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Model S range and interior update imminent?
- Thread starter Thorbjorn
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- Model S Tesla Inc.
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I'm with Wdolson and S85D on the screens. Having 4 customizable screens displaying different data simultaneously is awesome and one of the features that sets the Model S above other cars. Sure we could live with the Model 3 screens but that would be a step backwards.
So Elon's comment "... won't be long before we have a 400 mile range car" is not happening in September?
If not I suspect we will buy the current Raven.
So Elon's comment "... won't be long before we have a 400 mile range car" is not happening in September?
If not I suspect we will buy the current Raven.
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CraZ8
Member
I would imagine that the added active aero both front and rear plus the rumored tweaking of the battery packs coming in September might get you close to 8% you would need to push a long range S from a 370 mile range to 400. I think that number is a psychological game changer for many people leary about going the EV route
A new battery chemistry that had just 8% more capacity would push the Model S to 400 mile range. If they had a chemistry that allowed them to remove some cells from the pack and still get as much or more KWH would reduce the weight and increase the range from the weight savings.
400 miles is a big psychological barrier breached. 300 miles is the low end of the range for ICE, but 400 is getting into the middle of the bell curve. A car that gets 30 mpg with a 14 gallon tank has a 420 mile range. There are some cars that have 600 mile range, but the average ICE is around 400 miles.
It also places Tesla well ahead of the EV competition when the best out there is struggling for 300 miles range and Tesla's entire fleet is capable of over 300 miles range (at least one version of each car capable of that range), but the longest range cars are over or near 400 miles.
gilscales
Banned
The Maxwell technology has been used for a while in their ultra capacitors, now in prototype batteries the specs seems to good to be true, 2 x the life and 20% higher energy density with a clear path to much higher density AND cheaper to build, I find it hard to believe that if Maxwell has all that with enough testing to prove that it will deliver that it sold for so cheap, this seems the current holy grail of EV battery tech so why were they worth so little?
roblab
Active Member
roblab
Active Member
Well, what I'm more familiar with are all the pickup trucks that get 14 mpg and have a 20 gal tank, to get 280. Yes, Teslas get 300 miles range, but you can charge them overnight in your garage, so it's ready for the day. I haven't been to a gas station now in about 7 years, and there was a six year span earlier with my RAV4EV. But in addition to getting eight times the range per dollar over a gas car is that there is no required service. As I have put on nearly 170,000 miles on my Teslas, that's several oil and filter changes not done every 7000 miles. Let's see, carry the three and bring down the 'leven, I figure near $1500 saved. Not to mention having to sit at the dealer (not to mention having to go to the dealer, or to Fred's service, or...) for an hour or so while it gets done. Oh, right, you have your wife do it. Plus, we still don't know how long those batteries might last. 8 years? 12 years? 15 years? Those gas cars are warranted to 50 or 100K miles, and we all know they do better.
I haven't heard ANYbody think that their gas car has to have a 400 mile range. They've got gas stations every ten feet because they nearly run out of gas and barely make it to the station as it is. And who can afford to fill a gas tank up??? $4 a gallon! $80 bucks! Yikes! I pay ten for a charge.
It's hard to compare apples to oil spills.
I fully understand the advantages of EVs. I love leaving the house will a "full" tank, and don't miss gassing up the car in the winter! I also estimated my car costs 1/4 the cost/mi of my SO's Subaru Impreza. It helps electricity is $0.08/KWH here and gasoline has been up over $3 a gallon for years.
However to sell EVs to the unconverted it helps to be able to claim the road range is the same as an average ICE. People over estimate the hassle of charging on road trips and want at least the range of an ICE.
Realistically 400 miles does have some advantages on the road too. In California there are more superchargers than anywhere else so you have a lot of choices and can often skip a supercharger on the road. In other parts of the country they are still spread further apart. For example for me going south, I have to stop short at either Woodburn,OR or Spingfield, OR and then another stop at Grants Pass. With a 400 mile car I can reach Grants Pass on one charge with some range to spare.
Being able to skip 1-2 superchargers on a long day of driving saves a fair amount of time.
Another advantage of 400 mile or very high range batteries is that charging the first 200 miles or whatever can now be done at very high speed. So in 10 minutes you might be able to get 200 miles, really getting close to gas station charging speed. Tesla superchargers are already designed to work for the around 200 mile range cars in most cases. There is an actual use of higher battery capacity cars independent of the actual range.
I've never really bought into this. Perhaps it's something we get drilled into is in Australia but after 250-300 miles of driving it really is time for a good solid break. Not grab some food to eat on the run, fill the tank have a piss and run but sit down and give the mind 15 minutes to chill.
I guess driving a Tesla with autopilot the brain drain does feel a lot less but I'd still encourage people to take that break. With a Tesla that break is no longer optional.
400 miles of range would be great, but that doesn’t have to mean that you drive 400 miles and then charge ... it would be way more efficient to drive 240 miles and charge, keeping the car in the supercharger fast charging sweet spot of 20% to 80% as Seattle said.
400 miles range gives you more flexibility in your supercharger stops on the road. You can stop more often and make shorter charges or stretch past a supercharger or two and charge longer.
Not to mention the times in winter where you need more energy. ie extreme cold, headwinds, uphill, precipitation, towing, or going nowhere near Superchargers.
Sure it’s a luxury but with a 400 mile rated range you can depend on a useful 250 range while using the vehicle in anger: doing 80mph with two bikes on the hitch rack, packing down some snow, heading over the mountains, into a rainy headwind etc. Personally can’t wait as then we can drive from San Jose uphill 6000ft (net) to Tahoe with bikes on at the speed of traffic without stopping. Even though it’s only 220 miles we can barely make it in the 310 mile rated Model 3 and that’s without bikes, in nice weather and going slower that average.
boonedocks
MS LR Blk/Blk 19”
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