85 kWh battery removed from design studio

[wdolson]

Panasonic was making the older chemistry batteries and the newer chemistry batteries at the same time for a while. They probably converted the last production line to the new chemistry in the last couple of months, so the batteries that were going into 85KWh battery packs are no longer available. I wonder what is happening with the 70 KWh pack? I have noticed at least some people with 70s on order are complaining because Tesla won't put their cars into production. I wonder if they are quietly replacing the 70 KWh battery with a 73 or something like that? Using the same batteries as the 90, it wouldn't be enough to boost the pack all the way to 75, but it would be over 70.

Another possibility is they are keeping the old battery chemistry in low production for the 70 only, though I think that would be inefficient.

 

[ArtInCT]

Panasonic was making the older chemistry batteries and the newer chemistry batteries at the same time for a while. They probably converted the last production line to the new chemistry in the last couple of months, so the batteries that were going into 85KWh battery packs are no longer available. I wonder what is happening with the 70 KWh pack? I have noticed at least some people with 70s on order are complaining because Tesla won't put their cars into production. I wonder if they are quietly replacing the 70 KWh battery with a 73 or something like that? Using the same batteries as the 90, it wouldn't be enough to boost the pack all the way to 75, but it would be over 70.

Another possibility is they are keeping the old battery chemistry in low production for the 70 only, though I think that would be inefficient.

Totally agree with your thoughts on the roll out of the 90 battery cells.... it takes time to shut down a manufacturing cell/production line, change it over and then start it up with a new formula. Also contractually, there probably were long standing purchase orders for the older cells that went into the 85 battery. As we all saw with incandescent light bulbs, it took a good year to empty the pipeline and refill it with new technology. This just does not happen at the snap of a finger in the quantities that Tesla needs.

 

[lovingit]

Did they just account for the extra $5000 for the range upgrade in the price? Or is the 90D now the same price as what the 85D cost before?

 

[wdolson]

Did they just account for the extra $5000 for the range upgrade in the price? Or is the 90D now the same price as what the 85D cost before?

It is essentially a price increase if you wanted an 85, a 90D costs the same as a 90D before, the cheaper option is gone. I believe the cost to upgrade to the 90 KWh pack in Design Studio was $3000 USD.

I suspect that there will be another incentive program coming soon that will bring the cost of a 90D down to closer to the old price of an 85D. Maybe not even with the 85D, but at least half the difference, if not more.

 

[Cebe]

Panasonic was making the older chemistry batteries and the newer chemistry batteries at the same time for a while. They probably converted the last production line to the new chemistry in the last couple of months, so the batteries that were going into 85KWh battery packs are no longer available. I wonder what is happening with the 70 KWh pack? I have noticed at least some people with 70s on order are complaining because Tesla won't put their cars into production. I wonder if they are quietly replacing the 70 KWh battery with a 73 or something like that? Using the same batteries as the 90, it wouldn't be enough to boost the pack all the way to 75, but it would be over 70.

Another possibility is they are keeping the old battery chemistry in low production for the 70 only, though I think that would be inefficient.

I thought 70 was the new battery chemistry from day one, the same as the 90, and different from the 60 and 85.

 

[wdolson]

I thought 70 was the new battery chemistry from day one, the same as the 90, and different from the 60 and 85.

You're probably right. I forgot the 70 was introduced at the same time the 90 was.

 

[Tony8489]

So I got the call today from Tesla to inform me of the impending discontinuing of the 85 I ordered. Basically there are 2 options (or get a 70 if you consider that an option):

Option 1) Get the car I ordered (85D) but take delivery by March 31st. The pros as I see it are it's cheaper by the $3k and I can lock into the 1.99% for 72 months (which also sunsets on 3/31 I was told)

Option 2) Upgrade to the 90D by paying the $3k upgrade. If I can postpone delivery and get the car WHEN I wanted it, those 2 months of car payments will pay for the $3k upgrade. Right now, I'm leaning this way. Also, getting the latest and greatest for resale value will be nice.

I'm also considering to eliminate the premium audio and using that "credit" to pay for the upgrade to the 90. I can put in the aftermarket subwoofer later.

I got the call Tuesday also but we were skiing at Mammoth and did not see it until today. I read this thread before returning the call. The promotional loan rate is with a third party lender and does not include the 3-year resale guarantee. The latter is a key reason we're using the financing. We are hardly home at all this March, so we stuck with April delivery and upgraded to the 90D. In our case the AWD was a big selling point to buy Model S so we could use it for Mammoth trips, thus only $3K for the upgrade. We may get another price bump as we'll be testing autopilot over the weekend based upon the favorable reviews we're read.

We considered aftermarket audio but decided to stick with Tesla premium audio. If you're going that route I listened to an impressive Reus system at the L.A. Auto Show. Reus is well reviewed in this forum.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

You're probably right. I forgot the 70 was introduced at the same time the 90 was.

The 70 came out on April 8th, 2015. The 90 came out on July 17th, 2015.

https://www.teslamotors.com/blog

 

[scottybrittas]

Has the 0-60 performance increased on the 90D (compared to 85D)? Could have sworn the 85D was 4.4s.

took some screenshots of the old and new spec sheets. Definitely a 0.2s performance increase

 

[ArtInCT]

Interesting that in the new layout your models go P90D, 90D and 70D whereas here in the states it goes 70D, 90D, P90D....

 

[jmsurpri]

Odd. I just bought one of the last 85D's and I'm quite sure it listed 0-60 at 4.2, identical to the 90D.

 

[scottybrittas]

Odd. I just bought one of the last 85D's and I'm quite sure it listed 0-60 at 4.2, identical to the 90D.

Initially I thought maybe there's been some number 'massaging' to make the 90D look better performing, but then I remembered the PDF brochure that I screenshot this from is many months old.

 

[themetz]

Here's a snip from just before price increase

 

[scottybrittas]

The plot thickens! Also notice the range difference between my brochure screenshot (310 miles NEDC) compared to your screenshot from the web (330 miles NEDC).

 

[themetz]

I've read somewhere that it's the 0-100kmph (62mph) that is 4.4s... What's 0.2secs between friends!!