Anyone found another tire that fits??

[fkacct]

Has anyone tried 215 45 R20's on an I3S? it's closer to size than a 195 55 R20 Momo tires. I just don't know if the 8.5 inch width of the 215's will mount on the i3 RIM.

thanks,

JT

I recall seeing someone on this forum or the other put use 215/45R20s w/o an issue. They're not cheap....

 

[fkacct]

Thanks for confirming, would you mind snapping a picture of it, am curious how tight the fitment is! I measured the width difference between the Ecopia and the Momo, and the Momo was about .75 inch wider, and wasn't sure if that was going to clear the suspension components on the inside. I am so glad it fits, and the Momo is available in the US now, it's been driving me crazy buying new tires every year. It wasn't so bad when they were $150/tire but it's $250/tire now.

As Symonray mentioned, these are available on eBay. They are DOT approved. Now.. if we can just find one that fits the front.

I have the Momo 195/55r20 tires installed on the rear wheels of my 2017 i3 Rex (straight install with no spacers), and they ride as well as the Bridgestone Ecopias with no appreciable decrease in driving efficiency after 6 months of use. I keep them inflated at 40psi. I am hoping the tread on the Momos will last quite a bit longer than the Ecopias. Also, the Momos are back for sale on eBay, and I just ordered 2 more just in case the supply dries up again.

This link will have all the details about which wheel tires fit each rim type on the i3:
https://www-drive2-com.translate.goog/l/575760089592365474/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

 

[Edszhi1]

I wish I got the range on my i3S rear tires as I did on my 2014 i3 REX rear tires. Front tires on the i3S is at 26,000 miles with about 5K miles left before replacing. Rear gets about 10,000 miles. Properly aligned, no abnormal signs except the excessive wear bit. I don't hot rod it and run in eco mode all of the time. I look forward to hearing reports on the Momo Toprun M300 tires and Tracmax.
Ed

 

[jeeringtowser]

Tyreleader show a 195/50 R20 Rotalla RU01 tyre.

 

[TLynn]

After reading others have installed S-001 215/45/20s I ordered them for $147 on Amazon. Pulled rear wheels tires off my 2019 S/Rex today and took to Americas Tire. They said they could not install as my wheels are 6.0 and need to be minimally 6.5. I called local BMW dealer tire expert and he didn’t recommend the 215.
I’m curious if folks have installed themselves or gone to a small shop.
Is there any concerns going outside recommended limits. Sounds like a potential liability issue for the installer.
Update: Found a mom pop tire shop that installed. They struggled to get them seated. So far they ride nice. Now I’ll put 195s on the front.

 

[Skye2002]

I would suggest, at least here in Australia, that firstly, fitting tyres that are wrong size for the rim would make your car non-compliant with the relevant Australian Design Rule (I presume you also have similar regulations in the US) and consequently, should you be involved in an accident, your insurance company would reject any claim lodged. Personally, I wouldn't like to put it to the test. Secondly, to sell a car here in Australia, you need to obtain a roadworthiness certificate from a registered inspection station. Most unlikely they would issue said certificate. You may be able to find a dodgy mechanic...

 

[alohart]

I would suggest, at least here in Australia, that firstly, fitting tyres that are wrong size for the rim would make your car non-compliant with the relevant Australian Design Rule (I presume you also have similar regulations in the US) and consequently, should you be involved in an accident, your insurance company would reject any claim lodged. Personally, I wouldn't like to put it to the test. Secondly, to sell a car here in Australia, you need to obtain a roadworthiness certificate from a registered inspection station. Most unlikely they would issue said certificate. You may be able to find a dodgy mechanic...

Nah, none of this except dodgy mechanics applies to the U.S. or its states where almost anything goes regardless of how unsafe it might be. Some states like mine, Hawaiʻi, require periodic "safety" tests, but they along with driver license tests are a joke compared with actual safety and driver license tests that I experienced while living in Sweden. It's not a coincidence that the U.S. has one of the highest vehicle accident rates of any industrialized country.

 

[Knoxy]

My first post on this forum but thought my experience may be helpful.

Fitted 215/45 x 20 Michelin E Primacy on rear of my i3S. As previously stated, the minimum recommended rim width with this tyre is 6.5". I use a local tyre specialist with whom I have good relationship and they agreed to try the tyres and if they were not comfortable with the fitment, they would return them.
Tyres fitted fine although needed plenty of lube to get them to inflate and seat on the rim but once fitted they were absolutely fine. Same overall diameter as the 195/50s (within 3 mm) so no issues with wheel speed sensors etc. No clearance issues. Also fitted the matching 175/55 x 20 Michelin E Primacy on the front.

Personal opinion but this approach works very well and as the E Primacy's are designed for EV's and have low rolling resistance and so I've found no material impact on efficiency or ride quality despite the wider rears as the sidewalls are the same depth as the 195/50s.

 

[TLynn]

My car rides so much better with the S-100, 215s on the rears and 195s on the front. Being able to run less air pressure helps as well. The 195s are expensive in the US tho. $280 each from Amazon.

 

[imkazaam]

My car rides so much better with the S-100, 215s on the rears and 195s on the front. Being able to run less air pressure helps as well. The 195s are expensive in the US tho. $280 each from Amazon.

What's your experience with how many miles they last? All they have to do is last longer than the pathetic Ecopia tires that are basically the only option for the i3 to be worth it...

 

[TLynn]

I only installed the tires 3 weeks ago but I’m not overly concerned about mileage. It’s not the ultimate driving machine yet but since it is our only car and I am making it comfortable for in town and longer trips.
I have a 4 gallon fuel race tank arriving and considering reworking the front seats with new foam and leather.

 

[Chrism88]

My car rides so much better with the S-100, 215s on the rears and 195s on the front. Being able to run less air pressure helps as well. The 195s are expensive in the US tho. $280 each from Amazon.

How did you find 195mm S100s? I can only find 215mm. If they are available, where did you buy them? Would love a set

 

[TLynn]

I paid $280 per tire on Amazon. I see them now at $428 each. That’s a crazy amount for such small tires.

 

[tongsli]

From Tire rack 195/55/20 Vredestein from Sweden

 

[alohart]

From Tire rack 195/55/20 Vredestein from Sweden

A 'C' efficiency rating indicates that these tires should reduce range noticeably compared with an 'A'-rated tire.

 

[tongsli]

A 'C' efficiency rating indicates that these tires should reduce range noticeably compared with an 'A'-rated tire.

I'll let you know. Since I'm only driving in the City and I'm retired, I'm not sure how much reduced range I will notice. I know my i3S is supposed to have "reduced" range but it's pretty benign to me. I love the Bridgestones but we got 2 inches of snow last winter and this is why I want to try these.

Having an all season option in Maryland instead of running snow tires is worth it to me. Not all of us have the option of running summer tires all year round.

At $380 for four, I'll gladly trade the remaining $800 for electricity to charge my car due to the reduction! Should allow me to charge my car for quite a while. I'd do the calculations but I don't know if it matters to me.

 

[alohart]

Having an all season option in Maryland instead of running snow tires is worth it to me. Not all of us have the option of running summer tires all year round.

Having an i3 with 19" tires, I run the standard all-season Bridgestones. If I had 20" wheels and lived where summer tires might be dangerous during cold weather, I would probably do what you're doing rather than buying winter tires for the brief periods during which summer tires might be dangerous. I could not afford to have lost any range when we owned a 2014 BEV, but with a 2019 BEV, I could afford to lose some range with less efficient tires.

Your photos indicate that the Vredestein tires that you bought might be E.U. tires. Are they USDOT approved? If E.U. tires can be imported into the U.S., that would increase i3 tire choices considerably. There are some efficient low rolling resistance EV tires in i3 sizes available in Europe but not in the U.S. I once imported some U.S. tires into Sweden and learned that some tire shops wouldn't mount them because they weren't E.U.-approved. I don't know whether the reverse is true, or if U.S. Customs would allow E.U. tires to be imported into the U.S.

 

[tongsli]

Having an i3 with 19" tires, I run the standard all-season Bridgestones. If I had 20" wheels and lived where summer tires might be dangerous during cold weather, I would probably do what you're doing rather than buying winter tires for the brief periods during which summer tires might be dangerous. I could not afford to have lost any range when we owned a 2014 BEV, but with a 2019 BEV, I could afford to lose some range with less efficient tires.

Your photos indicate that the Vredestein tires that you bought might be E.U. tires. Are they USDOT approved? If E.U. tires can be imported into the U.S., that would increase i3 tire choices considerably. There are some efficient low rolling resistance EV tires in i3 sizes available in Europe but not in the U.S. I once imported some U.S. tires into Sweden and learned that some tire shops wouldn't mount them because they weren't E.U.-approved. I don't know whether the reverse is true, or if U.S. Customs would allow E.U. tires to be imported into the U.S.

Thanks for the kind reply. They are from Tire Rack. I do not know if Tire Rack sells to Hawaii? I didn't mean to be defensive, you are only trying to be helpful and I appreciate all the knowledge you share on the forums.

So I impulsively purchased a set of OEM 431 with the machined faces and black background. I also exacerbated that decision by getting the front 5.5J and rear 6.0J. Hind sight is 20-20. Had I done more investigation, I would have purchased 19's and bought the EP600's and called it a day. But I didn't. and since I'm stuck with brand new $450 wheels (each) which nobody will pay me what they're worth, this is my punishment. Bridgestone purgatory.

Don't get me wrong, I love how the Bridgestone's ride. Every day when I go get my coffee and breakfast, I just love how the I3S rides with the summer tires. It's so smooth and compliant with the bad roads here in Baltimore. It's the occasional snow that is the PITA. I don't want to be in a position to have an emergency during the winter where my car would be useless or dangerous. Thankfully my wife's car uses regular tires. 205/55 R16.

Yes, the tires are DOT and sold here in the USA. I appreciate you sharing your experience and I understand your thought process. Makes perfect sense to me. Thank god I'm retired. Now I just enjoy driving running errands and filing my day with non-important things.

Sorry for the dump, thanks again

PS. one more thing...I have been trying to buy the momo top run AS300's from priority tire which seem to be permanently out of stock. Someone posted these Vredestein's on the BMW I3 Facebook group and I immediately purchased them. Got them in two days.

 

[Map40]

From Tire rack 195/55/20 Vredestein from Sweden

Can you fit the in your i3s in the original rims?

 

[MarkTotnes]

Excuse the 'dumbass' question however I've seen these: Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ 195/55 R20 95 H XL however I don't know if these fit on the 'standard wheel' that came on my 2017 i3 97 ah Rex car ? Do I need to buy new wheels to to accomodate or will they fit 'as-is' ?