I decided to try driving with range mode on all this time this week, charged to 90% and my rated range was 217. Before my 90% was 214, is that because I have range mode on or due to my 7.1 update?
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Does range mode change your rated range?
- Thread starter GasKilla
- Start date
benjiejr
Technogeekextraordinaire
Yes, I do notice my rated range increase when switching to range mode. Although others have stated that 7.1 shows an increase in their overall rated range too, I have not seen this in my case.
So besides the HVAC not working to full potential, is there any other penalty or reason not to drive with range mode on all the time? Living in SoCal I don think I'll have an issue with the HVAC.
I only get about 1 extra mile displayed when I turn on range mode, you got 3. That's pretty good.
Does having pack heating and cooling off reduce pack life? While charging in range mode does the pack heating not turn on?
Rang mode makes the pack heating and cooling less aggressive. No one knows the answer to how much pack life reduction might be attributable to range mode (if any) as there are many other variables. It's probably a fair statement to say that the higher the average temperature of the pack the more degradation can be expected. The amount may or may not be material.
What does Tesla recommend? Do they say Range mode to be only used sparingly on long trips? Where is it documented that Range mode impacts how and when pack is heated or cooled?
For me though I don't see much of a difference in HVAC one way or the other, so can I just leave it on all the time ?
For me though I don't see much of a difference in HVAC one way or the other, so can I just leave it on all the time ?
BertL
Active Member
Official recommendation is only the broad brush explanations of capability you find in the Owner's Manual. Unfortunately with the latest 7.1 iteration, the Range Mode description is formatted off-the-page, but IIRC it was pretty brief -- essentially saying when enabled, Range Mode will both reduce max heating/cooling and on dual-motor MS it will manage torque between the front and back motors.
I asked my Delivery Specialist if I could just leave Range Mode ON as we went through every option, and his response was there was no reason I couldn't unless I got too cold or hot and wanted more from the HVAC. I suspect people could debate forever if there is more or less wear on the motors with MS playing with them to improve range when it's ON, but there are also no solid facts and history to back up their statements either way. Me? I leave my MS with Range Mode ON all the time, and have since I took delivery. I appreciate having the option to turn Range Mode and other options ON/OFF, but I don't want to own a space ship that I'm having to manually think about and optimize with different settings all the time. This is one of those settings I plan to continue leaving ON, and someday if I'm way too cold where the seat heaters won't help, or I'm way too hot, I can flip the option for a short while if my range is not a concern. With my range anxiety ever lurking -- I personally prefer doing that than remembering to turn it on before a trip where I may want the additional few miles of range it provides.
Range Mode was "off" by default when I picked up my car and I understood the manual at the time to say that it can be turned on if you need to eek out extra range on a trip (paraphrasing). I haven't yet found a need for it so it remains off. Incidentally in playing with it, it seems to only add one or two extra miles and since I'm keeping track of 100% and 90% rated range it made sense to keep my numbers consistent and most conservative.
I don't have first-hand evidence but posters here whom I consider reliable have said that range mode on suppresses pack heating while charging.
I use range mode in winter where it appears to help. In summer I don't bother as it doesn't make enough difference to worry about (and I'd rather have the maximum battery cooling).
I think using range mode in winter when cold means the battery heaters won't come on and so the battery won't regen when cold and regen braking will be off or diminished while battery stays cold.
When it was cold I wasn't getting the regen braking until I turned range mode off
When it was cold I wasn't getting the regen braking until I turned range mode off
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Last year, turning Range Mode on, enabled "Torque Sleep" in D models that increased efficiency by putting one of the motors to sleep and getting rid of that motor's overhead.. In the current firmware versions, I don't know if you have to turn on Range Mode to enable "Torque Sleep."
The need for Range mode is quickly becoming less necessary. It was originally designed to help one's range, but as the number of Superchargers increases, the need to save/gain 3 or so miles of range is not needed. I have had y car for just about 2 yrs, live in CT and I have never used Range mode.
Unfortunately, Tesla doesn't document these items but you can check for yourself by parking outside on a cold day, like I do, and observing what happens. You'll see the regen limiting bar is far closer to zero when range mode is on while charging. You'll also see that the battery takes longer to warm up while driving with range mode on (and the Wh/mi are lower).
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