Fat tires
Obviously; going to the extreme...4" tires at #10 pressure at a high speed, there will be a noticeable drag. Possibly ebikes with a faster average speed create materially greater wind resistance However there are other factors at play. If we are truly interested in this subject, google Rene Herse Cycles. They are proponents of lower pressure wider and more supple tires. They have done real world tests on this subject, including, I believe, wind tunnel analysis. They also sell lots of tires. [
QUOTE=Leisesturm;21954446]When does efficiency ever 'not matter'? WTF? Just because the rider isn't the one expending a noticeable amount of horsepower turning 4" tires with only 10psi doesn't mean it isn't happening. How could it possibly escape anyone's notice that there are only so many watt-hours in the cheap @$$ battery they bought because ... because it was cheap? With there being so much 'range anxiety' going around, I am shocked at the number of people who don't realize that they would get nearly TWICE the range back with more reasonable sized tires, and higher tire pressure, on their ebikes. Car makers can't sell all those multi-ton large pick-ups and SUV's outside of the U.S. America's fascination with hyper large automobiles naturally spilled over into the bicycles they ride. Just like there are people commuting in vehicles made for off-road, there will be cyclists commuting on bicycles made for off-road. We can't stop them but don't allow them to defend the practice. Don't believe them when they say there isn't a cost to being that wasteful of materials, energy, performance, time or anything else.[/QUOTE]