M3 Range Loss Date and Mileage Trend

[St☰v☰]

I talked to a mobile tech this am about the range loss after recent updates, that I was now at 295 miles fully charged. He said that Tesla had reduced full soc to protect battery longevity, but may raise it some due to customer complaints.
He was at our home to replace our steering control module due to a loose right stalk.

That's kinda sh!tty, we paid for the extra miles and for Tesla to arbitrarily take available miles away, well, that's BS! [/rant]

 

[KenC]

That's kinda sh!tty, we paid for the extra miles and for Tesla to arbitrarily take available miles away, well, that's BS! [/rant]

Yeah, I guess, but it could just be the Tech just saying something plausible to get the customers off his back. If it was done using firmware updates, it's awfully strange that not everyone is showing the same issues.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Tesla's most recent reply to me:

"Thank you for following up with me on this request. The range that you are seeing is an estimate. The numbers are constantly evolving based of the past numbers. So while you are seeing that over the past 30 miles, you got exceptional miles, there are the miles that were driven before that being factored in as well. The car is giving you the best estimate of the miles that you can expect to go on the charge but the actual mileage you get will vary depending on your driving habits, weather, etc. Now that you have had your car for a while you should see it leveling out now and shouldn't see big changes like you most likely saw in the first 3 to 6 months of ownership but it will still be adjusting and we will of course be providing updates to help maximize the efficiency of the vehicle too, to improve the range. As I mentioned previously, I have looked over the data from your vehicle and both the battery and charging system are performing as they should with no alerts to indicate otherwise. We are happy to bring the vehicle in for additional tests if you would like to schedule a service appointment but if there is a problem with the cars performance, you will be notified by alerts."



My response:

"When did this change in range displays take place? To my understanding, the meter on the screen, whether percentage, or miles, was not an estimate. It was always based on energy available in your pack, regardless of any other conditions, so 100%=310 miles.

The estimated range shown on the Energy screen factors in driving conditions, etc.

If this is new, it is a big shift in how Tesla owners view their range. I previously drove an S, and it was always as I described above (range meter=absolute, energy app=multiple factors).

I feel the community should have been alerted to this, as it represents a 20 mile loss of expected range, if it's to be believed. If that number can be altered with driving habits, then educating owners about that might go a long way towards quelling the panic many are feeling about a loss of range."



Awaiting a reply.

 

[morningstar]

I spoke with a delivery specialist (only person I could get on a phone) and asked about the battery loss. He gave me the whole recalibrate it spiel by draining it below 10% and charging it back to 100%. I was skeptical but decided to try so last night I drove around until it dropped to 9% charge. Set it to charge to 100% and plugged it in around 11pm. It said 7 and half hours to charge. Sounds good. At 11:55am it said it still had half an hour to charge! It was up to 230 miles so I thought maybe I'd get all 240 miles back. But no. Ten minutes later I checked it again. It said charge complete and it's only at 231. On August 17 a full charge gave me 235 miles. On July 29 a full charge gave me 240 miles (I have an SR+ so this should be my top distance). In 1 month I've lost about 4% capacity. I'm not happy. I get that over time this would happen, but not 2-3 months after buying the car. Couple that with the shitty customer service and I'm really unhappy with Tesla right now. Finding it harder and harder to respond positively when people ask me about the car. It's an awesome car, but...

 

[morningstar]

I feel the community should have been alerted to this, as it represents a 20 mile loss of expected range, if it's to be believed. If that number can be altered with driving habits, then educating owners about that might go a long way towards quelling the panic many are feeling about a loss of range."

Exactly! If that's how it works, then tell us that before we buy the car! And again when we pick it up! But also, why did it work as people expected for so long and then suddenly over the last month change? I realize I haven't had my car long enough to know much different because I'm still in that 3-6 month period, but many of the people complaining about this issue have had their cars far longer and only recently noticed this issue so you're right, they've changed something and haven't educated us about it. Tesla needs to communicate better.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Exactly! If that's how it works, then tell us that before we buy the car! And again when we pick it up! But also, why did it work as people expected for so long and then suddenly over the last month change? I realize I haven't had my car long enough to know much different because I'm still in that 3-6 month period, but many of the people complaining about this issue have had their cars far longer and only recently noticed this issue so you're right, they've changed something and haven't educated us about it. Tesla needs to communicate better.

But it wasn't how it worked when we bought the car, which makes it worse.

If it really is a change, they snuck it in over-the-air, and didn't tell anyone.

 

[gecko10x]

If they've changed it to take into account lifetime driving habits, with more weight put on recent, that might actually explain a lot. I could see my numbers making sense in that context.

I actually hope that's the case, and we aren't seeing real loss.

 

[VT_EE]

I wish they would tell us a little bit on how they calculate range. The lack of insight creates paranoia.