Range Performance vs AWD LR only impacted by wheel size?

[SlamBam]

Hi,

apologies if this has been clearly described already somewhere else, though I can't find it, and I'm about to buy my Model 3, and debating if I want the performance, or AWD LR version. I'm living in Europe, so those are the only two options to get right now. Would like to have the extra performance.

I've calculated the cost difference, and am eager to take the performance, just am worried about the hit it will take on range. What I understand it will be around a 15% hit. I drive a lot during weekdays for work, and regularly take road trips. Hence, range is key for me. Might be tempted to buy a RWD just for the range, but that is alas not possible.

When I was looking at Tesla Range Table - Teslike.com it seems that the only difference between the performance & AWD LR range is due to the fact of larger wheels. And I saw somewhere in a thread (which I can't find anymore) that the performance even scored a lower Wh/KM or Wh/Miles than the AWD LR if put on 18" wheels.

Hence, my question: Would the Performance version score the same or even higher if you put it on 18" wheels? And if so (apologies for the second question in one thread), are there any recommendations on what kind of wheels given the standard 18" aero wheels don't seem to fit(?).

Thanks in advance!

 

[grommet]

Yes, with identical wheels and tires... AWD and Performance have the same efficiency in identical scenarios. (In North America, both were EPA tested/rated with 18” aero wheels and all-season tires... since we originally had a “base” Performance with standard brakes, wheels, etc.)

Sorry, I have no feedback on more efficient wheels and tires for cars with the larger Performance brakes. You are correct that the stock 18” OEM aero wheels will not fit the brakes.

If efficiency and range is something you are worrying about, maybe you should just consider the AWD instead of the loaded 20” summer tire Performance?

 

[NeverFollow]

If price is not the main criteria, I would choose the Performance, otherwise the Long Range Dual Motor.

Speed is certainly one of the main factors affecting range, so if you are really concerned about been able
to drive to a specific weekend location without the need to make a stop for charging, you should check
what average speed would allow you to complete your trip.

However, if you need to make one or more stops for charging during your long trip, then I don't think
that you will really see a big difference of time overall from driving a Performance with 20" wheels
versus a Long range with 18" or 19".

You should look at some of Bjørn Nyland videos testing various Model 3 in Los Angeles:

- Model 3 Performance range test
- Model 3 Performance motorway consumption
- Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor range test
- Model 3 Long Range high speed test
- Model 3 efficiency with wheel caps off

Note:
I have a LR D and I choose the 19" wheel mostly because I'd like better the look over the 18".
I am driving most of the time in city and local roads, and only occasionally on freeway for vacation trips.
So I am not too much looking at just getting the best range for the occasional trip.

Most important is to be able to charge at home, so my car is always fully charged every morning,
and I never had to stop during the day to charge again.

If this was possible, I wish I could have larger tires, like 255 instead of 235, even if the range would
have been affected, because I often scratches my wheels when parking in the street.

 

[SlamBam]

Thanks! This is very helpful. Now even more tempted to take the performance version. Just have to check out which wheels I can find here locally to put on.

 

[SlamBam]

Thanks! This is very helpful. Now even more tempted to take the performance version. Just have to check out which wheels I can find here locally to put on.

 

[Troy]

The table you are looking at shows the range in ideal conditions. You should expect 20% less range in winter. I recommend getting the LR AWD version with 18" wheels because of the following reasons:

1. The P version has 391 km range (243 miles) at 121 km/h (75 mph) with the 20" wheels. In winter, this will drop to 313 km (194 mi). However, we need to drop another 5% because of degradation. See the chart here. Now you are down to 297 km (186 mi).

During long distance trips, it is likely that you will find yourself in a situation where you have to slow down to increase your range. If you drive 12 km/h slower, you can achieve the same range as the LR AWD. This is a bit ironic considering that you would pay more for the Performance version but then you would have to drive slower than the non-Performance version. Whether this is an issue depends on what percentage of driving will be for long distance trips.

2. The extra range will make it possible to skip busy Superchargers.

3. Supercharging slows down as the battery gets fuller. Therefore ideally you don't want to Supercharge to close to 100%. Check out the video here to see how the power drops as the battery gets fuller. If you have less range, it is more difficult to avoid the last few percents, especially in winter. Because the range difference between wheels sizes is 12%, 87% with 18" wheels will have the same range as 99% with 20" wheels. Assuming you start Supercharging at 20%, 20% to 87% takes 42 minutes. However, 20% to 99% takes 65 minutes. Therefore the large wheels will cost you 23 minutes extra in Supercharging time.

Be careful with custom wheels. Tesla's 20" wheels are only 12% worse than the 18" wheels. However, somebody here reported that the custom wheels he bought were 30% worse.

What you are remembering is most likely related to Bjorn's video here. See the table at 20:20. In that test, the P with 18" wheels scored better than LRD with 18" wheels but that was a fluke because of the difference in driving styles. The two cars have the same motors and the same battery. The software is different and the P version has a smart fuse that makes it possible to release power more quickly but I'm not sure whether LRD has the same fuse. Somebody here reported that Tesla software upgraded an LR AWD version to a P version.

 

[miimura]

The other thing to consider is what wheels fit over the upgraded Performance brakes. I'm sure the 18" wheels will NOT fit, but I'm not sure about the 19" Tesla wheels. That is something to confirm before you get the Performance with "Performance Upgrades" which is the only way they're selling it these days, as far as I know.