Three diameters, one width at the front
The front-axle tyre width on the Model Y does not change - on every factory variant it is 255 mm, so the choice of diameter mainly determines the sidewall height. On 19-inch rims the sidewall is at its tallest, on 21-inch rims at its lowest. In its Model Y replacement tyre table, Tesla lists different sizes for the two axles on the 21-inch variant: 255/35 R21 at the front and 275/35 R21 at the rear. There are two consequences. The tyres cannot be swapped between the axles, and a seasonal set has to include both sizes. Which size applies to a given year and trim is shown in the table at the top of this page.
What a larger rim costs
Tesla itself has published a figure that makes this choice measurable: under the EPA test procedure the Model Y Juniper Long Range covers 320 miles on 19-inch rims and 303 miles on 20-inch rims (Tesla data, reported by Electrive). The difference is not down to the tyre alone. Tesla has stated that the aerodynamic wheel covers alone give roughly a 10% efficiency gain over the bare 19-inch Sport rim, so the figure for the smaller diameter includes both the covers and the tyre itself with its taller sidewall. Tesla has not given a comparable figure for the 21-inch rims.
In braking, a larger rim does nothing on its own. In a TÜV Süd test on a BMW i4 the same Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 tyre in 18 and 19 inches stopped virtually identically - 31.4 and 31.5 m from 80 km/h - while a cheap tyre on the larger rim produced the worst result in the entire comparison. The tyre model matters more than the inches do.
Load index and weight
The Model Y Long Range AWD (Juniper, 2025) has a kerb weight of 2,072 kg and a gross weight of 2,517 kg (EV Database). An electric car weighs around 200-300 kg more than an equivalent car with a combustion engine, so the load index it needs is higher, Auto Bild writes. That is where the XL marking in the factory sizes comes from - for example the 255/45 R19 with index 104 XL specified for the Model Y's 19-inch rim. Continental's own example shows the difference within one and the same size: SL carries 670 kg, XL 750 kg, HL 825 kg. The required index is set by the car manufacturer and is not found in the registration document - you read it off the tyre sidewall, the door-frame sticker and the owner's manual.
Why V or W is enough
The Model Y RWD has a top speed of 217 km/h and the Model Y Standard 201 km/h. A V rating covers 240 km/h and W covers 270 km/h, so a factory tyre does not need Y (300 km/h). In Latvia a tyre's speed category may not be lower than the car's technical top speed, and it is this figure that is binding, not the road speed limit.
Wear
The greater weight and full torque from a standstill wear the tread faster than on an equivalent petrol car - that is how both Auto Bild and Continental explain it. Here more depends on the tyre than on the car itself: in a 2025 electric-car test on a single car and in one size, the best tyre lasted 49,050 km and the worst 28,510 km (Tyre Reviews).
What T0, T1 and T2 mean
Tesla-approved tyres are marked with the letter T on the sidewall. T0 is the first approved version, and when the tyre is revised with a new construction or technology, it gets T1, T2 and so on. The number refers to the tyre model, not to the car: Tesla itself explains that one manufacturer's T1 tyre is newer than the same manufacturer's T0 tyre, but not necessarily newer than another manufacturer's T0 tyre. The widely repeated scheme that divides T0, T1 and T2 between car models is therefore wrong. Tesla's own replacement tyre tables list T0, T1 and T2 tyres for one and the same car.
Tesla does not publish anywhere exactly how the T0 and T1 versions of the same model differ. What is known is that the tyres are developed together with the tyre manufacturers and that most approved tyres can only be bought from Tesla itself. They are not mandatory. Tesla does recommend these tyres, citing lower road noise and better handling, but neither the warranty terms nor anything else makes that choice a condition. ADAC takes the same position: what matters is the size and load index approved for the particular car, and at least in the case of premium manufacturers any tyre with matching specifications can be considered suitable. A tyre without the T marking may have higher rolling resistance and therefore less range, as well as more noise in the cabin.
Why an approved tyre is often V or W rather than Y
The speed rating indicates the maximum speed at which the tyre may be driven: V is 240 km/h, W is 270 km/h and Y is 300 km/h. ADAC explains that above the H rating a tyre's load capacity falls as speed rises, so a higher rating calls for a casing that withstands more heat and sustained load. On an electric car's tyre that works against both of the main goals. Manufacturers point out that when a tyre is optimised for electric cars the priority is range, while the weight of the battery calls for a higher load index, XL or HL. A stiffer and heavier Y-class construction makes both harder, and for most Tesla models the design speed stays below the W limit.
TPMS when changing tyres or wheels
Tesla uses two generations of pressure sensor that are not compatible with each other: 433 MHz radio in early cars, Bluetooth Low Energy in newer ones. That becomes important when buying a second set of wheels with its own sensors. After a wheel change the sensors relearn by themselves if you drive faster than 25 km/h for a few minutes; older manuals give ten minutes for the same procedure. When different tyres are fitted to the same rims, nothing needs to be done. Manual relearning on the touchscreen exists only in those cars that do not have the automatic version. The manual warns that after a tyre change outside a Tesla service centre the sensor may not work until Tesla carries out the installation procedure, and that the sensor battery cannot be replaced - the whole sensor is replaced. In Latvia this is not merely a question of convenience. On category M1 cars first registered on or after 1 January 2018 with a manufacturer-fitted TPMS, the system has to work, and missing sensors or a lit warning light are a defect at the roadworthiness test.
Winter tyres in Latvia
From 1 December to 1 March a car with a gross weight of no more than 3.5 t must have winter tyres. The roadworthiness rules require the mountain and snowflake marking (3PMSF); winter tyres carry it, but the M+S designation alone is no substitute and, since 1 October 2024, no longer counts during the mandatory period. Tread depth in this period must be at least 4 mm. At the test 3.0 to 4.0 mm is a major defect, below 3.0 mm already a dangerous one. Studded tyres are permitted from 1 October to 1 May, so the permitted period is wider at both ends than the mandatory one.
These requirements also cover the speed rating. A tyre's speed category and load index may not fall short of the car's technical parameters, and what counts is the car's own design maximum speed, not the road speed limit. A winter tyre rated Q or T on a car with a design speed of 200 km/h or more is a major defect at the test.
Where to find your size
The size, load index and speed rating are written on the tyre sidewall itself. The size and pressure specified by the manufacturer can be found on the sticker in the driver's door frame, in the owner's manual and, on cars with a combustion engine, on the fuel filler cap as well. The registration certificate carries no tyre data, and the technical passport was replaced long ago, so there is no point looking in either.
