Tesla

If you’ve searched the internet for information on electric vehicles (EVs) tires before, you’ve probably come across blogs that tell you that they need different tires than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. Because of that, you may be wondering: which is the best tire for my Tesla Model 3? The best tires for a Tesla Model 3 are designed for performance and comfort. They feature advanced tech that improves traction, reduces the braking distance, lowers rolling resistance, and improves grip, stability, and steering responsiveness. They’re durable, light, and hydroplaning-resistant. Read on for more insights into why a Tesla Model 3 uses different tires, what to consider when buying tires for your Tesla EV, and a review of the best tires on the market. Why Your Tesla Model 3 Needs Different Tires The main difference between EVs and ICE vehicles is the electric battery. These batteries are quite heavy and put extra stress on the car’s tires. Because of that, conventional tires would wear out prematurely if you installed them on your Tesla Model 3. Additional factors that require special tires include wear-and-tear due to faster acceleration and increased braking distance. What To Consider When Buying Tires for Your Tesla Model 3 When buying a tire for your Tesla, think about the following: Load index: Select a tire with a higher load index to accommodate your car’s weight comfortably. Rolling resistance: Choose a tire with low rolling resistance for better speed. Traction: Choosing the tires with the best traction can stop you from losing control while accelerating or braking. Tire noise: Since EVs are quiet, it’s natural to choose notoriously quiet tires. Trade-off: Consider the range and performance of the options and pick tires based on what you consider most important. The range is the distance the tires can cover, while performance refers to sound, traction, acceleration, and braking distance. Let’s review some of the highest-quality tires you can buy for your Tesla Model 3: Michelin CrossClimate Plus Michelin’s CrossClimate Plus comes with a multi-condition-focused tread pattern for superior performance in all weather conditions. The highly directional tread pattern also significantly improves this tire’s traction in snow, perfect for winter driving! The tread’s design has transverse ribs for outstanding cornering, while the tread blocks are bevel-edged for better traction on damp or wet surfaces. The product features different warranties, depending on your preferred rating. H- & V-speed rated models come with a 50,000-mile warranty, while the W- & Y-speed rated models feature a 40,000-mile warranty. In a nutshell, the CrossClimate plus has outstanding braking and handling on dry surfaces, provides excellent feedback, and has stable handling in all conditions. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife The Assurance MaxLife features an advanced rubber compound and a continuous center rib for constant contact with the road and outstanding responsiveness. If you need a tire with exceptional directional stability, we recommend trying the Assurance MaxLife out! The tire has notched intermediate ribs and partially closed shoulders for improved stability and cornering grip. The Assurance MaxLife also features four circumferential grooves and block edges for improved water evacuation and wet traction. You’ll be impressed by how well these tires handle wet and damp conditions. Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus The Ecopia EP422 utilizes Bridgestone’s exclusive NanoPro-Tech for reduced rolling resistance. The tire features a symmetric tread pattern, independent center blocks, and a notched shoulder for improved dry traction and handling. Inside, you’ll find two steel belts wrapped with nylon and a polyester casing for increased tire strength, comfort, and durability. The circumferential groove design comes in handy in water evacuation, reducing hydroplane risks. Driving your EV on snow, slush, or ice-covered roads is quick and easy, thanks to the multiple sipes around the Ecopia EP422’s treads. The Continental TrueContact The Continental TrueContact is designed for performance, featuring advanced technology for stable, consistent driving under different conditions. The tire’s Tg-F Polymer and Silane construction delivers exceptional dry and wet traction. Simultaneously, the optimized symmetric tread pattern ensures constant contact with the road for better handling and steering response. The siped tread block and Continental’s patented Traction Grooves deliver superior gripping of the surface, even in the harshest elements. With this tire, you’ll get unique ride comfort and reduced noise and vibrations. If you need a long-lasting tire, look no further than the TrueContact – it features twin steel belts and a polyamide reinforcement for extra strength and durability. Vogue Custom Built Radial VIII Are you looking for a tire that combines performance with aesthetics? If so, the Custom Built Radial VIII is what you need. The well-crafted, beautifully designed tire comes with high-tensile steel belts, a gold puncture control pad, and polyester body plies for added stability, strength, and durability. The tread design is asymmetrical, allowing for driving in any and all weather and road conditions. Additional pros include the best-in-class wet and dry traction and remarkable handling and steering response. Firestone Champion The Firestone Champion, though designed with conventional vehicles in mind, comes in handy for EVs, too. This tire features advanced tech for reduced rolling resistance, limiting your car’s power consumption without hurting the grip, braking, and traction performance. The steel cord also adds strength while keeping the tire lighter. For durability, the Firestone Champion has a two-ply polyester body casing and comes with side steel belts and nylon reinforcement. For easy rotation, this tire has a symmetric tread design. Driving in wet and snowy conditions is also easier since the tread is deep enough, providing excellent traction in all elements. The full-depth tread’s biting edges make it easy to drive on snow-covered surfaces. The tire is also hydroplaning-resistant, thanks to the four circumferential grooves, which are effective in water evacuation. Yokohama Avid Ascend The Avid Ascend is an outstanding tire – its dry traction and steering response beat the competition by a mile. The solid tread pattern allows smooth acceleration and braking, giving you a nice, quiet ride. This tire has excellent steering response and stable cornering. Reviewers have pointed out its very good dry, wet,

Keeping your Tesla clean will not only make your car look nice, but it can also improve the lifetime of the paint and help prevent scratches. But what are the best cleaning products and methods for cleaning your Tesla? And what are the best ways to clean the exterior and interior of your Tesla? There are several great products for cleaning your Tesla. Many can be purchased at a local automotive shop or through online merchants. Knowing how to use the cleaning products correctly will help you make your Tesla shine and stay shiny for years to come, so keep reading to learn more! The Best Exterior Car Cleaning Products for Your Tesla In your Tesla owner’s manual, you should be able to find where it says to use mild automotive glass cleaner and mild automotive soap to clean the exterior. The manual also recommends using a soft cloth for washing and a chamois cloth for drying the car. If you would like to keep your Tesla sparkly and shiny, you probably want to know all the details and make use of the best cleaning products. Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash Soap and Shampoo Car shampoo is a type of soap that is used to clean the exterior of your Tesla. Utilize the Chemical Guys car shampoo. They are experts on the chemistry needed to protect and shine your Tesla! Their shampoo is also pretty simple to set up. Follow these steps, and you will have no problems: Mix the car shampoo to a specific ratio with clean water in a bucket Use the shampoo/water mixture with a washcloth to wipe down and clean your Tesla Consider using their two-bucket method The two-bucket method is a great idea when using car shampoo. It is a foolproof way to make sure you are not rubbing dirt into your Tesla’s paint and scratching it. Chemical Guys Two-Bucket Wash System  Using a Chemical Guy’s two-bucket wash system will help ensure that you are cleaning your Tesla correctly. They make the best two-bucket system on the market and even include wash mitts and wash clothes. The two-bucket system you choose should include a grit filter that will filter out certain things to prevent them from coming into contact with and scratching the Tesla. This method protects your Tesla from things such as: Dirt Grit Debris The first bucket is the detailing bucket and holds the car shampoo that is mixed with clean water. This bucket is used to apply the shampoo/water mixture to your Tesla with a washcloth. The second bucket holds plain, warm water and is used to rinse off all the dirt that is wiped off with the first bucket. The grit filter traps all the dirt and grime in the bottom of the bucket, preventing it from being wiped back onto the Tesla. Using the two-bucket system is only one great option for cleaning your Tesla. Many Tesla owners use the two-bucket system with additional cleaning products to get their Tesla’s super clean. Sun Joe Pressure Washer The first step to cleaning your Tesla should be getting it wet. The water will help to loosen up any dried dirt or grime that has built up on the paint and wheels. To make things easier, you should use the Sun Joe pressure washer to spray down your Tesla with water. The Sun Joe pressure washer is a 1.8 Gallon, 14.5 Amp electric unit that will pair nicely with your electric Tesla vehicle! The Sun Joe pressure washers also have a receptacle that you can load car shampoo/soap into for easier application too! Be careful using a pressure washer to spray your Tesla. Do not stand or hold the nozzle close to the car: It can damage your paint if you hold it too close Stand at least 3-4 feet away If you do not have a water softener, it is recommended to use distilled water or a water filter – especially for the final rinse. Hard water (water containing a high amount of minerals) will leave ugly marks on your Tesla when it dries. Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine There are types of car washing products that do not have to be rinsed off after application. Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine is made with polymers that bind and catch any dirt on your Tesla and dries clean, leaving no marks. It can be applied with a pressure washer after being mixed with water at the correct ratio. When using Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine, keep these things in mind for a better clean: The Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine should be sprayed evenly onto the part of your Tesla that you are cleaning It should then be wiped away with a microfiber cloth It is best to do one part of your Tesla at a time to avoid the product drying before you could wipe it away You should only need to use light pressure when wiping the cleaner off your Tesla. Since the cleaner traps the dirt, it wipes off very easily. After wiping with a cloth, the remaining moisture will evaporate off your Tesla, leaving a shiny and protected surface. The Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine leaves behind a light, glossy, and smooth protective coating. Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam Snow foam is another type of car shampoo that can be used on your Tesla. The best one is Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam. Their chemistry is superior to any other manufacturer on the market and makes cars spotless. Usually, you would not use both snow foam and Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine during the same cleaning. If you are a serious clean-freak, go for it and use both. However, they provide the same level of cleaning, and it is not necessary to double up. Foam Cannon Snow foam can be applied to your Tesla with a pressure washer as well. You will need a foam cannon, like this one

If you have a Tesla, you already know what an economic and low-impact vehicle it is. Long road trips with Teslas are even more convenient. When road tripping with your Tesla, you simply need to plan your route around available charging stations on the way and enjoy the advanced technology designed to assist you in driving. Road trips with Teslas are a convenient and efficient mode of travel.  Read on to discover the perks of traveling in your Tesla and how to make the most of your road trip with their available features and accessories.  Tesla’s Route Planning Tool Each model of Tesla has its own built-in road trip planner! This is an easy and useful tool for anyone trying to plan their road trip. You simply enter your location and destination, and Tesla does the rest of the work. Go Anywhere Tool with Tesla The Go Anywhere Tool is much like Google Maps or other navigation systems. Rather than planning the quickest route, it searches for the fastest routes with the most Tesla superchargers and destination chargers available. It’s important to note that this option does not specifically search for hotels or accommodations along your route; you will be responsible for booking these on your own. This tool will route your trip through the locations with the most destination and superchargers available, so you’ll never have to worry about being stranded without power. You may have to adjust your route if there aren’t any available stations, however, or check into non-Tesla charging options (more details on those options below).  The Go Anywhere Tool  is packed with handy information and provides: Information regarding how long to charge at the station to make it to the destination or next charging station Available on your touch screen display’s Navigation function Customizable routes: you can make adjustments to Tesla’s recommended route Information regarding how many stalls are currently open and what charging rate is available at each For example, entering a starting point of Seattle, Washington, and a destination of San Francisco, California, the Go Anywhere tool provides the following Supercharger station recommendations, assuming a Model 3 Standard Tesla starting with a full charge: 15 min charge in Woodburn, OR 35 min charge in Springfield, OR 30 min charge in Grants Pass, OR 35 min charge in Mount Shasta, CA 20 min charge in Williams, CA You have the option to see available destination chargers at each of these stations as well. The Go Anywhere Tool is designed to be user-friendly and simple, routing you toward Tesla’s own charging stations. Luckily, there are other available options for charging if Tesla stations are not readily available in your desired location. Charging Your Tesla on a Road Trip All Teslas are electric, meaning the usual gas station stops are unnecessary. However, they still require energy, and charging your Tesla will be the most important part of planning your road trip. When planning your route, it’s a good idea to plan your charge stops around your regular meal and bathroom breaks. Some of these chargers will fully charge your Tesla in the amount of time it takes to eat a meal at a restaurant.  By doing this, you virtually eliminate the “charging time” you would wait, by engaging in necessary activities (restroom, meals) during that time, your car charges when it would otherwise be sitting empty anyway. As a benefit, most charging stations are located in convenient places for this reason. There are two in-network, Tesla-based options for charging your Tesla on a road trip: Tesla Destination Chargers Tesla Superchargers With either charger, your Tesla Owners app (available on iOS and Android) will provide real-time updates from your car regarding charge level, and you pay for charges from your Tesla owner’s account with both. Tesla claims that they are opening six new charging stations every week, so accessibility is always increasing. Using Destination Chargers to Charge Your Tesla Destination chargers are the most common charging port for your Tesla. They are housed by Tesla’s “Charging Partners” worldwide and trade a charging location for (hopefully) more business, as their charging station is listed on Tesla’s software. There are over 4,500 destination charging stations, with variations in the number of ports available at each station. Some stations may only have 2 or 3 ports, while others can have dozens. These destination chargers are generally found in places where you’d be spending a moderate amount of time, such as: Restaurants Hotels These chargers are the slower of the two options, with an average of adding about 37.5 miles of range per hour of charge. To maximize your time, try to utilize these chargers when you stop overnight or have the time to leave your car for several hours, like when hiking or exploring a downtown area for the day.  Another perk of these chargers is that they are usually free to use as long as you are a patron of the facility you are charging (hotels, for example). If you’re on your route and need a quick boost to reach your next overnight stop on your road trip, a supercharger station is going to be the best choice.  Supercharging your Tesla on a Road Trip There has been a recent upgrade to charging your Tesla. In addition to the standard Destination Chargers, a Supercharger has been developed. Superchargers have been installed on popular routes and in densely populated areas, such as: Where to Find Tesla SuperChargers Main interstates Parking Garages in urban areas Downtown areas/city centers Grocery stores There are currently over 2,000 Supercharger stations in the US, with over 20,000 individual Supercharging stalls available. This charging station can fully charge any Tesla model under an hour and a half, or roughly 70 minutes. Why Superchargers are Useful With a supercharger, Teslas are designed to charge up to 80% capacity in the first 40 minutes of charging. The rate then slows to protect the battery, but a full charge isn’t necessary. If you find yourself needing a quick

The technology many of us have been waiting for is on the horizon: a fully autonomous self-driving car. Tesla’s Autopilot is the boldest step we have seen a car manufacturer take to making this futuristic accomplishment a reality. However, while Tesla’s Autopilot is a breakthrough, it may not satisfy the expectations many eager consumers want out of a self-driving vehicle. Is it even worth the cost? If you are looking for a vehicle that can ease the hassles that come with driving, the Tesla Autopilot is a great and intuitive feature to utilize. However, if your desire is to be completely disengaged from your vehicle and the road, you may want to hold out until the technology further develops. There is a lot to take in when determining whether the Tesla Autopilot is right for you. Read on to learn about these factors and ensure you make the right decision before committing to this investment. Tesla’s Autopilot is now standard, we’ll cover it’s current features and explain the difference with the optional Full-Self Driving package. Read on! Tesla Autopilot Features Tesla’s innovative technology undergoes constant rapid growth, and we see this with their Autopilot feature. If you are considering investing in a Tesla vehicle for Autopilot, you should know there are two current versions of this technology: Base Level Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Mode. Let’s dive into the specifications of Tesla Autopilot’s two options and what kind of performance and key features you can expect from each one. Base Level Autopilot  While the Base Level Autopilot technology does not quite amount to the expectations one would associate with the traditional concept of an autopilot feature, it proves to be convenient and intuitive, nonetheless.  Tesla promotes two primary features with their standard Autopilot: Auto Steer and a Traffic-Aware Cruise Control.  Auto Steer When driving on the highway, it is easy to become absent-minded and accidentally drift over to the neighboring lane. This generally results in needing to make a quick readjustment in your steering but can become a dangerous hazard that can potentially lead to a traffic accident.  To prevent this common incident from occurring, Tesla has made auto-steering a primary function and highlight of their Autopilot feature. When you have autosteering enabled, your vehicle will ensure that you stay within your appropriate lane when driving.  Traffic-Aware Cruise Control Much like the cruise control system that can be found in almost any modern-day vehicle, the traffic-aware cruise control feature of the Tesla Autopilot will keep your car driving at a consistent speed. However, the technology of Tesla’s Autopilot also ensures that you keep a certain level of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. To give you versatility and control over your traffic-aware cruise control system, Tesla has created the option to manually adjust the speed of your car, as well as the allocated distance you want to maintain between you and other vehicles.  With that being said, you will find the autopilot feature is quite sophisticated and will make logical adjustments in speed and distance without you needing to make manual changes yourself.  Full Self-Driving Mode When Tesla announced their Full Self-Driving Mode, the prospect of having a fully autonomous car available peaked consumers’ interests and stirred quite a bit of hype.  Unfortunately, this title has proved to be somewhat of a misconception. This feature did not deliver on the fully self-driving car that most of us have imagined since drivers are still required to pay attention to the road.   However, the Full Self-Driving Mode has some incredible features that Tesla drivers will swear by, and the package includes the primary functions that come with the Base Level Autopilot.  Navigate on Autopilot This feature made opting for the Full Self-Driving Mode a no-brainer for absent-minded drivers and those who simply want to arrive from Point A to Point B without dealing with the tediousness of driving on the highway while having to check their navigation system continually.  With the Tesla Autopilot, all you need to do is have a destination marked on your vehicle’s navigation system. The auto-navigate feature enables the vehicle to control your trip for your entire time on the highway. That means the car is doing all the driving for you from the moment you hit the on-ramp to your exit point—including all lane changes and adapting to highway interchanges. Street-Level Autopilot Street-Level Autopilot allows Tesla vehicles to recognize and react to traffic lights and stop signs on the road. While this is an entirely new feature in Tesla’s Autopilot technology and is still in a preliminary phase, the potential it will have as it further develops will be paramount to getting us closer to fully autonomous self-driving cars. Drivers who are looking forward to the day of never having to manually drive a car again are sold on the notion of a street-level autopilot. Smart Summon  If you have ever been blocked by a neighboring car due to a driver parking too close to your parking space, the Smart Summon feature may just be the highlight of the Full Self-driving Mode for you.  So, instead of getting frustrated and dealing with the hassle of locating the owner of the vehicle or having to resort to awkwardly sliding in through the passenger or backseat of your car, simply open up your Tesla App and engage your vehicle via your phone to back out of the spot to your location—without ever needing to be behind the wheel.  Of course, for safety reasons, this feature was intentionally designed to be limited to being used within a distance of 200 feet of your car. Smart Summon is also only available to be used within private driveways and parking lots. Auto Park No matter the longevity of your experience on the road, parking can be an absolute nightmare for many drivers. The Auto Park feature with Tesla’s Autopilot has made fitting into tight spots and parallel parking a breeze. As you cruise through a parking lot looking for

If you ever plan to swap out the wheels on your Tesla, you’ll want to invest in this inexpensive tool. This could be to remove a wheel with a flat tire or swapping in or out from a set of winter tires. Tesla models that do not have an aero wheel cover (such as certain wheel options on the Model 3 and Model Y) will have these plastic lug nut covers. If you try using a tire iron or socket on them, they will quickly break. I learned this the hard way. They have a very thin walled designed and are not designed to have any torque applied to them whatsoever. To remove these plastic wheel covers, a lug nut cap cover removal tool set will make things much easier. It’s a essentially a plastic pair of tongs. There’s a raised section that will grip onto the lug nut cap covers. This allows you to easily get a grip on the lug nut covers and pull them off. Read on as we provide more information and tips on remove the lug nut covers from your Tesla, as well as options if you get a flat tire. Lug Nut Cap Cover Removal Tool I’ve read other articles where you can try and use a pair of flathead screwdrivers, but this can cause scratching. The first time we got a flat tire, I tried calling Tesla Roadside assistance, only to be informed that I was too far from their service center for them to provide service How To Remove Tesla Lug Nut Cap Covers Step 1: Grab your lug nut cap cover removal tool. Step 2: Insert the removal tool over the lug nut. Step 3: Press inward on the removal tool to apply pressure, ensuring they have gripped onto the cap covers. Step 4: Simply pull outward to remove the cap cover. What If You Get a Flat Tire on Your Tesla? Since Tesla’s and most other electric vehicles don’t have spare tires, you’ll find yourself with fewer options for getting back on the road. Several tire shops likely won’t have replacement tires in stock either. We’ll explore some of those now. Tesla Roadside Assistance While Tesla Roadside Assistance is free, it’s typically for a certain amount of time. Per their website: Tesla Roadside Assistance is a complimentary service offered under a Tesla warranty or some Extended Service Agreements. Please refer to the terms and conditions in your warranty document or service agreement to determine whether you are eligible for roadside assistance. https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/roadside-assistance-policy-en.pdf Tesla Roadside Assistance is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, however, you may find yourself having to wait a long period of time before someone is able to get to your location. Tow Truck Service In some cases you may find that you need to have your Tesla towed. Tesla strongly recommends that only flatbed trucks are used. If you find yourself having to call a towing service, make sure to specifically request for a flatbed. Also worth noting, you need to make sure to put your Tesla into tow mode in order for a tow truck to transport it. My neighbor works for the state highway patrol, and recently had a tow truck driver come out to tow a Tesla, only to have to leave because the owner was not there to put it into tow mode. We’ll add a new article on having a Tesla towed soon. Summary I’m not sure why certain manufacturers including Tesla opt for lug nut caps. Seems just having an enclosed lug nut would get the job done. However, since most Tesla wheels do have lug nut covers, having one of these tools in your glovebox at all times can certainly come in handy.