This Helpful Tesla Feature Should Be On Every New Car – SlashGear

It’s worth mentioning that several other automakers including Honda, Mazda, and Volkswagen also measure tire rotational speed as it relates to tire health. In certain vehicles, it’s used as an alternate method to in-wheel Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors to indicate if a tire is losing air pressure and/or going flat from a puncture. However, detecting a large change in rotational speed from a tire rapidly going flat is much easier than measuring a scant couple of millimeters of wear, whether abnormal or regularly occurring. 

According to tire manufacturer Continental, brand-new tires have an average tread depth of 8 to 9 millimeters and require replacement at a legal limit of 1.6mm, although some motorists replace them at 2 to 3mm. In any case, that’s a very small range to make accurate recommendations regarding wear via measuring rotational speed.

So, while Tesla definitely gets an A for effort, the execution is less than perfect. Message boards such as Reddit and Tesla Motors Club are full of owners who are experiencing issues with the system, primarily false alarms.

With over 50% of all new vehicles sold expected to be electric by the year 2030, extending the life of expensive EV tires as long as possible is clearly an admirable goal, so once again, kudos to Tesla for taking the first step toward passive monitoring.

In the meantime, if you want to take a more active role in your car’s tire health — whether EV or ICE — you can periodically assess tread depth with an old-fashioned tire tread depth gauge, available for just a few dollars at auto parts stores, big box retailers, or online.