Range for Newbie

[Avieytan]

Getting a model 3!
I have a once, max twice a week 120mile commute one way...(east coast 95) in most of not all cases I’ll be staying overnight, hopefully will have a Charger at work, but not sure (certainly at the hotel...).
So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[ucmndd]

Getting a model 3!
I have a once, max twice a week 120mile commute one way...(east coast 95) in most of not all cases I’ll be staying overnight, hopefully will have a Charger at work, but not sure (certainly at the hotel...).
So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

So long as you're comfortable with NEEDING to charge - every time - to complete a round trip, the SR+ will be fine.

Just don't expect that a "250 mile range" Tesla can actually cover 240 miles in real world conditions.

 

[Rocky_H]

I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?

Yes, certainly. The answer to this kind of thing is always just a question of the tradeoff of dollars versus patience. 120 real world miles is most of the year pretty easily doable within the 240 to 250 of the car's "rated miles". Those "rated miles" are by granny-like EPA conditions, so they're kind of optimistic, especially in the cold.
So in the warm time of the year, probably doable without needing a charging stop. But in the cold time of the year, it probably will need a little Supercharger stop to get a boost. And that is just when you just remember the extra $9,000 you kept in your pocket in exchange for some 15-20 minute stops sometimes.

[EDIT] I just realized I read that wrong. I thought it said 120 miles round trip. I didn't notice it said that is 120 miles one way. So that's definitely going to require a Supercharging stop every single time year round. You may not be very happy with the shorter range one then. I was thinking just every once in a while in winter, which didn't sound too bad. Still doable though, with some patience.

 

[ElectricIAC]

Getting a model 3!
I have a once, max twice a week 120mile commute one way...(east coast 95) in most of not all cases I’ll be staying overnight, hopefully will have a Charger at work, but not sure (certainly at the hotel...).
So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

That’s marginal even with an LR unless it’s a RWD. Doable though if you can supercharge on every round trip, remember to do it on the lower end of your charge (25% or below)

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

I’d expect in winter you’re going to use about 170-200 rated miles max ONE WAY (80% when new, about 85% after a couple years), assuming you use the heat, on a very cold day (assumes 300-350Wh/mi). If it’s snowing or something it could be more. In summer you might use just 140 rated miles to make the 120-mile journey (55%) (assumes 244Wh/mi - and you might well do *way* better if traffic is heavy and you’re traveling at 55mph rather than 75-80mph). In *ideal* slow conditions with traffic you could probably use fewer than 120 rated miles. The slower the trip the better assuming it is not hot or cold outside.

So for sure you are going to have to charge. Destination charging would be ideal.

Make sure the Superchargers are convenient and look for a 250kW one on your route (more likely to work, and MUCH faster even for an SR+ especially when crowded).

I wouldn’t count on a Supercharger though. Waiting in line is terrible and eventually that would happen. Destination charging makes more sense in this case and saves Supercharger cycles for road trips. (Supercharging is fine, but if you can avoid it you should!)

For me, personally, that charging station at work would be a must and it would have to be readily available/numerous/cheap.

 

[user212_nr]

So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?

If you have charging at your destination, then you are fine to make the commute, even on the cold days.

One thing to take into account is at what speed you intend to drive. I think you will need to drive 65-70 miles per hour in order to reach that distance with a good margin.

Traffic is not a problem, as the lower speeds are better.

You can play around with the speed configurations on A Better Routeplanner to see what kind of range you can expect for your driving.

 

[Avieytan]

Thanks All!
What I’m hearing is that the 120 mile without charge with the SR+ is doable quite easily even in “bad” condition (cold, high speed) no worries. And that a destination charge is a must (of course) before doing another 120miles. Since very high probability of having a work charger, and/or at hotel, and even if not there are chargers near work and 8 supercharge stations in rout, should be fine with the SR+...
Even with the LR, round trip (240 miles) without charging is iffy, so even a LR might need a charge anyway...

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Even with the LR, round trip (240 miles) without charging is iffy, so even a LR might need a charge anyway...

That is correct! You need charging either way in most circumstances - you’d need to do better than ~290Wh/mi in an LR AWD to make the round trip (starting at 100%!) anyway (assuming your capacity degrades to 310 rated miles from the original 322 rated miles in a year or so).

The vehicle choice is really just a question of margin, what you want for a road trip, AWD, etc. The LR also charges a bit faster per mile added assuming 250kW Superchargers become common (it’s still true, to a lesser extent, on 150kW chargers).

What I’m hearing is that the 120 mile without charge with the SR+ is doable quite easily even in “bad” condition (cold, high speed) no worries.

There are worst case conditions that exist that will mean you cannot make it one way without charging in an SR+. You might not want to be driving in them. But assuming 8-9% capacity loss from new (I would expect this after about two years), if you exceed 380Wh/mi, you won’t make it (without hitting 0% - you actually probably would make it, barely, with lots of complaining from the car).

52.5kWh*0.92*0.955*0.99/120mi = 380Wh/mi (indicated)

It IS possible to hit such a consumption number in an SR but things need to be very bad indeed (STRONG headwind, cold, rainy/slushy/snowy). It would be very very rare - you really would need to be moving snow or substantial amounts of water to get to that level. Needless to say, don’t put on a roof rack or install a tow hitch with anything on it.

 

[Avieytan]

That is correct! You need charging either way in most circumstances - you’d need to do better than ~290Wh/mi in an LR AWD to make the round trip (starting at 100%!) anyway (assuming your capacity degrades to 310 rated miles from the original 322 rated miles in a year or so).

The vehicle choice is really just a question of margin, what you want for a road trip, AWD, etc. The LR also charges a bit faster per mile added assuming 250kW Superchargers become common (it’s still true, to a lesser extent, on 150kW chargers).



There are worst case conditions that exist that will mean you cannot make it one way without charging in an SR+. You might not want to be driving in them. But assuming 8-9% capacity loss from new (I would expect this after about two years), if you exceed 380Wh/mi, you won’t make it (without hitting 0% - you actually probably would make it, barely, with lots of complaining from the car).

52.5kWh*0.92*0.955*0.99/120mi = 380Wh/mi (indicated)

It IS possible to hit such a consumption number in an SR but things need to be very bad indeed (STRONG headwind, cold, rainy/slushy/snowy). It would be very very rare - you really would need to be moving snow or substantial amounts of water to get to that level. Needless to say, don’t put on a roof rack or install a tow hitch with anything on it.

Thanks !

 

[camalaio]

Good advice here already. Want to add one bit: @Avieytan, are there any CHAdeMO stations on that route where there aren't Superchargers? If so, you may want to purchase the adapter as a "just in case" backup. Despite being aware of all the above and what I'd call excessive planning, I got myself in a situation where I needed to use an unplanned CHAdeMO station stop (no way I was making it to the next Supercharger). It's... expensive. But "cheap insurance" if it gives you access to more charging options.

Thanks All!
What I’m hearing is that the 120 mile without charge with the SR+ is doable quite easily even in “bad” condition (cold, high speed) no worries. And that a destination charge is a must (of course) before doing another 120miles. Since very high probability of having a work charger, and/or at hotel, and even if not there are chargers near work and 8 supercharge stations in rout, should be fine with the SR+...
Even with the LR, round trip (240 miles) without charging is iffy, so even a LR might need a charge anyway...

As a quick note, on the days where you're on the edge due to cold and bad conditions, your charging speed starts to matter a lot. You'll need a minimum of 8 hours of charging at 6kW to make it back (i.e. nearly a full charge), probably more like 9 or 10 to account for heating the battery at some point. If you do not have 6kW of charging available at the destination, that simply won't do in the cold.

I'd double check what the hotel offers (if it's a consistent one), and also what will be available at work. 6kW is a pretty common setup in North America, but there are some exceptions.

 

[toolman335]

I had a somewhat similar decision to make. I quickly decided on the LR and I don't regret it at all. It's bad for the car to continuously charge to 100%, so you're either risking damage to the car or you have to leave at a max of 90%. Pick your poison because if you're at 90% you will stress even more about range.
I paid the extra money to have complete peace of mind. It has also saved time because other than the middle of the winter I can make the round trip. I've had the car for a year and have loved every minute of it. Everyone is different, but for me, I wouldn't enjoy it if I had to think about range anxiety every day. It seems like others like the thrill of the chase!
I've never been in an SR+, but isn't the sound system inferior? I also wanted the AWD as well.

 

[webbah]

I had a somewhat similar decision to make. I quickly decided on the LR and I don't regret it at all. It's bad for the car to continuously charge to 100%, so you're either risking damage to the car or you have to leave at a max of 90%. Pick your poison because if you're at 90% you will stress even more about range.
I paid the extra money to have complete peace of mind. It has also saved time because other than the middle of the winter I can make the round trip. I've had the car for a year and have loved every minute of it. Everyone is different, but for me, I wouldn't enjoy it if I had to think about range anxiety every day. It seems like others like the thrill of the chase!
I've never been in an SR+, but isn't the sound system inferior? I also wanted the AWD as well.

Sound system can be addressed with this: Model 3 SR Premium Audio Upgrade | Intelligentized Auto Parts | Hansshow

 

[Gasaraki]

Getting a model 3!
I have a once, max twice a week 120mile commute one way...(east coast 95) in most of not all cases I’ll be staying overnight, hopefully will have a Charger at work, but not sure (certainly at the hotel...).
So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

No. The SR+ will not do. Unless you don't mind supercharging then it might be fine.

 

[toolman335]

The SR+ will get your where you have to go. Anywhere in the country.
But with this regular commute how often do you want to think about it? You'll have to charge somewhere along the way too. Personally I wouldn't enjoy the car nearly as much as I would want to.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Getting a model 3!
I have a once, max twice a week 120mile commute one way...(east coast 95) in most of not all cases I’ll be staying overnight, hopefully will have a Charger at work, but not sure (certainly at the hotel...).
So question is, for a 120mile commute, sometimes with some traffic, can I live with the SR+ (250 mile range) or do I need the LR (320 mile range).
With charging up to 90%, leaving some buffer, cold days etc...?
I really would like to skip spending the additional $9k for the LR...and with supercharging, I think that worst case I can get a 100mile boost in like 20min if needed... Any thoughts?
Thanks!

For your sanity I’d go LR. That’s 120 miles one way.

I have a LR rwd I’ve pushed my car when there were no chargers in the middle and I’ve been fine and would not be if I were in a sr+ or less. Death Valley, Jackson, Wy to Yellowstone (pandemic, west Yellowstone charger entrance closed). Sequoia national park has no chargers so 90% charge all the way around the park and I get back to Fresno with 25% charge.