Tire Plans Dashed

[Engi_Nerd]

Checked out Tirerack's offerings for the R1T and was a bit surprised by what I saw:

-The OEM 21" tires are the only size currently offered as mentioned but they are pretty poorly rated, similar to our Model Y all seasons that are more or less hockey pucks in the snow
-The OEM 20" are very well rated and not too expensive, but there were only 2 options and both were ATs. No all seasons / touring tires listed.
-The 22s had the most options by far, with several well rated, road friendly tires at very reasonable prices

My current config has the 20s because I liked the forged construction and I expected to swap them out for something a bit quieter and more efficient down the line. At the moment though, that doesn't seem to be an option. The 22s seem to offer far more options for those of us that will be playing mostly on pavement, but I don't care for the busy design of the bright finish in that size. The dark finish is a bit better but still not amazing and definitely overpriced. I'm thinking I will drop back down to the 21s for mounting winter tires on (that someone hopefully offers) and take the $1800 and just get an aftermarket set of 22"s for the warmer months.

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[Taycanfrank]

Tirerack is very low on tire options right now, especially anything 20". It's not indicative of what will be available later, just a supply shortage.

20" is a common size and should have good options.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

Tirerack is very low on tire options right now, especially anything 20". It's not indicative of what will be available later, just a supply shortage.

20" is a common size and should have good options.

Can you point me to some 20" all season tires that meet the necessary load rating?

 

[Trandall]

@Engi_Nerd the Pirelli tires are customized for the Rivian indicated by the "RIV" marking. Tire racks stated ratings are on the standard Pirelli scorpion lineup, not sure if it will make a big difference but it may. No way has Tire Rack logged the stated miles testing the custom RIV tires.

 

[camaroz1985]

If you just search for the tire size you get 30 something tires of varying types. The issue is most likely with load ratings, due to the weight of the R1T.

 

[r1t_kev]

Unless you're putting a ton of miles on, it's reasonable to expect the OE tires to last a couple of years. My guess is we'll see more options with similar specs by then.

 

[TXR1S]

Can you point me to some 20" all season tires that meet the necessary load rating?

this one:

 

[camaroz1985]

this one:

That's not the same size, but would probably work.

There are 10 all-season tires listed in the correct size.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Tire...&rearRatio=65&rearDiameter=20&performance=ALL

Looking at it, most are E load range, so the weight rating isn't an issue. Most do not have the same speed rating as the stock tire, but I don't think you need 130 mph rated tires (at least I don't). They are just going to be heavier overall, so that is most likely going to hurt your range more than the compound and tread pattern might improve it.

 

[BigE]

Can you point me to some 20" all season tires that meet the necessary load rating?

I’m pretty sure you can put on a 275/60/20 and in that size there’s tons of offerings. Michelin makes a defender LTX that’s a really nice tire and can meet the load ratings.

 

[Taycanfrank]

Can you point me to some 20" all season tires that meet the necessary load rating?

Do your own homework or contact a tire company with this question, I'm happy with ATs and not going to search for you. There are lots of tires available that will work fine for 275/60/20 but when you'll be able to get them is an entirely different story, global tire shortages and all. The 21" is a real problem size, though.

 

[r1t_kev]

It's also entirely possible that, currently, there just isn't a better mousetrap. The "RIV" spec tires are low-rolling resistance so installing a different tire, even if it's appropriately load and speed rated, could result in less range. If you're looking for a comparable 3-peak mountain/snow tire, with appropriate load and speed rating, with low-rolling resistance, and in the right size, you're likely not to find any - especially if it's a 21". Why do you think Rivian partnered with a tire manufacturer to design them a tire? The 2+2 math tells me that one didn't exist off-the-shelf, so it shouldn't be shocking that there are no appropriate replacements yet.

This is a niche vehicle, with niche tire requirements. Don't expect options until there is more than a niche market.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

this one:

Thanks!

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