I Have Mixed Feelings About Collapsible Spare Tires – CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

I recently came across a very interesting video on YouTube showing how an Audi EV now comes with an innovative spare tire. While many automakers have given up on providing a spare tire at all, Audi and some others have come up with an innovative compromise that could make it a lot more feasible to keep offering spare tires at all.

Here’s the video so you can check it out for yourself, but keep scrolling because I have a lot to say about this below.

Before I get into my commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of this system, let’s summarize what it does for the people who don’t or can’t watch the video.

In short, it’s a small wheel with what looks like a tiny, tiny tire. But, the tire unfolds and expands when you put air in it (using the air compressor that Audi leaves in the frunk for you). Once it’s fully inflated, the tire is about the same diameter as the normal tires, so you end up with something that’s a lot like a full-size spare.

According to the video, the tire saves quite a bit of space compared to a full-size spare, and saves around 20 pounds. This partially negates the excuse manufacturers give us for not including spare tire, because it doesn’t take up a bunch of interior space and doesn’t weigh as much. So, this allows Audi to offer customers the equivalent of a full-sized spare without as many downsides.

It’s worth noting that the tire can be inflated and deflated a bunch of times, so you can use it to get down to the tire shop and then put it back away for the next flat tire you get. Thus, if you don’t drive on it too much, it could last for up to 6 years (you’ll probably want to replace the rubber on it after that long for safety), or maybe longer if you like to live dangerously (or just forget about it).

How This Beats Donuts or No Spare At All

If you’re the kind of person who would just call for roadside service and even a tow to the local tire shop if you got a flat, this might seem stupid. Roadside with included towing is a cheap add-on for must insurance plans, and vehicle manufacturers also often include this during at least part of the warranty period. If that’s how you roll, you’d probably never even get the expanding spare out of the trunk, making it a waste of cargo space.

But, not everyone wants to do that or even can. If you live outside of the city, or like to travel on the backroads, you could be in for a long wait for a tow. Worse, if you’re somewhere with no cellular signal, the tow truck just isn’t coming unless you have a Starlink, ham radio, or you like climbing to get a signal. In that situation, you’re definitely better off with a spare tire that can get you back to civilization. Even in cities, many people just would rather put their own spare on and hit the road again.

An expandable spare is also ahead of “donut” spares in that it has the factory tire’s circumference. This keeps things like ABS and traction control systems happy, making for a safer ride while you’re on the spare.

Other alternatives manufacturers have been offering, like sealant/inflator kits, are also no substitute for a spare. It doesn’t take much damage to create a situation where the sealant can’t stop the leak. I found this out the hard way not long after buying the 2018 Nissan LEAF I used to have, and ended up going to the local Llantera shop to get a cheap used wheel and tire for road trips.

It’s Still A Poor Substitute For A Real Full-Sized Spare

While a collapsible spare is far and away better than no spare at all, it’s important to keep in mind the limitations on the tire shown in the video.

Most importantly, it’s more of a full-diameter spare than it is a full-sized spare. It’s not only narrower and less grippy in wet conditions than the stock tires, but it’s also only built to go up to 50 miles per hour. This means that if you’re far from home, and need to use the spare on the highway to get back to a tire shop, you’ll have to go super slow, which can be dangerous if everyone else is going 80+ MPH.

If you’re taking the EV off pavement, and it’s a rogue sharp rock that took your tire out, the expanding spare is even more iffy. It doesn’t look very tough, and would likely get taken out by an even gentler bump before you can get to pavement again. So, it’s not a good solution for camping trips and people who live on rough roads, either.

At the end of the day, it’s really only a good spare for low-speed city driving not too far from the tire shop, which makes it not that much better than no spare at all.

 A Real Full-Size Spare Is Usually The Way To Go

Personally, I like traveling the backroads and going off pavement. I even do some very mild off-roading in my EV (by 4×4 standards). My Bolt EUV didn’t come with a spare, but it had just enough room under the false floor of the cargo area to fit a spare.

I bought the cheapest wheel I could, and have the exact same tire that the other four wheels have. So, if I were to get a flat, it would only leave me with a TPMS warning light until I get to the tire shop to have the flat one repaired or replaced. If I couldn’t get to the tire shop for a few days, it wouldn’t be a big deal, because the car would be about like it was from the factory, with four tires and no spare.

If you’re not doing any kind of off-pavement driving, it’s just as good to find a cheap used tire shop and pick up a used wheel and tire for a lot cheaper. This is good enough for highway driving as long as you get a decent used tire, and makes it easier to get to a good tire shop on a trip instead of relying on whatever janky shop the next little town might have.

I know this means some lost interior cargo space, but it isn’t that bad when you consider that you can put the wheel empty side up, and put some of your cargo inside it. I keep my folding crossbar and a small floor jack inside the wheel, along with my charging cord.

Honestly, the weight difference isn’t much, so we’re really just seeing automakers cheap out. Instead of suffering because they’re cheap, it’s smarter to equip yourself for emergencies. But, if you really don’t have space for a full-size spare, expanding spares may be a compelling option.

Featured image provided by Vredestein, the manufacture of the “Space Master” spare.