EPA Efficiency Numbers 2020 vs. 2019 - Tesla Model 3 SR+ Takes Crown

[AlanSubie4Life]

I "happened" to be looking at the EPA efficiency numbers for the 2020 model year today.

This is kind of a look ahead to the promised 2019.36.1 efficiency changes which Elon talked about in the Q3 conference call. And it somewhat matches up with some of the information showing up on the website (in a trickle), and possibly in peoples' cars after they get the software update (not a lot of info on that yet).

Notably:

• SR+ is now the most efficient electric car (per EPA standards) in the world at 141MGPe. Too bad about that vampire drain.
  
• The Performance 18" (Stealth) is called out specifically as a different model than the AWD. (Before, in 2019, Performance and AWD were both listed but with the same efficiency.) The Performance 18" is rated more efficient than the AWD, as one might expect due to a difference in rear motors (but who knows what the reason is...maybe the AWD quoted was using 19" wheels...no idea).
• A number of other changes to efficiency have shown up. See attached comparison of the top of the list for 2019 and 2020, which are course are filled with Teslas, since no other manufacturer seems to be able to make a decent efficient electric vehicle (the Ioniq doesn't count, as it has cheater tires and a much lower range/weight)

2020:
Fuel Economy of 2020 Electric Vehicles

2019:
Fuel Economy of 2019 Electric Vehicles

 

[supraphonic]

Did a search and the only result was this thread that's been dormant for a while, but as a new SR owner I'm curious: If the SR is just a software-restricted version of the SR+ with identical hardware, what's the source of the efficiency disparity? Is that something anybody can speak to?

I can't imagine that the few walled-off kilowatts in the battery pack are having that significant of an impact on regen, for instance, and if that were the case, the highway efficiency figures should match up.

 

[SlimJim]

What if SR is software limited to bleed power to give less acceleration?

 

[TMThree]

Did a search and the only result was this thread that's been dormant for a while, but as a new SR owner I'm curious: If the SR is just a software-restricted version of the SR+ with identical hardware, what's the source of the efficiency disparity? Is that something anybody can speak to?

Software limited 0-60 might be the reason.