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Do RWD vehicles also have potential for a performance increase?

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Hi All,

I've seen several threads and even a couple of petitions asking for a software unlock to move the AWD acceleration closer the the performance. I am of the belief that Tesla can and should offer a paid acceleration boost for not just AWD, but any version of any Tesla vehicle that has room to accelerate faster than the current software allows. I would think that this would be all versions of the model 3, as the price structure seems to suggest that they're all somewhat nerfed (save for maybe the performance version).

I know it's a polarizing topic to discuss how much one buyer paid vs another. But I think we can all agree that Tesla and its buyers would both only benefit from a transparent way to boost performance for buyers who want to do so post delivery. If there is extra power in the vehicle that can be unleashed at no cost to Tesla, and buyers who are happy to put pure profit into the company's pockets, I just don't see the downside. I'd be willing to pay $2-4K assuming I could get my LR RWD to do 0-60 in roughly 4.0, and I'd pay more for even more speed. If there less power available, ok, but let us have what's there if we're willing to pay, even if it's a little less than the next tier up has. The fact they they haven't told us if something like this can be done only adds to the speculation that it's possible. So if it's not, let us know that too and we can all stop wishing for something that's never going to happen.
 
So you guys are hoping for a performance boost for the LR RWD that costs less than it would cost you to upgrade/trade for a AWD?

I seem to recall Musk saying there wasn't much room to tweak the LR RWD further without significantly affecting the longevity of the motor, but don't remember exactly where this was. I believe it was shortly after the RWD received the 5% performance boost, officially knocking its 0-60 down to 5.0 from 5.1.
 
So you guys are hoping for a performance boost for the LR RWD that costs less than it would cost you to upgrade/trade for a AWD?

I seem to recall Musk saying there wasn't much room to tweak the LR RWD further without significantly affecting the longevity of the motor, but don't remember exactly where this was. I believe it was shortly after the RWD received the 5% performance boost, officially knocking its 0-60 down to 5.0 from 5.1.
Then Sr/sr+ Still do have room for improvement up to 5.0sec as long as the batteries can provide the juice.
 
I'd pay more if I had to. Personally I would pay the $4k that AWD costs to get the same performance as the AWD without the benefit of actually having AWD (assuming that's possible). But I doubt that most people would be willing to pay that much or they would have bought AWD to begin with, so I think Tesla would make more money if they charged a little less.

I bought about a month before AWD was offered, and because Tesla is not always forthcoming or accurate with their projections, it seemed silly to wait for AWD without knowing what it would cost, when it would be available, or how much it would boost performance. AWD for the S only increased 0-60 by 0.1 and that's all I had to go off of. Living in So Cal where I don't need the extra traction, it made zero sense to wait. Then of course they were actually on time for once and the performance boost was far greater than it was for the S. So I'm just hoping I'll get an opportunity to get the extra power I always wanted and was willing to pay for.
 
I'd say its unlikely they would bump the RWD model appreciably. Based on the power curve, they're running the rear motor towards the upper range of its sensible limit. And the power electronics have very real limits that massively degrade reliability as you approach or exceed them. Most likely the motor is putting out as much power as they feel comfortable with. The AWD model is a very different case, since it's hardware is identical to the Performance model, but its power is dialed back. It was designed from the start to be more powerful than what they're shipping. They are running the same rear motor in the AWD as the RWD model, but its putting down somewhere near ~100HP less. I'd suspect the major limit in the AWD/Performance models is the battery itself, and then the motors in a close second.
 
I'd pay more if I had to. Personally I would pay the $4k that AWD costs to get the same performance as the AWD without the benefit of actually having AWD (assuming that's possible). But I doubt that most people would be willing to pay that much or they would have bought AWD to begin with, so I think Tesla would make more money if they charged a little less.

I bought about a month before AWD was offered, and because Tesla is not always forthcoming or accurate with their projections, it seemed silly to wait for AWD without knowing what it would cost, when it would be available, or how much it would boost performance. AWD for the S only increased 0-60 by 0.1, so living in So Cal where I don't need the extra traction, it made zero sense to wait. Then of course they were actually on time for once and the performance boost was far greater than it was for the S. So I'm just hoping I'll get an opportunity to get the extra power I always wanted and was willing to pay for.

My best guess is the rear motor on the RWD/P models is already on full kill. I'd say most likely raising the power appreciably would need beefier power electronics at the minimum. No doubt they could raise the power in software, but it most likely would result in massively degraded reliability. The power curve is very telling. I'd say they could get more power out of the motor under 40MPH or so, but it would need a beefier inverter, and thats generally a very costly thing to design. And the motor heating really goes south in a jiffy once you go too far. It's hard to know exactly where that is without testing. If I were Tesla, I would size the power electronics for maybe 10% past the knee in the efficiency curve. And so dumping more power past this point results in a LOT more heat and only a little more power.
 
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That's a bummer if true, ZOMGVTEK.

They don't have much of an incentive to hold back the power on M3 if they feel confident it can handle it. The 5% just shows they were being cautious since they know they can't afford widespread failures on M3.

They probably could tolerate another 5-10%, but if you want that 'million mile' reliability, it ain't gonna happen running the electronics on the edge. They already have way less margin than any other manufacturer.
 
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I really thought I'd be fine with the LR RWD acceleration for at least a couple of years.

I was wrong.

Hopefully they offer a version of the Performance Model Y without the dumb 20 inch wheels or an air suspension, then I'll see how soon I get bored with that.
Even people with 1000hp cars get used to the power. That's why this car thing is a terrible addiction that we just can't seem to get away from.
 
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My Model X received an update that brought the 0-60 to 4.9(And I've even pulled 4.6) from 6.0 seconds. This was almost 2 years after I got the car. While it is true the power electronics can be massively reduced reliability if pushed beyond their limits, we have no idea what the exact specifications of the power electronics are on the LR RWD. We can only speculate based on knowing it is different. IMO it is a possibility.
 
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Hi All,

I've seen several threads and even a couple of petitions asking for a software unlock to move the AWD acceleration closer the the performance. I am of the belief that Tesla can and should offer a paid acceleration boost for not just AWD, but any version of any Tesla vehicle that has room to accelerate faster than the current software allows. I would think that this would be all versions of the model 3, as the price structure seems to suggest that they're all somewhat nerfed (save for maybe the performance version).

I know it's a polarizing topic to discuss how much one buyer paid vs another. But I think we can all agree that Tesla and its buyers would both only benefit from a transparent way to boost performance for buyers who want to do so post delivery. If there is extra power in the vehicle that can be unleashed at no cost to Tesla, and buyers who are happy to put pure profit into the company's pockets, I just don't see the downside. I'd be willing to pay $2-4K assuming I could get my LR RWD to do 0-60 in roughly 4.0, and I'd pay more for even more speed. If there less power available, ok, but let us have what's there if we're willing to pay, even if it's a little less than the next tier up has. The fact they they haven't told us if something like this can be done only adds to the speculation that it's possible. So if it's not, let us know that too and we can all stop wishing for something that's never going to happen.

That would be awesome. We can’t mod our cars for speed like ice cars where you can add power. It would be great if this is possible.