Model 3 LR range - anyone check it out?

[Electroman]

We have had glowing reviews of M3 on the driving dynamics, exterior, interior, charging capability - but so far I haven't seen any report on how the range holds on the highway, long distance real-world driving on a full charge. 310? 320? Or more?

One of the first things we all learnt about the Leaf, Bolt and even S is - did the range hold up to the advertised number? And Bolt famously did better.

What about 3 LR?

 

[Electroman]

81 – 1,000 Miles with Model 3

We do a deep dive into living with the Model 3 for two weeks and over 1,000 miles. Caleb drove the Model 3 from Palo Alto to LA and back and lived with it for two weeks. We discuss everything about the vehicle from Autopilot, to the interior, to ergonomics to the UI, and more.

If you are planning to buy a Model S or X please considering using this referral code to help support the show

I listened to an hour and this is all I could gather anything on the range:

12:00 - "Starts with 290 miles of range at pretty full charge. Drove 180 miles straight from SF to Kettleman City driving with AP for the most part, but used 20% more with 230 miles consumed. Charged from 60 to 305 miles in about an hour pulling 103 KW.... ...got to Hawthorne area and charged 60 miles for a few hours (not a SuperCharger).. AP2 is not as smooth as AP1. Longitudinal control is a bit too aggressive. Drove over 600 miles with AP enabled, with 30 miles on heavy traffic. On the main highway outside of city traffic Autopilot is a GREAT stress reliever. It let me focus on other drivers around me and be more alert. "

I loved listening to the podcast, but I don't have time to listen to an hour and half. I wish there was a transcript, that I can read quickly in 10 minutes....

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

81 – 1,000 Miles with Model 3



I listened to an hour and this is all I could gather anything on the range:

12:00 - "Starts with 290 miles of range at pretty full charge. Drove 180 miles straight from SF to Kettleman City driving with AP for the most part, but used 20% more with 230 miles consumed. Charged from 60 to 305 miles in about an hour pulling 103 KW.... ...got to Hawthorne area and charged 60 miles for a few hours (not a SuperCharger).. AP2 is not as smooth as AP1. Longitudinal control is a bit too aggressive. Drove over 600 miles with AP enabled, with 30 miles on heavy traffic. On the main highway outside of city traffic Autopilot is a GREAT stress reliever. It let me focus on other drivers around me and be more alert. "

I loved listening to the podcast, but I don't have time to listen to an hour and half. I wish there was a transcript, that I can read quickly in 10 minutes....

This is hands down the best review so far. I especially like them referencing modal interactions with the UI, which in this case is that clicking the wiper button on the stalk opens up the wiper part of the UI. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm surprised other manufacturers aren't doing this, but I supposed the idea of modal inputs/modifiers is more familiar to people with more exposure to computers.

I think when they say they left from SF, they mean they left from Palo Alto, because SF to Kettleman is 200+ miles either way (through East Bay or San Jose).

 

[ölbrenner]

So is anybody concerned about the range? The Palo Alto to Kettelman leg used ~76% of the battery (~94% SOC at start, arrived with %18 left) to cover 185 miles.

At least this real world example somewhat corroborates the real world range estimates I made over at the MT test thread (which was 210 miles @70% depletion, a number nobody agreed with there).

Either way a far cry from the 310-320 most are thinking they will get. Hoping more real world reports start coming in, so I can make my SR vs LR decision.

 

[Electroman]

I am also wondering if 300+ is a stretch. Normal driving conditions might yield around 260 with some comfort buffer left, and maybe only around 230 miles in harsh winter conditions.

More the reason I think M3 SR will be a comfortable city car with occasional well planned long trips in summer and good conditions.

 

[ölbrenner]

Okay great thanks for that, that's the kind of range I kept calculating based on MT test and the podcast info.

Over at the other thread they just kept throwing out 300+ mile EPA numbers when I mentioned 200-250 real world is probably more like it for SC to SC hops, and I even got a disagree rating from @EinSV (of course without any explanation of why) lol .

Pretty much need the LR, just don't want to afford it , SR won't cut it.

 

[Electroman]

You cannot live with SR as your only car. Altleast not without a lot of compromise and difficultly. You need to have a backup ICE for long distance trips. I am not talking about hypermiling.

But I can see LR as the only car with not much of a difficulty.

 

[Big Earl]

So is anybody concerned about the range? The Palo Alto to Kettelman leg used ~76% of the battery (~94% SOC at start, arrived with %18 left) to cover 185 miles.

At least this real world example somewhat corroborates the real world range estimates I made over at the MT test thread (which was 210 miles @70% depletion, a number nobody agreed with there).

Either way a far cry from the 310-320 most are thinking they will get. Hoping more real world reports start coming in, so I can make my SR vs LR decision.

ABRP predicts the Model 3 arriving at Kettleman City with 22% driving at the speed limit from Palo Alto. If they were going slightly above the speed limit, as many people do, I think 18% remaining on arrival is very realistic.

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

So is anybody concerned about the range? The Palo Alto to Kettelman leg used ~76% of the battery (~94% SOC at start, arrived with %18 left) to cover 185 miles.

At least this real world example somewhat corroborates the real world range estimates I made over at the MT test thread (which was 210 miles @70% depletion, a number nobody agreed with there).

Either way a far cry from the 310-320 most are thinking they will get. Hoping more real world reports start coming in, so I can make my SR vs LR decision.

Possibly. There are some inconsistencies/unknowns like...

• SF to Kettleman is something like 210+ miles, did they really travel from SF, or from Palo Alto (~180+ miles)?
• How fast were they going?
• Did they have Sport or Aero wheels?

My guess is that Sport wheels + driving on the faster side can explain the 20% overestimate, but if they actually left from SF, that would also contribute.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

You cannot live with SR as your only car. Altleast not without a lot of compromise and difficultly. You need to have a backup ICE for long distance trips. I am not talking about hypermiling.

But I can see LR as the only car with not much of a difficulty.

I think that depends on the individual and their way of life. Most weeks, my mom probably drives less than 10 miles a day. She may do a 50 mile roundtrip "roadtrip" every month or two but probably hasn't driven more than 50 miles in a day for the past 20+ years. She could easily get by with an SR battery.

 

[Electroman]

... or a Leaf.

Some only drive around their neighborhood and city. For them M3 SR - a city car - would suffice.

 

[ölbrenner]

From experience going the speed limit of 70mph on I-5 is kind of like asking to get tailgated the entire time. Even 75mph is slow, but if you stay in the right lane with the trucks should be okay.

In ABRP using 107% reference speed (~75mph), and 75mph as the top speed, SOC goes from 94% to 16% (78% pack capacity) arriving at the Kettleman supercharger. Wow that is pretty spot on!

Good point mkjayakumar on long distance. I do have an ICE truck for long trips, but with petro prices on the rise again and bracing myself for $5 diesel again, want to be able to take the M3 when not towing.

Okay I am going to trust the ABRP numbers of 255 Wh/m @ 65mph (vs. the higher numbers seen in MT test, etc.) for battery decisions, which imo still makes the SR viable for x/c work. Coast to coast trip from San Diego to Jacksonville is only 9 hours longer than LR (108% reference speed, 75mph max speed, slow down if needed NOT checked). Shorter trips and the time gap narrows of course.

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion, really helps me out. I am familiar with electric in general, and have some LEAF time, but no Tesla or SC experience at all.

 

[Big Earl]

The Model 3 LR allows 120 - 180 mile stints on road trips in most weather conditions. That's leveraging about 60% of the battery pack, which keeps you riding the wave at the Superchargers without having to deal with speed tapering or range anxiety by milking those last few miles. This stint distance is good for most people... I know I'm ready to get out for a bit after 2-3 hours.

Being an avid road tripper, the long range battery is an absolute must for me. The short range would work for daily driving and shorter weekend trips that involve one or two Supercharger stops. Trips longer than 400 miles would get tedious with the short range battery, which has less range than even the X 75D.

 

[ölbrenner]

Possibly. There are some inconsistencies/unknowns like...

• SF to Kettleman is something like 210+ miles, did they really travel from SF, or from Palo Alto (~180+ miles)?
• How fast were they going?
• Did they have Sport or Aero wheels?

• These points are all addressed in the podcast.

Also noted even the the range miles were 20% off at first, the SOC at destination was accurate.

 

[ölbrenner]

... or a Leaf.

Some only drive around their neighborhood and city. For them M3 SR - a city car - would suffice.

Better yet imo, Hyundai Ionic. Much less expensive, and lifetime battery warranty.

 

[DR61]

From experience going the speed limit of 70mph on I-5 is kind of like asking to get tailgated the entire time. Even 75mph is slow, but if you stay in the right lane with the trucks should be okay.

Driving on I5 in N. California between Redding and Sacramento is no problem at 63-70 mph, if you practice lane discipline and use your mirrors. Apparently those skills are rarely taught anymore...

 

[ölbrenner]

Driving on I5 in N. California between Redding and Sacramento is no problem at 63-70 mph

Agreed. But we are talking about the SF-LA corridor. Except for the grapevine, its go go go. As for the incorrect assessment of my driving skills, I apply even greater attention to situational awareness while driving as I do while piloting aircraft.

 

[PJFW8]

• These points are all addressed in the podcast.

Also noted even the the range miles were 20% off at first, the SOC at destination was accurate.

So I must listen to the podcast to find out if the used the aeros or the 19's. How about a hint!

 

[ölbrenner]

So I must listen to the podcast to find out if the used the aeros or the 19's. How about a hint!

Sorry, omgwtfbyobbq gave me such a hard time in the last thread I wanted to make him work for it lol (all the answers are in the beginning parts of the podcast btw):

• Leg was from Palo Alto to Kettleman supercharger (185 miles)
• Stated at some parts he slowed down to 65mph (so my own assumption the rest was done at 70-75mph, which ABRP agrees with)
• Sport wheels
• States reported destination SOC was accurate both at beginning and end of leg

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

• These points are all addressed in the podcast.

Also noted even the the range miles were 20% off at first, the SOC at destination was accurate.

I remember them saying the SOC was accurate. Where did they say they left from Palo Alto instead of SF?

Edit - NVM, found it (after 3).