18-inch Tesla Model 3 winter wheels: more sidewall, less energy use

Which Tesla Model 3 do they fit?

The 18-inch sets on this page cover the same versions; each wheel’s width and offset are on its product page. The pressure sensors, programmed for Tesla and included, depend on the year:

• Model 3 2019–2020, all versions, Performance included: 433 MHz sensors;
• Model 3 2021–2023, all versions, Performance included: Bluetooth sensors;
• Model 3 Highland 2024+ Standard Rear-Wheel Drive and Premium: Bluetooth sensors.

One version is left out: the Model 3 Highland 2024+ Performance. Its oversized brake calipers do not fit inside an 18-inch wheel, so its winter wheels start at 19 inches.

18-inch winter wheels: what you gain, what you give up

Energy use. Expect around 5% less energy use for every inch of wheel diameter you drop, in GreenDrive’s experience; the Model 3’s official ratings point the same way. The US EPA rates the 2025 Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive at 137 MPGe on 18-inch wheels against 131 MPGe on 19-inch, so the 19-inch car uses 4.6% more energy (EPA 2025). On the 2020 Model 3 Performance, the gap between 18 and 20 inches reaches 7.1% (EPA 2020). Tyre, speed and temperature change the real figure.

Comfort and knocks. The 235/45 R18 tyre has the tallest sidewall of the sizes we offer for the Model 3. It absorbs late-winter potholes better and gives the wheel more protection from kerbs hidden under snow. On snow, grip comes first from the 3PMSF winter tyre, not from the diameter.

Limits. A plainer look than 19 or 20 inches, and no fit for the Model 3 Highland 2024+ Performance.

The winter wheel sizes offered for the Model 3, compared with 18 inches:

What the 18-inch winter wheel package includes

Four 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 R18 winter tyres, fitted and balanced, bolted on with your Tesla’s original wheel nuts. You choose the tyre on the product page from several brands of 3PMSF winter tyres; if you opt for an all-season tyre, check its marking. Programmed TPMS sensors included, of the type that suits your car’s year, as explained above. Each product page shows the wheel’s type approval and its downloadable certificate. Winter tyres are recommended rather than required in the UK and Ireland; for France’s Loi Montagne and the rules in Germany, Austria and Italy, see our Tesla Model 3 winter wheels page. See also our alloy wheels and tyres for the Tesla Model 3.

Snow chains for an 18-inch Model 3

Tesla recommends König-type chains, for example the CG-9 size 102 for the Model 3’s 18-inch wheels; the chains in our chains and equipment for the Tesla Model 3 category work on the same principle. The manual says to fit them to the rear tyres, never on summer tyres, and to stay below 48 km/h (30 mph); remove any aero covers first (Model 3 Owner’s Manual).

18-inch Tesla Model 3 winter wheels: FAQ

My Model 3 runs on 19-inch wheels in summer: can I switch to 18 inches for winter?

Yes, unless it is a Model 3 Highland 2024+ Performance. The Model 3 2019–2023 and the Model 3 Highland 2024+ Standard Rear-Wheel Drive and Premium take these sets as they are, with their original wheel nuts.

Can a 2021 Model 3 Performance run 18-inch winter wheels?

Yes: the 18-inch sets cover the Model 3 Performance 2019–2023. The Model 3 Highland 2024+ Performance, on the other hand, is excluded.

Are tyre pressure sensors included?

Yes: every package includes four TPMS sensors programmed for Tesla, ready to use; on some product pages, you can go without them if you reuse your own. The type depends on the year: 433 MHz for a Model 3 built before 2021, Bluetooth after that, to be chosen on the product page.