Disappointing Range on a New Model 3

[tomas]

My Tesla 3 extended range is now a month old and is used mostly for in-city driving. I have now charged it 3 times and the range that I am getting in "chill" mode is pretty disappointing given that I am in my mid 70's and have a light foot.

It's parked in a heated garage in my home and I charged it to 90% capacity last night. I drove to St Lawrence Market and back home this morning - a total of 12km and the energy graph shows that I have 210 km range left and the outside temp. today is about 3 degrees celsius. When I started out this morning it showed that I had 480km range available.

So far I love driving the vehicle, but the range is certainly something that would make me reconsider trading it in in 3 years for a Model Y, which is far more appropriate for transporting my two beloved dogs. I guess that in 3 years I would have far more options from other manufacturers to choose from!

This is pure and simple misunderstanding of data. The remaining range shown on the energy graph is simply an extrapolation of your last 5, 15, or 30 miles (not sure what it uses in KM) depending on how you have graph set. It is a pretty useless number. Rated range as displayed on left portion of screen reflects what % or distance you Actually have remaining.

Of course if you are taking short jaunts in winter, your battery performance will be poor. The car never gets warm. The rated range will go down disproportionally, but the projected range on energy graph will plummet! However, if you go for longer drive on the highway, you will get closer to rated range. For most drivers, there’s about a 30% winter range loss. If you drive lots of short distances and battery never gets warm, it could be higher.

my recommendation: use rated range, not projected range on energy graph. Charge every night. You will see after you use the car for a while through seasons that the rated range is achievable for much of the year.

 

[Montfleur]

Thanks - I am sure i will get better at this, the longer i own the car. Most of my trips are really quite short, and even my previous car also used a lot more gas than expected, due to this.

 

[Jgdixon]

Consider joining Ontario.teslaownersclub.ca
We are officially sanctioned by Tesla. We hold regular meetings and social functions.
There us a monthly newsletter and lots more benefits.

 

[Lon12]

It happens when battery temperature is below -7C. Target active heat is generally -7C when not plugged in.

I can see active heat target is -7°C. I haven’t parked outside to see that since I got the program. My garage never gets that cold.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Op has it figured out. If you start your trip, with a cold battery, it will use a lot of juice to warm it, even for short trips. This will show up on your trip meter.

To reduce this, it is good form to charge your Tesla just before setting out. This way the charging, from shore power, will warm the battery just before starting out, and give much better range

 

[bijan]

I can see active heat target is -7°C. I haven’t parked outside to see that since I got the program. My garage never gets that cold.

Haven't seen it too much this year. But last year it happened and you get a message on the screen saying battery is heating performance will improve as you drive.

 

[ChrisOtt]

I think getting the car in the winter is best, less surprise 6-8 months after ownership