Highway Range of Dual Motor Cars

[Gentilly7]

I am trying to figure out if a dual motor car would be beneficial for someone like myself. I live in warm climates, no snow. The only benefit I am interested in is additional range because of that.

So does the dual motor Model S really get better highway range than its rwd 85 counterpart? I know this issue has been beaten the death but the threads usually get off topic and contain a lot of early speculation. Has anybody traded up to an 85D that can attest to how much additional highway range they really are getting?

Thanks in advance

 

[mspohr]

I am trying to figure out if a dual motor car would be beneficial for someone like myself. I live in warm climates, no snow. The only benefit I am interested in is additional range because of that.

So does the dual motor Model S really get better highway range than its rwd 85 counterpart? I know this issue has been beaten the death but the threads usually get off topic and contain a lot of early speculation. Has anybody traded up to an 85D that can attest to how much additional highway range they really are getting?

Thanks in advance

You'll get all kinds of anecdotal stories but the plural of anecdote is not "data". Best to trust the EPA controlled cycle numbers which is the closest thing you'll get to an accurate comparison.
FWIW, I have and 85D and have charged it to 275 miles. The performance is stellar on all road surfaces (wet, dry, snow, ice). AWD offers much better performance than RWD.

 

[llavalle]

I can add that I also own a 85D and can easily achieve the rated Wh/mi... So assuming the EPA is somewhat a good tool to compare cars, I would be inclined to use their rating.

Yesterday, my commute (around 50miles roundtrip) was at around 275 Wh/mi. And that at 65mph on the highway (around 40miles) and 35-40 in the city with stop lights and light traffic. Outside temp was around 50F and the inside temp was set to 68, without the eco mode (range mode)

The trick is to avoid heavy acceleration, especially at high speed.

Proper inflation for the tires is key and the tires type is also very important. I had a 10-20% penality just by running on my winter tires... Buttom line, the difference in range between a 85 and a 85D is probably less than what tires, your speed, your driving style, etc can do for you.

In my case, the AWD was a no brainer (lots of snow, etc). With the latest software update, the improve performance of the 85D might be a good incentive. The car is noticeably quicker! It compares to the P85.

Check this post for more info : Driving Range for the Model S Family | Tesla Motors