Range

2021 Tesla Model 3 cold-weather testing (Part 1)

Bjørn Nyland tests a 2021 Model 3, equipped with the new heat pump, handling extremely cold temperatures.

2022.20.7 improves range prediction

According to Greentheonly, the new firmware uses an insane amount of details to improve range predictions. In the list of things now taken into account we can find, the tire pressure, air density, battery heat/cool, and the amount of energy loss to phone charging and 12V accessories 😱.

2023 Vs. 2024 Range

With the change in how the EPA range is calculated, Tesla updated most of the ranges on their website this week. Thanks to this Redditor, we can see an easy table with the changes. Some of the biggest drops are the Model S Plaid from 356 to 359 and the Model Y Long Range with the 20" wheels from 318 to 292. The new EPA formula aims to have more accurate numbers, instead of something that is not close to real-world cases.

400,000 km and still has 90% of its range

This 2017 Model S 100D owner has put 400,00 km (~250k miles) to their Tesla and still kept 90% of its range. The car is used as a taxi and is supercharged between 3 to 5 times a day. Impressive!

ABRP lets you enter negative charge rates to simulate camp mode

A great hack for A Better Route Planner. If you like using camp mode or want to factor in the phantom drain, Reddit user u/xdert/ shared this trick that he discovered while playing with the app to see how long he could spend the night on the route in camp mode. He tried to set a waypoint on a parking lot, selected ‘charge here’, and put in -1kw during 8 hours… and it worked!

Biggest Announcements from Battery Day

Tesla did not disappoint. Plans are aggressive, but realistic IMO. A good and short summary from The Verge: “The company’s moves toward eliminating cobalt in its batteries, a new Plaid powertrain for the Model S that could get to speeds of 200 mph, and a new cathode plant to streamline its battery production. And, with the new battery technology, Musk has said Tesla will make a $25,000 car.” Very proud to be a stockholder!

Explaining changes post-firmware 2019.16 regarding range loss

@wk057 - famous Tesla tinkerer - has published a great writeup explaining the range loss for some Model S owners after the software update 2019.16. The article is really informative, I highly recommend it to be read in full.

FSD Beta in Ukraine

This hacker was able to install and activate FSD Beta in the Ukraine. Considering this shouldn’t be done, Tesla hasn’t done specific training for their set of traffic signs and I’m sure maps aren’t the best, I think it isn’t half bad!

How do you roll, range or percentage?

We like range, what do you like? (You must be signed in the TMC Forums to participate in the poll).

Read more: TMC Forum

How much does towing affect range?

From the article, thank you u/supomgloljk for sharing!

• Model X 75
• Towing a 2,700 lbs trailer, about 5,000 lbs when loaded
• At 65mph, gets on average a 5 to 1 ratio (e.g. in a 200 mi trip can’t go further than about 40 mi without charging

How much does wheel size impact an electric car's driving range?

Tl;dr. Smaller wheels extend your range and are better for the environment. Check out this comparison of a Model Y with 20-inches and 18-inch wheels.

How much power does cabin overheat protection use?

This is a long post and provides very interesting data. As shared by thebluehawk on Reddit, the milage / math may vary, but for his car (which has a dash cam and never sleeps due to his data collection, so has higher power usage) the normal vampire drain is about 0.3 miles per hour or 6-8 miles per day. When parked in the sun on a day with outside temps around 94F my car lost 3 miles per hour after it had sat in the sun for 2 hours.

Read more: Reddit

How much range does 'Camp Mode' consume?

Since I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who likes reading about range consumption by Tesla’s different features, here’s some data shared by a 2020 Model 3 LR owner 🤓

• Outside temperature 7⁰C/44⁰F
• Inside temperature 20⁰C/68⁰F
• Range consumed during the night (~8h): 30mi/50km

M3 Highway real world range test

When we talk EVs everyone looks at the EPA and that may or may not be how well the car behaves in the real world, watch at this test to know how the Tesla Model 3 does

Model S battery degradation data

According to data published by Marteen Steinburg the degradation rate is 1% / 50.000km and on average, the batteries have 91% remaining at 270.000 km (170,000 miles).

Read more: Blog post

Model S estimated EPA range above 390 miles (~630 km)

Elon announced on Twitter that, with some recent modifications, the EPA of the Model S is now above 390 miles. With the same improvements, the Model X’s EPA went up to 350 miles.

He also that all Model S/X made in recent months will be unlocked more range for free via software update. It turns out they already have the components that made these improvements possible. How cool is that?

Read more: Twitter

Model Y range increase in 2020.40.7

2020.40.7 has introduced an improved efficiency change that gives Model Y owners ~10 extra miles after installing this version (without being plugged) just because of the update. That’s my kind of update 😉

New Model 3 with 353 miles of range

Apart from the updates shared above, specs on Tesla’s site reveal a new AWD Model 3 with 353 miles of range, nice! Thank you, Rafael (@Teslatino) for the tip.

New Model S LR with 402 miles of EPA range

First, Tesla lowered the price of its Model S and X Performance and LR versions. Now, they are claiming their new Model S LR version has an EPA-rated range of 402 miles. A year ago, Elon said we’ll soon see Tesla with 400 miles of range and, soon enough, they are here. This update represents a nearly 20% increase in range when compared to a 2019 Model S 100D with the same battery pack design… just let that sink for a moment.

Read more: Tesla

New Tesla Model 3 excels in 70 mph range test

Dan from What’s Inside? conducted a range test of the new Model 3 Long Range. Charged to 100%, the Model 3 Long Range displayed an estimated 333 miles. Dan tested it at 70mph and managed to travel 327 miles before the battery indicator showed 0%. This result is an impressive 98% of the predicted range and 95.8% of the EPA range of 341 miles. This performance is particularly noteworthy considering that EPA range is calculated under optimal conditions, while in this test, the temperature was a bit lower, between 50 and 60°F.

Pack sizes and available kWh

wk057’s investigation into the Tesla firmware revealed these as the actual pack sizes:

Read more: TMC Forum

Plaid is ~460V at 90% SOC. Just charged 15% > 90% in 35 minutes

Or what is the same, it added ~260 miles of range in just 35 min, not bad at all!

Range Analysis is now available in the Tesla app

In this version of the app, there is an option to run a range analysis. Upon doing so, the app provides some statistics about range consumption. The post doesn’t provide much detail, and I haven’t been able to test this feature myself, so it’s not entirely clear what specific information is provided.

Range by trim

It is well known that larger wheels reduce the range. Below’s a table with a comparison of range by trim on new and 5% degradation ones. Awesome stuff Troy!

Release notes for 2019.36

This is what version 2019.36, currently only in early access, will bring us:

• Regen works all the way to zero. Before, it only worked above 5 mph
• You can now set a time to stop charging at a certain time
• Scheduled departure: Finish charging + turning the climate control
• A power increase of 5%
• Automatic navigation: Automatically routes you to the location associated with your upcoming calendar events

Read more on Twitter here and here

Step by step battery recalibration

Twitter user @theXential explains how he recalibrated his battery, making the projected range go from 257 mi to 280 mi. Clearly, this is only the displayed number, the capacity of the battery stays the same, but if you are one of the people who care about it, follow the steps in the Twitter thread.

Tesla batteries and degradation

Nash from @TeslaGong joins ByteofWhy Podcast (@kkvr2823) to discuss the various elements of battery degradation as observed in the data from a Model 3 SR+ and a Model Y using Teslafi.

Tesla battery degradation: This is what real data tells us

Ramin from @StatsTeslaApp has written this article about battery degradation backed with real usage data collected from his Tesla Stats App. He frequently gets questions like “My Tesla is only x months old and I am concerned about losing y% of range during this short period of time” and “If this rate of range loss continues, my range will be half of what it is now very quickly”, so he wanted to share what’s really going on after looking at the data.

Thank you, Ramin, for sharing your insights!

Read more: Tesletter

Tesla battery trip estimate is now more accurate

We talked about this a few weeks ago, but Tesla just confirmed it on Twitter. The navigation system is now predicting crosswind, headwind, humidity, and temperature for calculating energy consumption and battery percentage on arrival.

Tesla breaks down the range of Model 3 Performance with different wheels

Tesla has published the EPA numbers for the Model 3 for 2020, they’ve split the range of the performance version by wheels.

Read more: Electrek

Tesla files for a near 400-mile Model Y in China

Although this would translate into 351 miles if using the EPA’s calculation, it is still a good improvement from the current 326 miles.

Tesla is now accounting for ‘battery age’ in its range calculation

Tesla’s latest software update introduces ‘battery age’ as a new factor in its electric vehicle range calculation, promising even more precise battery range estimates for drivers. This update complements previous enhancements that accounted for crosswind, headwind, humidity, temperature, and tire pressure. Additionally, the update aids drivers with pre-conditioning time notifications for more efficient Supercharger visits.

Tesla is now using more sophisticated algorithm with temperature to better predict range

Electrek has discovered a change in the owners manual and after asking Tesla, they have confirmed that while they have always used ambient temperature around the car as part of the range prediction, now they are also taking into account the temperature changes around the planned route based on the elevation.

Read more: Electrek

Tesla Model S sets new record in EV winter range test

The Tesla Model S Long Range demonstrated a range of 530 kilometers (329 miles) at temperatures of -5°C and -10°C (14°F to 23°F). In this test, the Model X Plaid came in second with a range of 444 kilometers (276 miles). This performance is particularly impressive considering the commonly held belief that electric vehicles do not function well in colder climates.

Tesla Model Y orders open in Europe

GigeBerlin isn’t ready yet, but if you are in Europe and want a Model Y, you can order it now and get it MIC. If you are considering ordering a Tesla, and we have helped you, please consider using our referral code http://ts.la/ignacio9266

Tesla quietly releases notification feature to make sure you never run out of charge

Over the years, Tesla has tried to address range anxiety with a bunch of different features from better range calculations to navigations based on state-of-charge. Now the automaker adds a notification feature to make sure you never run out of charge when leaving your car unplugged.

Read more: Electrek

Tesla range table

Teslike keeps a table of the different Tesla models and their range, he keeps the version on his website always up to date. Here is the table in miles and kilometers for the M3.

Visit their website to see the tables for the MS and MX.

Tesla removes the daily/trip charging recommendation to 80% in the Model 3 MIC

The first Model 3 MIC has been delivered in Europe and, since you can always charge it to 100%, Tesla removed the daily/trip recommendation.

Tesla Semi electric truck to have up to 621 miles of range

Elon Musk made new comments (here’s the interview in case you missed it last week) about Tesla’s upcoming electric semi truck, and said that the vehicle will eventually have up to 1,000 km (621 miles) of range. This new range is going to be achieved, thanks to Tesla’s new in-house battery cells and battery pack technology.

Tesla semi this year, Cybertruck next

Finally, after almost 5 years, Elon said that Tesla will be delivering a 500-mile range Semi Truck this year, and Cybertruck next year. Some folks read this tweet as if the Cybertruck will also have a 500-mile range, what do you think?

Tesla updated the range on the Model S/X in Europe

Ahead of the first deliveries for the refreshed Model S and X, Tesla updated the range with the actual WLTP range, the numbers are:

• Model S: 634km for the LR, 600km for Plaid
• Model X: 576km for the LR, 643km for Plaid

Tesla's 'Roadrunner' project aims to achieve a $100 per kWh battery cell

Crossing the $100 per kWh would allow electric vehicles to reach price parity with ICE vehicles. Tesla also looks to bring its battery cell production in-house and enable rapid mass production. The plans are for these new battery cells to make it to the vehicles first, and they would allow them to achieve a longer range without using more batteries. Not sure how this project will interact with Tesla’s plans to soon release a 110 kWh battery pack with over 400 miles, we shall see.

Read more: Tslatimes

Tesla's battery degradation

We like this topic- who doesn’t- and it’s not the first time that we share battery degradation data collected from Tesla vehicles. As you’ve probably realized by this point if you own one, Teslas show little battery degradation, even after high usage, and here’s a chart comparing battery degradation over time.

Tesla's secrets to dominating EV range

Great video by Engineering Explained doing a range comparison of a Model S vs. Porche Taycan. EPA testing, battery capacity, regen/motor efficiency, voluntary reduction, and road load explained.

Tested: Heat Pump in Cold Weather – How much range is lost?

Tesla added heat pumps to their vehicles to improve efficiency during the winter. In this comparison, the Tesla using the heat pump consumed 8% more energy than the baseline, while the one with the electric resistance heater had a 26% increase.

The longest-range electric vehicle now goes even farther

Tesla announced several changes to the Model S and X lines:

• The all-new drivetrain increases the range of the Model S Long Range to 370 miles and the one of the Model X Long Range to 325 miles
• New Model S and Model X are are capable of achieving 200 kW on V3 Superchargers
• A new air suspension that constantly adapts by sensing the road and adjusting for driver behavior, automatically softening for more pronounced road inputs and firming for aggressive driving
• Tesla just re-introduced the SR version of both Model S and Model X that leverages the new air suspension and the new drivetrain
• Existing owners purchasing a new Model S or Model X Performance will get the Ludicrous Mode upgrade, a $20,000 value, for free

Most people on Tesletter are owners and have their own referral code but in case you are not and want to get yourself a Tesla with 1,000 miles of free supercharging, we would be honored if you use ours http://ts.la/ignacio9266

Read more: Tesla

There won't be a Model Y SR version, but there will be a LR RWD and it'll have over 300 miles of range

According to Elon on Twitter, Tesla is doing range testing of the Model Y LR RWD at the moment and in Elon’s words, the RWD’s range will be ‘significantly higher than 300 miles’. In the same thread, he confirmed that there won’t be a SR version of the Model Y because ’the range would be under 250 miles and wouldn’t be acceptable’. Speculation (and to my friend Lars) say that the price of the LR RWD will be around $45k.

Travel times on Model S cars vs ICE cars

How much more longer are long trips with a Tesla compared to other ICE cars? One extra hour for a five hour trip and three extra hours for an 11 hour trip are some of the times reported by Tesla drivers. If you’re worried about trips getting longer with a Tesla just think about how for an 11 hour trip you’re probably going to stop to eat something at some point anyway.

Read more: TMC Forum

Trip planner SoC predictions getting better

For me, the SoC predictions were a bit too conservative; for others like Greentheonly, it’s the other way around. It seems that they have gotten way more accurate in recent versions.

Visualizing the range of EVs on major highway routes

The comparison uses the EPA range estimate, it’s not a real range test. However, this is still helpful if you’re trying to get your head around EV alternatives in the market. On top of the range and the cost per mile shown in the infographic, it’s good to take into account the EV charging network available (at which Tesla is the clear winner in the market today with its Superchargers network).

What's the difference between 'estimated', 'rated', and 'ideal'?

chibi_kurochan explains it:

Estimated

• Based on the historical consumption the past 30 miles.

Rated

• Based on Car’s rated Wh/mi vs rated battery kWh
• 300Wh/mi for Model S and Model X
• 230Wh/mi for Model 3

Ideal

• Based on ideal conditions (climate, battery temperature, and speed).

Read more: TMC Forums