2016 model s 90d - 180 mile trip can't make it on full charge?

[C20916]

I bought a used 2016 90D from Tesla a few weeks ago, love the car. I need to call Tesla because it said the car should have 294 miles range on a full charge I get 270.

I took my first long road trip to my in-laws yesterday and it's 180 miles, one would think on a full charge with 270 miles of range I should be able to make it there without charging. As I'm driving the % remaining when I arrive started at 20% and after about 80 miles of driving it was done to 6%. I was nervous I wouldn't make it so I stopped at a supercharger and charged for 10 min. I realize there are factors that affect the range, but I would still like to believe that I'd be able to make a 180 mile trip without stopping and not worry if I have 5 miles of range left when I get to my destination. Any thoughts?

 

[Shateam]

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Unfortunately the 90D batteries suffer from higher than average degradation (particularly the V1 and V2 versions). In your case, 8% degradation is actually not too bad for this pack. You will find many posts on the forum about this subject.

As you say, there are many factors that affect range (temperature, driving style, precipitation etc.). Speed is the one variable you can control so I would definitely try to keep it below 65 MPH if you see your % remaining drop lower than you're comfortable with.

Do you happen to know what your Wh/mi was for this trip?

 

[Lasttoy]

That's insane usage .
Get TeslaFi.com app. It will give you exact figures on the battery. U can print them out to show Tesla what's is going on
The app sends report to my pad on every trip. It is great

 

[C20916]

I'll try the Teslafi.com app and see what it shows, but we drove home last night and it was the same thing I had to stop at the supercharger in order to make it home. Since it is mostly highway miles for this trip and the speed limit is 70 mph I had my speed set at 78 mph and I was averaging about 365 wh/mi for most of the trip. I didn't have a full charge for the return trip but started with 240 miles, stopped at supercharger for 15 min and when I got home I had 42 miles left on the battery.

 

[TexasEV]

I had my speed set at 78 mph and I was averaging about 365 wh/mi for most of the trip.

There’s your answer. There’s nothing wrong with the car. You're not going to get the EPA rated range at that speed. It’s physics. Read the numerous threads here about how speed affects range.

 

[DanCar]

I'll try the Teslafi.com app and see what it shows, but we drove home last night and it was the same thing I had to stop at the supercharger in order to make it home. Since it is mostly highway miles for this trip and the speed limit is 70 mph I had my speed set at 78 mph and I was averaging about 365 wh/mi for most of the trip. I didn't have a full charge for the return trip but started with 240 miles, stopped at supercharger for 15 min and when I got home I had 42 miles left on the battery.

You might find that driving slower gets you there faster, because you remove the need to stop at a supercharger.

 

[Kuhz]

Driving almost 80 will eat up a lot more juice vs. 65. You are almost 100 wh/mi higher than the rated range (280wh/mi IIRC)

 

[ucmndd]

365 wh/mi is remarkably high for freeway driving in a 90D, even at 80mph.

What are the environmental conditions? Elevation change, temperature, headwind, etc?

 

[365gtb4]

My 2017 90D gets about the same watts/miles as yours a 78. 365 is typical at that speed.

 

[C20916]

365 wh/mi is remarkably high for freeway driving in a 90D, even at 80mph.

What are the environmental conditions? Elevation change, temperature, headwind, etc?

Well yesterday we drove at night but it was probably 70 degrees, we're in Illinois so it's fairly flat not a lot of hills. It wasn't that windy last night either.

 

[SSedan]

Tire pressure? What tires are on it? A non-LRR tire will be hungry and I am not talking to over cited 19 vs 21", actual make and model of tire.
Which rims? Slipstream, cyclone etc are more aero efficient than the earlier twin spokes.

Following another vehicle helps, don't tailgate but having another vehicle soften the wind is good.

No roof or windows open right?

These things are super aero sensitive.

 

[Big Earl]

Well yesterday we drove at night but it was probably 70 degrees, we're in Illinois so it's fairly flat not a lot of hills. It wasn't that windy last night either.

Wind makes a big difference. It might not feel very strong, but a 10 MPH headwind at 78 MPH is the equivalent of driving 88 MPH.

For future trip planning, take a glance at www.windy.com so you know what to expect. Sometimes you’ll get a tail wind, which allows you to drive more quickly without a reduction in efficiency.

Just wait for winter. You’ll have to charge to make that trip.

 

[namlio]

I assume you are aware of the energy app? If you input a destination, the energy app (screen) will show you the estimated energy usage for the trip and the expected state of charge upon arrival. By monitoring this screen you can see how you are deviating from the estimate and adjust accordingly.

I have made a number of 1000 mile trips this year and find the estimates to be pretty accurate. It will take elevation changes into account, and some temperature effect, but not wind. During the trips in my 90D, I averaged between 330 and 345 Wh/mi while cruising at 75-80 mph.

If you input a destination at the supercharger, the car will tell you how long you need to charge to get to the destination with about a 10-15% buffer.

Give it a try on you next drive and see how it works. Good luck, drive safe, and welcome to the club.

 

[BlueOvalFan]

My 2017 90D gets about the same watts/miles as yours a 78. 365 is typical at that speed.

I agree. I get about the same at 80mph

 

[Rocky_H]

Those (finger quotes) "miles" you see on the display are just a measure of energy in the battery, based on a fixed ratio of the EPA consumption figures.

I don't get why so many new owners have this idea that those "miles" of energy in the display are always supposed to match 1:1 with real miles of distance, whether they are driving 50 mph or 90 mph. That just isn't possible. There are going to be big differences in energy consumption, and if you didn't realize this yet, wind resistance ramps up dramatically with speed. So you can get great efficiency and beat those EPA numbers if you're going 50 or 60 mph, but if you're pushing 75 or 85 mph, it's definitely not.

But you have easy choices and no one is forcing anything on you. It's like with your thermostat at home. Do you want to keep the heat down and put on a sweatshirt to stay warmer, or do you want to keep it toasty in the house and just pay the higher heating bills? Either is fine--up to you.

So if you want to drive slower, you could probably make that 180 miles non-stop. But if you're more comfortable driving 80, then that's fine too, but you just need to figure in a little 15 minutes Supercharger stop where you can hit a bathroom and maybe grab a coffee or something. It's still not a big deal.

 

[C20916]

I'll try the Teslafi.com app and see what it shows, but we drove home last night and it was the same thing I had to stop at the supercharger in order to make it home. Since it is mostly highway miles for this trip and the speed limit is 70 mph I had my speed set at 78 mph and I was averaging about 365 wh/mi for most of the trip. I didn't have a full charge for the return trip but started with 240 miles, stopped at supercharger for 15 min and when I got home I had 42 miles left on the battery.

I like the Teslafi.com site and the detail it gives, I'm assuming that site exists because we Tesla doesn't offer that kind of details on trips other than the trip feature which just tells you how much energy you used?

@ Rocky - Yes I've had the car for two weeks and in my mind I was thinking ok it says I get 270 miles I should make it no problem, not realizing there are many factors that play into the energy. It was my first longer trip and definitely learned that going forward there is just more planning that has to go into the trip and not just getting a full charge and heading out the door.

 

[VaztheDad]

It was my first longer trip and definitely learned that going forward there is just more planning that has to go into the trip and not just getting a full charge and heading out the door.

Like you, I too just picked up a `16 90D!

The ONLY change I have had to force myself to do is just plan out where I can stop, and force myself to dial it back and relax while on roadtrips (and highway jaunts). Just engage autopilot at 70 mph and hang out in the slow lane. @ 90% SoC I see 250-252 miles and just relaxing on the highway has yielded me that (and better) without issue (mind you, I'm even on the 21" wheels).

Good luck!

 

[amallah]

Teslafi.com will help you give specific numbers that help you plan. I have a 2016 S90D as well. My battery was at 292 @ 100% when I first got it and now it's at 272 @ 100%. I don't think 365 Wh/mi is crazy - it works out to around 98kWh (365 Wh/mile x 270 miles), which is what you should expect on a 90kWh battery.

That being said, in the last 3+ years of owning this car, the longest trip I've ever done without stopping for a charge was 195 miles, I started at 93% and got to my destination at 3%. You will come to get a better feel for the route planning and charge management a bit better as you have the car for awhile. It took me about 6 months to get a sense of how to interpret all the data and teslafi.com helped a lot with that. It's worth the $5/mo for sure.

 

[Jtrader]

I did an exactly 192 mile trip in my 2016 Model S 90D. I started out at 100% soc (286 miles of range). I drove 80mph much of the way and had 51 miles of range left at my destination. The first leg Tezlab said I acheived 82% efficiency (348.7 Wh/mi) at an avg speed of 67.6mph including surface streets. The second leg was 81% efficient (349.5 Wh/mi) at an avg speed of 64.5mph including sitting in a McDonalds drive through.