Smaller wheels improved the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N's highway efficiency by 12%
The owner of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, after replacing the stock 21-inch wheels with 20-inch ones, recorded an approximately 12 percent increase in the electric vehicle’s energy efficiency while driving on the highway. According to InsideEVs, the test was conducted by Matt from the YouTube channel Downshift: at a speed of 75 miles per hour (about 121 km/h), the car consumed 2.8 miles per kWh instead of 2.5 miles per kWh in its stock configuration.
The highway test covered 120 miles, or approximately 193 km. First, the Ioniq 5 N was fitted with Kumho Majesty 9 EV tires, designed for lower rolling resistance. On a 30-mile mixed route, efficiency increased from 3.3 to 3.6 miles per kWh. At the same time, the owner noted that these tires compromised handling, which was the very reason he had chosen the sport version of the model.
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After that, he installed 20-inch Demon Forged wheels and Kumho Ecsta Sport all-season tires. On the same mixed-use route, the car achieved 3.7 miles per kWh. The standard Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes equipped with 21-inch forged wheels and wide 275-series Pirelli P Zero tires. According to the EPA, this model’s range with an 84 kWh battery is 221 miles, or about 356 km.
Matt calculated a theoretical range of 310 miles, or about 499 km, by applying the 3.7 miles per kWh figure to the battery capacity. However, this was not a full range test from 100% charge to near-complete discharge. InsideEVs notes that it is more accurate to interpret the result as an approximate 12% improvement in efficiency between the stock and modified wheel and tire sets.
