Last week, Tesla updated its European configurator to show a WLTP range of 572 kilometers for the base rear-wheel-drive Model 3. Up from 534 kilometers, that’s an impressive gain. Especially because no new motor or cell chemistry swap was involved. Just new shoes from an Indonesian tire manufacturer that don’t bode well, based on initial customer feedback.
Tesla found 38 extra kilometers without touching the battery on its base Model 3: the rear-wheel-drive variant with a 60 kWh battery pack. That’s a hard-to-beat ratio between price (€36.990) and range. Especially as customers report in their reviews that the car can deliver its official range figures in real life.
Giti for Bridgestone
A 7% jump, with official consumption dropping from 13.1 to 12.2 kWh per 100 kilometers, is also quite exceptional, as Tesla didn’t change the driveline one bit. In fact, the American EV maker only replaced the standard 18-inch Bridgestone Turanza tires with Giti Control P10 rubber, paired with redesigned Prismata wheels. Seems like a brilliant move, except for the fact that it is already backlashing on the asphalt.
It’s not a shame if you’ve never heard of Giti. This Indonesian mid-market brand is virtually unknown in European showrooms. The Control P10 that Tesla now mounts as original equipment carries a respectable EU tire label: B for rolling resistance, A for wet grip, and 69 decibels of noise.
Those numbers beat the outgoing Bridgestones on efficiency. Furthermore, they cost Tesla less per set. Framed as a win-win for all parties, the swap turns worrisome if you read the comments. The gain in range might come at the cost of safety.
Complaints from customers
European owners who have already been driving on Giti rubber have begun sharing evidence. Not just complaints, but also photos and videos that show tread blocks chunking off at low mileage or profile damage severe enough to prompt safety warnings.
These quality issues occur on the front tires as well, whereas the torque that shreds the rubber is applied exclusively to the rear tires. Also, their comfort seems to be a problem. ‘They are bumpy as hell,” as one Reddit user notices. They’re not suited for winter conditions, either.
Independent reviews by TyreReviews found the Giti to be the most efficient of the three EV tires it tested for the Model 3. But efficiency and durability are not the same equation. A tire that sheds its tread after a few thousand kilometers will need replacement, putting both an economic and ecological strain on the choice. So, a wider range might come at a higher cost and lower safety levels.
History of quiet swaps
Tesla’s official stance remains silent, though the reference to the tire swap, without mentioning Giti, has been mentioned on X. Such moves aren’t new to Tesla. The company has a history of quietly swapping suppliers and calling it progress.
Like it did with a chip downgrade on its Chinese models, replacing Samsung with inferior Intel-Mobileye semiconductors, or changing the NMC batteries to LFP chemistry.
These are not unusual or dangerous practices in themselves. Still, the pattern is that the company communicates only half the story or disregards the less positive side effects entirely. Once a customer of a new Model 3 Long Range notices he has to change tires prematurely, the sale has already been registered in Tesla’s next quarter’s figures.
