Smaller Wheels, More Range: What the Ioniq 5 N Test Teaches Every EV Owner

If you've ever wondered why your EV's range estimate never quite matches the window sticker, look down. Wheels and tires are one of the biggest levers on real-world efficiency, and a new owner test on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N puts hard numbers on it.

Here's the setup, via InsideEVs. The Ioniq 5 N is fast and fun, but it carries an EPA-rated range of just 221 miles. The non-N dual-motor Ioniq 5, riding on the same 84-kilowatt-hour battery pack, is rated at 290 miles. That's a 69-mile gap, roughly 24%, and a big part of it comes down to the N's 21-inch forged wheels wrapped in wide 275-section Pirelli P Zero performance tires.

What the owner actually changed

Matt from the Downshift YouTube channel went at it in two stages.

• Step one: tires only. He swapped the sticky Pirellis for Kumho Majesty 9 EV tires, built with a low-rolling-resistance profile. On a 30-mile mixed-driving loop, efficiency went from 3.3 mi/kWh to 3.6 mi/kWh. The catch: those EV-focused tires dulled the sharp handling he bought the car for.
• Step two: smaller wheels. He fitted custom 20-inch Demon Forged wheels with more performance-oriented Kumho Ecsta Sport all-season tires. Same 30-mile loop, 3.7 mi/kWh, and this time without giving up the driving feel.

The most convincing number came on the highway. At a steady 75 mph, the stock 21-inch setup returned 2.5 mi/kWh. The 20-inch wheels with the second set of Kumhos managed 2.8 mi/kWh across a 120-mile test. That's a clean 12% improvement at exactly the speed where range anxiety actually bites.

The "90 extra miles" claim needs an asterisk

Matt calculates that 3.7 mi/kWh across an 84-kWh pack works out to a theoretical 310-mile range, nearly 90 miles above the EPA figure. That headline number is doing a lot of work, and to his credit, he says so himself.

The 310-mile figure isn't the result of an actual range test from 100% down to close to empty, and Matt acknowledges that his mixed-driving route tends to boost EV efficiency.

More to the point: his car already averaged 3.3 mi/kWh on that same friendly loop with the stock setup. So the real-world gain isn't 90 miles. It's the roughly 12% efficiency improvement measured between stock and modified. Twelve percent is still excellent, but it's a very different claim than "I unlocked 90 miles."

Tesla owners: the same physics apply

This isn't a Hyundai quirk. InsideEVs points to two Tesla comparisons that land in the same territory:

• A 2020 Model 3 Performance moved from factory 20-inch wheels to 18s cut energy consumption by roughly 16% to 23%.
• Two otherwise identical Model Ys were tested side by side, and the one on 19-inch wheels came out around 7% more efficient than the car on 20s.

The pattern is consistent: the smaller the wheel, the bigger the efficiency gain. That tracks with why automakers publish different range ratings for different wheel sizes on the same car in the first place. It's also why Tesla's aero covers exist, and why BMW has been developing aerodynamic wheel designs to claw back a couple percent.

What this means if you're shopping

A few practical takeaways for Model 3, Model Y, Highland, and Juniper owners weighing a wheel or tire decision:

• Aero covers are the cheapest experiment. If your Model 3 or Model Y came with aero wheel covers and you pulled them off for looks, putting them back on is a free efficiency test. Run the same commute both ways and watch your Wh/mi.
• Tire choice may matter as much as wheel diameter. Note that the tire swap alone moved Matt's number from 3.3 to 3.6 mi/kWh. Low-rolling-resistance EV-specific tires are doing real work, though the trade-off in grip and steering feel is real too.
• You don't have to pick the extreme. Matt's second setup found a middle ground: a smaller wheel with a sportier tire that kept both efficiency and handling. Going down one wheel size is usually a gentler compromise than going down two.
• Highway speed is where you'll notice it. The mixed-loop gain was modest. The 75-mph gain was 12%. If you road-trip regularly, the wheel and tire decision matters far more than it does for a short daily commute.
• Plan around the smaller battery buffer, not the best-case math. Efficiency mods shift the curve, they don't rewrite it. Keep a portable Level 1/Level 2 charger and a tire inflator in the trunk regardless, because underinflated tires quietly undo a chunk of whatever you gained.

One last note that costs nothing: tire pressure. Every efficiency test in this category assumes properly inflated tires, and a few PSI low across four corners can erase a meaningful slice of a 12% gain. A cheap digital gauge and a monthly check is the highest-return "upgrade" in this entire article.

The bottom line from the Ioniq 5 N experiment applies broadly. Big, sticky, wide tires on large rims look fantastic and drive beautifully, and they cost you range every single mile. If range is your priority, size down. If handling is, at least go in with the numbers in front of you.