245/35R20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 as part of the Model 3 Track Package and 235/35R20 as part of the now defunct Tesla Referral Program. The 235/35 measure in at 67.25cm and the 245/35 measure 67.95cm. Please note this is a list of 20" tire sizes that fall within 3% of the OEM sizes. This does not guarantee fitment or that tires exist in that size.
| Tire Size | Tire Diameter in cm | %Δ 18" OEM | %Δ 19" OEM | %Δ 20" OEM | %Δ Track Pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225/35R20 | 66.55 | -0.5% | -0.8% | -1.0% | -2.1% |
| 225/40R20 | 68.8 | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| 235/30R20 | 64.9 | -2.9% | -3.2% | -3.5% | -4.5% |
| 235/35R20 | 67.25 | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | -1.0% |
| 235/40R20 | 69.6 | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| 245/30R20 | 65.5 | -2.0% | -2.3% | -2.6% | -3.6% |
| 245/35R20 | 67.95 | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| 255/30R20 | 66.1 | -1.2% | -1.4% | -1.7% | -2.7% |
| 255/35R20 | 68.65 | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.0% |
| 265/30R20 | 66.7 | -0.3% | -0.5% | -0.8% | -1.8% |
| 265/35R20 | 69.35 | 3.7% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.1% |
| 275/30R20 | 67.3 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 285/25R20 | 65.05 | -2.7% | -3.0% | -3.3% | -4.3% |
| 285/30R20 | 67.9 | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.0% | -0.1% |
| 295/25R20 | 65.55 | -2.0% | -2.3% | -2.5% | -3.5% |
| 295/30R20 | 68.5 | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.8% |
| 305/25R20 | 66.05 | -1.2% | -1.5% | -1.8% | -2.8% |
| 305/30R20 | 69.1 | 3.3% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 1.7% |
| 315/25R20 | 66.55 | -0.5% | -0.8% | -1.0% | -2.1% |
| 315/30R20 | 69.7 | 4.2% | 3.9% | 3.6% | 2.6% |
I hope this guide has served as a helpful reference. As far as where to buy tires, I wholeheartedly recommend Tire Rack. Their prices can often beat what we can get here at the shop and their comprehensive network of reviewed local recommended installers
ensure you have a nearby expert you can rely on. On top of that, you can drop ship to the shop so you never have to lift a finger. In the meantime, happy motoring!
