Air suspension and range?

[Matias]

Does the air suspension increase range compared to conventional or is that not the case any more, when the lowest setting is not in use?

 

[jerry33]

The lower the car is to the ground, the lower the drag. This becomes more important as the speed increases, so the lowest setting is the most efficient. However, individual driving habits and terrain are often the determining factor. In other words, you can demonstrate that the lower the car is, the more efficient it will be as speed increases but any individual may not see the difference.

 

[Larry93428]

A lower car has less drag, yes, and would be more efficient in this area.
There is a compressor running which uses some electricity, but I think the lower drag is more important here.
~Larry

 

[CHG-ON]

I saw a post by Bjorn, where he did a fairly simple test of energy used between low and standard and it showed almost no increase in efficiency. One thing to consider is the increased tire wear (on 21's, at least), when in the low setting. The camber effect is exacerbated on the rear wheels when in low, which is a definite cost concern. I only have 6K mi on my girl and now need new rear tires. Very annoying. But my own fault for having to buy those lovely wheels...So when I buy new tires, I will turn off low and see if there is any improvement in longevity of these ridiculously expensive tires.

 

[Matias]

Ok. Earlier Tesla advertised air suspension with also getting range benefit, but maybe after removing the lowest setting on highway speeds the benefit is very small. I'm wondering whether to get it or not. Before awd I thought to get it, because we sometimes have a lot of snow on roads, but after awd I think problem is solved by that.

 

[bxr140]

Lowering cars that already have aerodynamic under bodies has less of a positive effect on range. So, while removing the lowest setting for freeway driving almost certainly has a negative effect on range, its probably barely noticible.

 

[robby]

Tesla updated its site today and it says:

Tesla's design and engineering teams have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that air flows smoothly above, around and below Model S to reduce drag, which in turn maximizes battery range. The smart air suspension lowers the car's height at highway speeds to reduce its frontal area.

 

[CHG-ON]

Other than the potential increased on tire wear in low, I am very happy with my air suspension. It is extremely convenient when coming over high drive entrances. I live in a rural CA area where not only are most commercial curbs very high (unlike back east), but I deal with a fair amount of rough roads. So raising to high, or even very high high, has saved my underbody many, many times. I wouldn't trade it for me.

And the self levelling when really hammering the car through curves is awesome! The car is always flat and well controlled.