Misleading Marketing

[brianman]

@dirkhh - I'm hesitant to step into this kerfuffle, but I can't resist. Can you send a polite mail to ownership@ to inform them that the "can be added to any 60 kWh Model S for $2,000" on Supercharger | Tesla Motors should be updated. They need to make it clear that the 120 kW rate described in at least two places on that page does not apply to the 60 kWh Model S even if you pay the $2000.

 

[dirkhh]

@dirkhh - I'm hesitant to step into this kerfuffle, but I can't resist. Can you send a polite mail to ownership@ to inform them that the "can be added to any 60 kWh Model S for $2,000" on Supercharger | Tesla Motors should be updated. They need to make it clear that the 120 kW rate described in at least two places on that page does not apply to the 60 kWh Model S even if you pay the $2000.

Good idea. I'll do that.

 

[ChriZ]

I find your tone and the implications in the way you phrase this offensive.
Show me where I claimed that there was a "guarantee of a constant 120kw rate". I would never claim something silly like this since at least I know that the SI unit 'watt' is a capital W.
I actually claimed that for a 60 they don't reach 120kW at all, not even briefly.

Tesla, on the other hand, claims that in 30 minutes you can get 200 miles of range. Which at roughly 300Wh/mi implies 60kWh charged in 30 minutes, or an average of... wait for it... 120kW.

I will leave you with a picture to ponder and eagerly await your condescending explanation how this applies to the owner of an S60.

Respectfully...

View attachment 34208

Totally agree with you here. It even says 120kw in the fine print. If I didn't know better, I could charge my S60 in 30mins. Then you read the second graph and you're like ohh 80% charge for 40mins. Now maybe it will work when 5.x rolls out to the masses. I'm one of those S60 owners and will test it out right away when I get 5.x

 

[Tacket]

In the Seattle area, many speed limits near major cities/towns are 60 mph (~96.5 km/h). If you go even 5 mph above the limit there, you tend to stand out. People there will frequently go below the speed limit in the fast lane in the daytime when it's clear and dry for no apparent reason and not move to the right to let faster cars pass. That type of behavior and those speeds would be unacceptable in LA (and in some parts might even get you shot).

Ha! SO true! We've got not place to be apparently. Does wonders for range!

 

[stopcrazypp]

Except that you cannot get 120kW in a 60. And that's mentioned nowhere.

To be fair, the Leaf can't pull 50kW either (even though it's advertised as such). It can actually only pull 47.4kW (395V * 120A) peak.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=14388

The numbers are lower for the 60kWh because the battery voltage is lower and the power limiter for the charger/connector is the current (amps) which stays the same for both:

400V * 225A = 90 kW
315V * 225A = 71 kW

And on the point of 200 miles of range for 30 minutes, you have to keep in mind Tesla claims 240 miles for the 60kWh, which implies a rate of 100kW for the 60kWh. Tesla claims 300 miles for 85kWh which implies 113kW.
If you match it with calculated values using the lower voltage for 60kWh, the 200 miles of range for 30 minutes is not off by much (they probably chose a round middling number that can roughly match both):
400V * 300A = 120kW (vs 113kW advertised)
315V * 300A = 94.5kW (vs 100kW advertised)