Tesla’s launch of the Cybertruck has hit a bump in the road, quite literally. Early adopters have discovered that the aero wheel covers are causing tire damage. As a result, Tesla has stopped including the problematic wheel covers with new Cybertruck deliveries, possibly until they are redesigned.
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The Cybertruck wheel covers are problematic.
The wheel covers dig into the tires, causing wear. Tesla will no longer equip Cybertruck with these wheel covers until the issue is resolved.
The factory tires on the Cybertruck are specifically made by Goodyear for the vehicle, including custom sidewalls. However, the design in the sidewall is meant to match up to the now-problematic aero covers, which function similarly to the ones found on the Model 3. These hard plastic covers extend past the wheel itself and mesh into the design of the aero cover.
Tesla anticipated that the covers could make contact with the tire itself, so it made the ends of the covers a softer, flexible rubber compound. The covers are also spaced out from the edge of the tire to avoid contact with the wheel under normal driving circumstances. However, a heavy vehicle will cause the aero cover’s rubber to make contact with the sidewall of the tire due to normal tire deformation. As a result, the rubber caps of the aero cover rub the sidewall and remove a small portion of the rubber over time, which has led to premature wear on some tires.
Tesla is working to resolve the issue, which should be addressed in the redesigned version of the aero covers. While waiting for the new design, it is clear that new owners should be cautious about potential tire wear and the need for tire replacement.