Blog Model 3: Is The Long Range Battery Worth It?

At $9,000 US, one of the pricier options for Model 3 is range. The Standard Range (SR) vehicle comes with 220 miles of EPA-rated range and a Long Range (LR) car has 310 miles. Is the long-range upgrade worth $9,000 for 90 more miles? Today, we’ll explore this question.

You need to understand your personal driving needs. If you’ll never use the additional 90 miles, you might as well save the money. If, however, you’ll use it or it would give you peace of mind and you can afford it, you should get the LR.

Faster Charging

In addition to the extra range, the LR will also charge faster when connected to Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector. The SR charges at a rate of 7.6 kW (about 30 miles per hour), whereas the LR charges at 9.6 kW (about 37 miles per hour). The slightly faster home charging is a nice add-on, but far from justifies the cost. The point of the LR is the additional range, let’s move to that aspect.

Battery Cost

I thought you said we were going to talk about range next; this is cost. Yes, I did. But the question we are asking is about value for money. So, let’s look at the cost value of what you’re getting.

The price of lithium-ion batteries has declined from an average of around $400 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2012 (when the Model S was launched) to under $150 today. For comparison, GM says when buying batteries for the Chevy Bolt, they pay LG Chem about $145 per kWh. This is, of course, just for the battery cells, it does not include the packaging, cooling, installation… The final retail price for any finished goods would be far above the cost of the raw components, but this gives you a starting reference.

Although Tesla has not released specific pack sizes for the two vehicles, there have been leaks that have let us know the that the SR has about 50 kWh of capacity and the LR has 75 to 80 kWh. So let’s assume that the extra $9,000 buys you 30 kWh more capacity. That is a retail price of $300 per kWh. From this perspective, Tesla is not giving us a bargain, but there are other ways to look at this too.

It’s All About The Range

If you just look at the price of the car and the range, you can make a simple table of price per mile. Our table will have the Model 3 LR and SR as well as a few other EVs for comparison. Note, these are base prices (not including incentives). If you want to buy leather seats, or dual motors, that’s up to you, but including it here would complicate the table.

* The 2018 Leaf data is not final/official at the time of writing, this may need an update when final pricing and EPA results are published.

Looking at the range this way, the LR is the best per mile bargain in the bunch. Only the Model 3 SR and Chevy Bolt are even in the same category for dollars per mile category.

Summary

The car you’ll like best is the one that meets your needs and your budget. Make sure you understand your driving habits. Open Google Maps and plot out your regular drives. For your longer drives, open the Tesla Supercharger map and see if there are any Superchargers along the routes for your longer drives.

Sidebar: Margins & Upgrade Options

Tesla has to make money on each car they sell. These funds go towards building out the production capacity, charging infrastructure, and more. The no frills SR car should be as affordable as possible to allow as many customers into the 200-mile plus EV market as they can. One way to do this is to keep the profit margin on the base model of the car low and then offer compelling upgrades (with higher margins). This allows the company to have a blended margin that is above that of the base model while keeping the door open to more price-sensitive customers. Tesla is far from the only automaker to use this scheme and it is a win for both the company and customers.

TMC Member Patrick0101 is a solar and electric vehicle advocate who blogs at Cards With Cords. 

 

[Vern Padgett]

I have my window sticker here. I did not pay $9k more for the bigger battery. I paid EIGHTEEN thousand dollars more for it.

Tesla Model S 90D
Date of manufacture 05/2016
Standard vehicle price $71,500
90 kWh battery $18,000

Edit: I get it-- this thread is about the Model 3, not the Model S. I'll leave my comments anyway.

 

[heysteveh]

Here's a new twist I don't think I've seen brought up yet on this LR vs SR debate: I just called my State Farm agent to check on insurance rates for the Model 3 and though he didn't have specifics yet, he assured me that State Farm determines the rate based on MSRP of the vehicle, whether it be ICE or electric. IF this is true then I would assume there would be a significant increase in insurance on a $44K+ LR Model 3 vs a $35K+ SR Model 3.

I will be going with the SR Model 3. Not because of Insurance rates but because of the $9K bite. I will probably spring for the PUP, but if PUP was an extra $9K it also would be a no go. Will I wish someday I would have gotten the LR battery? Of course, just like I will wish I would have gotten EAP, FSD and every other option available. I also wish I would have bought that million dollar home instead of the more affordable one I have now... what a bad decision that was.

 

[SmartElectric]

How much energy am I wasting, driving 3 miles to work, with a 90 kW battery, when a smaller one would have served just fine?

For that short of a commute, there would be no difference in energy usage for any Tesla S battery size.

In fact, our 2013 Tesla S85 gets the same efficiency on my short 50 km daily commute as my 2013 Smart ED.

If you want to see the difference in car sizes, but providing same efficiency:
Smart ED and CPO Tesla S85 in Toronto

 

[CLACHAPELLE]

Let me summarize the above:

------------
Someone has an income that allows a <crazy expensive> Model S and may or may not have blown another $1000-$2000 on "emergency backup" level 2 chargers at the homes of all of his friends and family, and he ALMOST needed to use a range longer than 200 miles like 3 times in the times he has owned his car. (Well, they now have installed more Superchargers so it wouldn't happen today, there will be many more in the future, and they all could have been avoided by going 60mph from the start if really in trouble, but you know...) For that reason, as well as saving about 9 minutes on average at any supercharger stops and a meaninglessly faster overnight charge, he feels that everyone should increase the price of their car (post-tax-credit) by 33%.
------------
A whole bunch of other people with absurdly high incomes such that they can afford $100,000+ cars chimes in and agrees.

I do realize that many people feel strongly that a larger battery is a "no brainer," and I can understand that if you're focused on the many real and significant benefits to a longer range. For everyone else, though, ie: all but those who constantly will be traveling very long distances (think a huge commute>75 miles, or frequent trips >400 miles), this benefit is wildly overblown. On long trips, until you get to 400-500 miles plus, the big battery is unlikely to save you any supercharger stops at all, just save you ~10 minutes per stop. If you talk to most electric car owners, they will tell you that range anxiety falls off quickly after the first year when you know your car and what it can do. With >200 miles of range, you are almost never going to experience range anxiety, and you are almost never going to use those last 85 miles.

Don't forget that those last 85 miles increase the base price (after tax credit) by 33%! That's crazy!

The right answer for MOST drivers is the short range battery, unless the money just doesn't hurt. Then by all means have a blast and get the sweet battery. It's a luxury, and that's great, but it's not actually worth it for most drivers. Don't be pressured into blowing 20% of an average American's salary for the few times a year it might slightly increase your convenience.

You are forgetting the fact that a 200 mile range rating doesn't equate to driving 200 miles. You lose range if it's cold - lots of range, even in the 50's. You lose range if you drive uphill. You lose range if you drive faster than 60 mph on the highway. You lose range if your car is heavier with a passenger or two and/or luggage. You lose range if it's raining or windy.

I would terrified to let my battery get to zero after chatting with another owner at a SC station whose battery DIED at zero. He had to be towed.

It is 192 miles between the SC at Burlington NC and the one in Asheville. I'm on my second Tesla, and this one has a 300 mile range. I drove to Asheville, fully charging at Burlington, with only myself and my luggage. I squeaked into the Asheville charger with 10 miles left. I stopped once for the restroom and about an hour at the hospital in Asheville before charging. (They had no plugs of any kind at the hospital.) That car was 3 months old, so there is no battery degradation, and there was no wind or rain. Coming back down the mountain in the summer I can get all 250 miles home with charge to spare on my 300 mile battery.

If you can't afford a bigger battery, fine. Don't fool yourself into thinking the mileage rating is how far you can actually drive. Don't assume you won't take your car on trips. I've driven as far as Atlanta with no qualms. It's a lot more comfortable than my husband's Mini Cooper.

 

[david_42]

Let me be the one dissenting opinion here, at least for my particular situation. Which I bet speaks for a few thousand people anyway and can be summed up as follows:

1) 90% of the time I drive less than 20 miles per day. / 95% of the time I drive under 50 miles a day
2) I will be charging at home
3) I don't have unlimited finances

No judgment to the rest of you guys on how you want to blow your own 50k, this being the most expensive car I've ever owned I'd prefer to get the interior upgrade package and AP, much more than the long range which might be advantageous 1-2 weeks per year max. Not even necessary mind you, just a nice to have if I decide to take it on an out of state road trip.

Much the same here. My wife is far more interested in TACC and lane management than longer range. Even 90% on the standard battery would be a week's worth of driving. The farthest we are likely to take the Tesla would be Vancouver, BC and that's a recharge regardless of the battery size.

 

[Propwash]

I am ordering the LR with the AWD, I have no idea how many miles it will go with the addition of a second motor but I know its like motorcycles you always wished you bought the next bigger one after you owned it for a few months.

 

[sports4eva115]

It does make me nervous that the batteries are un-upgradable... so far.
If Tesla ever develops a way to swap out battery packs when you want more I'll be way more at peace with choosing SR.
Until then... I need my tax credits this year so LR it is.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...How much energy am I wasting, driving 3 miles to work, with a 90 kW battery, when a smaller one would have served just fine? Looking at my watt hours per mile for the last 30 miles today, it is about 377. How much of that goes to carry a much bigger battery than I need?

It appears that you would be better off with a LEAF as a second car. More efficient and a lot less costly — a lightly used LEAF can be had for $7-$10,000. However, a 3 mile commute is better done by bicycle or walking unless one is physically incapable of doing so. That's a lot more efficient than using a car and good exercise as well.

So, where do you really want to draw the line?

[Full disclosure: I bicycle commuted for twenty years — 43,000 miles, most of it in a four seasons climate, so I have some experience with this.]

 

[Scott7]

Some of us that have daily driven the first-gen crop of competitor EVs with sub-80 miles of range know intimately about rated range vs real world. I am one of those and live in Wisconsin. I preconditioned twice daily almost year round, left heat/AC on full auto, and drove that car like I stole it and managed to do this with 1/3 the range of the Model 3 SR!

It highly depends on your particular situation.

I drive 25 miles per day on average and live in a 2 car household. I also don't expect to go on more than a weekend long trip because with only 3 weeks of yearly vacation time it is far more practical to fly for any significantly long distance trip.

I'm also not worried whatsoever about degradation. We have 5 years of Tesla battery data already and this isn't a poorly designed Leaf battery system we're talking about here!

 

[Vern Padgett]

It appears that you would be better off with a LEAF as a second car. More efficient and a lot less costly — a lightly used LEAF can be had for $7-$10,000. However, a 3 mile commute is better done by bicycle or walking unless one is physically incapable of doing so. That's a lot more efficient than using a car and good exercise as well.

So, where do you really want to draw the line?

[Full disclosure: I bicycle commuted for twenty years — 43,000 miles, most of it in a four seasons climate, so I have some experience with this.]

I am in total agreement with everything you say.

I have walked those 3 miles to work, and for months, I bicycled to work (when my wife's S90D was in the shop and she had my 90D).

I could have had a hybrid car years ago, but I was philosophically opposed to the concept of carrying around a redundant propulsion system-- an electric car system when using the gasoline engine system, and a gas engine when using the electric motor.

Looking back now, years later, I wish I had encouraged Sandy to buy the Prius she wanted to buy 10 or so years ago, but the hybrid concept just struck me as dumb. So I said "let's wait for the real thing-- an electric car." That was available on 31 March of last year, and I was in line at 9 am (behind 300 others at Buena Park in Orange County CA).

Where to draw the line?

I'm not using the cost as a major consideration here-- I drove the same car for 29 years, and thus saved enough to buy two S90Ds for cash---

But looking at cars available, I don't see any car but the Tesla Model 3, my Blue Star, as the right choice.

DP-- you bicycled 43 thousand miles? DId I read that right? How many tires did you go through? Man, you are hard-core! I salute you. Hoo-Rah! Semper Fi.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...DP-- you bicycled 43 thousand miles? DId I read that right? How many tires did you go through? Man, you are hard-core! I salute you. Hoo-Rah! Semper Fi.

Tires? I went through 2½ road bikes! The constant pounding would cause stress fractures in the frames and I couldn't begin to guess how many tubes, tires, cables, wheels, pedals, cranks, brake pads, cogs, chains, lights, mileage meters, fenders (to deal with rain and snow) and other components I went though. The last bike was so worn out that I left it at the recycle center before moving to the mountains. I now use a mountain bike to handle a much more difficult ride down to town — eighteen miles round trip with 300 feet of vertical gain outbound and 1000 feet of vertical gain homebound — but only when the roads are clear. I have upwards of 15k miles on that bike but no longer track it precisely. Being a heavy-duty mountain bike the frame is in pristine condition but most of the moving parts have been replaced at least once; third set of tires on that one.

Back when I was commuting in Boulder in the '80s and '90s, they plowed the bike paths before they plowed the streets, which helped — Boulder has its priorities right! My "quota" was two falls on ice per winter; I was feeling unlucky one year when I had three by the end of December but I finished the winter without any more falls. My "personal best" was when I bicycled home one night and found that the temperature at my house was -4ºF, which meant that it was even colder in a valley I had to pass through to get home (cold air settles in low spots). I was younger then...

 

[SageBrush]

It is 192 miles between the SC at Burlington NC and the one in Asheville. I'm on my second Tesla, and this one has a 300 mile range. I drove to Asheville, fully charging at Burlington, with only myself and my luggage. I squeaked into the Asheville charger with 10 miles left.

I take it that your contribution to this thread is to remind us that climbing mountains requires energy and that it can be prudent to use the potential energy going downhill wisely ?

 

[ZeApelido]

After 5% degradation, at 75 mph you will get 182 mIles on the SR. Given real life usage of keep some buffer (say 20%), that's a "real world estimate" of 146 miles.

Too low for day trips off the beaten path, or hiking in the Sierra I think.

 

[dgpcolorado]

After 5% degradation, at 75 mph you will get 182 mIles on the SR. Given real life usage of keep some buffer (say 20%), that's a "real world estimate" of 146 miles.

Too low for day trips off the beaten path, or hiking in the Sierra I think.

While overall I agree with your range analysis, given my S60 experience, I'll point out that trips "off the beaten path" often involve slower than freeway speeds. That can extend the range considerably in my experience,

 

[gregincal]

In my opinion the desire to take trips off the beaten path is a much better reason for the long range battery than supercharger trips.

 

[Electroman]

Prospective M3 buyers - don't get disappointed with SR if you plan to use it for anything other than daily commutes and errands. Twice the Leaf's range is still a city car - but a no-range-anxiety city car

You have been warned, advised and informed

 

[ElecFan]

Prospective M3 buyers - don't get disappointed with SR if you plan to use it for anything other than daily commutes and errands. Twice the Leaf's range is still a city car - but a no-range-anxiety city car

Calling the Model 3 a city car is rather pessimistic.
If:
Battery SR ± 55 kwh useable
Energy consumption ± 166 kwh/km (267 kwh/mi)
Then:
Range (new) ± 330 km (205 mi)
Range 100k km/65k mi (95%) ± 313 km (195 mi)
Range winter/rain/wind (80%) ± 250 km (156 mi)

So even in pretty gloomy scenarios a daily commute of 100 km/65 mi vv should be range-anxiety free.
In fact, as charging times decrease and the number of charging stations increase, range anxiety will probably be pretty much nihilated within the next couple of years.

 

[Model 3]

Twice the Leaf's range is still a city car - but a no-range-anxiety city car

Well, I do know that you usually brag about that everything is bigger "over there"... But back here our cities is still small enough that we can drive between them with the range of the SR

 

[gregincal]

Prospective M3 buyers - don't get disappointed with SR if you plan to use it for anything other than daily commutes and errands. Twice the Leaf's range is still a city car - but a no-range-anxiety city car

You have been warned, advised and informed

Not with superchargers it isn't. Also, driving 3 hours to a weekend destination with charging will work fine as well. Try that with a Leaf.

 

[Model 3]

Battery SR ± 55 kwh useable
Energy consumption ± 166 kwh/km (267 kwh/mi)

Range (new) ± 330 km (205 mi)
Range 100k km/65k mi (95%) ± 313 km (195 mi)
Range winter/rain/wind (80%) ± 250 km (156 mi)

You forgot to calculate the buffers. This range is from 100% -> 0%. Add in 10% at the top (charge to 90%) and have 10% left when you get home will be a 20% reduction from this numbers.