Roadster 3.0

[ecarfan]

Thanks to Bonnie and Roadrunner2013 for that handy info! I had no idea. I thought I read the whole Roadster manual.

But if you charge the car in Standard mode how can you increase the range by switching to Range when the car didn't get a Range charge?

I have hijacked this thread, and I apologize. Mods feel free to split off these posts to a new thread. Maybe under the subject line "Will 3.0 upgrade offer more flexibility in charging?"

On the main battery screen of the VDS, you can tap on the battery itself to change driving modes: standard, performance and range, no matter what the charging mode selection was originally. You can do this at any time during your trip. All the range counters change accordingly.
As for charging to say 78%, OVMS will allow you to configure that via SMS, not via the app... so far...of course doing it from the VDS would be easier for everyone!

 

[Nvbob]

I have also been able to cycle through "standard to performance" by twisting the key forward. From standard, twist once to change to performance and again to go back to standard per page 6-2 of the owners manual.

 

[Roadrunner13]

Thanks to Bonnie and Roadrunner2013 for that handy info! I had no idea. I thought I read the whole Roadster manual.

But if you charge the car in Standard mode how can you increase the range by switching to Range when the car didn't get a Range charge?

When toggling driving mode, the range indicators increase but not because of the type of charge.
So, the extra miles won't reach anywhere near what they would be after a range charge!

They increase because power will be limited while driving in 'range mode'...
thus offering potentially a greater range.
Of course, if you keep flooring the accelerator, even with limited power, range will drop!

On the other hand, if you choose 'performance mode', if I remember well, the ESS will be allowed to run 'hotter'.

 

[djp]

But if you charge the car in Standard mode how can you increase the range by switching to Range when the car didn't get a Range charge?

Standard mode hides 40km of range. Switching to Range mode displays the full range of the battery.

 

[slcasner]

But if you charge the car in Standard mode how can you increase the range by switching to Range when the car didn't get a Range charge?

This is all straightforward once you understand a few concepts (speaking in round numbers here):

• When you charge in Standard mode, the battery is only filled about 90% full in order to reduce the stress on the battery. When you charge in Range mode, the top 10% of the battery capacity is filled, which adds about 25 miles of range.
• When you are driving in Standard mode, the bottom 10% of the battery capacity is held in reserve. If you switch to Range mode, the bottom 10% can be used so the indicated remaining range is about 25 miles more. This extra range from the bottom 10% applies independently of whether you charged in Standard mode or Range mode.
• The overall increase in ideal range after a Range mode charge versus a Standard mode charge is the sum of the extra range from the bottom 10% plus the top 10%.
• As has been noted in earlier posts, you can switch among modes while driving by tapping on the battery symbol on the VDS. In Range mode ("Max Range" on the display), the span from 0% to 100% of the battery symbol represents the entire capacity of the battery. In Standard mode (no label), the scale is expanded so that 0% on the battery symbol represents 10% of the actual battery capacity and 100% on the battery symbol represents 90% of the actual battery capacity. The point where the reading is the same in both modes is about 48%.
• Driving in Range mode does not consume any less power than driving in Standard mode, given the same acceleration and speed. The difference is just that Range mode limits how fast you can accelerate. If you drive in Standard mode and don't push too hard on the little pedal, the energy consumption is no different than if you were in Range mode.

When I'm on a road trip, I normally charge in Range mode and drive in Standard mode so that the fast acceleration is available to me in case I need it. My planned hops don't require using the bottom 10% since that stresses the battery, but if I get stuck and need to go to Plan B, I can switch to Range mode and use the additional range. One consequence of this approach is that when I start out after a charge the battery indictor on the VDS is trying to show about 107% when it can only show 100%, so it does not drop below 100% until that extra 7% has been consumed. I would prefer the battery display not to be scaled in Standard mode and instead just have the bottom and top 10% areas marked off with a different color or shading. That would make switching between modes easier to understand.

 

[ecarfan]

Thanks again to everyone for their comments. And thanks to @slcasner, particularly for what he wrote about the way the battery indicator scaling changes depending on the mode selected.

I do hope that the 3.0 upgrade firmware changes the way the battery bar indicator works to be more like the Model S, and therefore easier to understand.

 

[supersnoop]

Thanks again to everyone for their comments. And thanks to @slcasner, particularly for what he wrote about the way the battery indicator scaling changes depending on the mode selected.

I do hope that the 3.0 upgrade firmware changes the way the battery bar indicator works to be more like the Model S, and therefore easier to understand.

I would argue that the Roadster provides more insight I to the state of the battery. I don't believe the Model S actually tells you the full range of the battery.

 

[hcsharp]

When toggling driving mode, the range indicators increase but not because of the type of charge.
So, the extra miles won't reach anywhere near what they would be after a range charge!

They increase because power will be limited while driving in 'range mode'...
thus offering potentially a greater range.
Of course, if you keep flooring the accelerator, even with limited power, range will drop!

On the other hand, if you choose 'performance mode', if I remember well, the ESS will be allowed to run 'hotter'.

That's true with the Model S. The Roadster is different. What you said about driving harder reducing range is correct but if you drive the same you will get about 25 more miles of range by switching the driving mode to Range. Not to repeat what slcasner said but the reason is because it opens up a lower voltage level at the bottom of the cell's capacity. The only exception to this is that driving in Range mode allows the ESS to run hotter, up to 40C before it get's serious about cooling it down. The cells are very slightly more efficient (less internal resistance) at the higher temp so you end up getting a couple miles of extra range.

 

[bart513]

So are you saying that it is healthier for the battery to charge in Standard mode and change to Range mode while driving versus charging at Range mode? And the extra miles will be almost the same?

 

[dpeilow]

It's better to only charge in Range mode if you know you must use all the miles for your journey. If you are doing a shorter journey but the range is touch and go, it is better to charge in standard and then unlock the bottom 25 miles when you need it by switching to range.

Anyway, this is all well off topic so can we concentrate on 3.0 please.

 

[ecarfan]

Yes we've gotten off topic, my post that started it all was simply to point out that it would be nice if the 3.0 battery and firmware allowed charging to variable levels like the Model S does n

 

[dhrivnak]

Yes we've gotten off topic, my post that started it all was simply to point out that it would be nice if the 3.0 battery and firmware allowed charging to variable levels like the Model S does n

And I must disagree as I think the current VDS is simple and meets the need. Charge and run in standard 99% of the time and the few times you need range it is there with 2 clicks. In standard mode at 87% charge you get a slight balancing at the end of the charge which is good for the battery. If you were to always charge at say 80% then over time your battery will become unbalanced and when you need the range charge it will not get all that you need.

Why complicate life let's keep it simple.

And while on the subject of 3.0 any idea when they will share the price? I actually just had a radio interview about Tesla and EV's in general and the host was very impressed Tesla was offering an upgrade after 6 years. He said, correctly I believe, that upgradability is VERY important to most people and keeps resale values up. But only if affordable.

 

[andybm3]

And I must disagree as I think the current VDS is simple and meets the need. Charge and run in standard 99% of the time and the few times you need range it is there with 2 clicks. In standard mode at 87% charge you get a slight balancing at the end of the charge which is good for the battery. If you were to always charge at say 80% then over time your battery will become unbalanced and when you need the range charge it will not get all that you need.

Why complicate life let's keep it simple.

And while on the subject of 3.0 any idea when they will share the price? I actually just had a radio interview about Tesla and EV's in general and the host was very impressed Tesla was offering an upgrade after 6 years. He said, correctly I believe, that upgradability is VERY important to most people and keeps resale values up. But only if affordable.

Completely agree like simplicity of current VDS

 

[Chillout]

Felt a bit bored, so I decided to have another go at the more aerodynamic front... I guess this is a bit too much

 

[ecarfan]

Umm...not my preference. Looks too much like a Lexus.

Remember, an EV doesn't need huge air intakes in the front. The grille area can be relatively small.

 

[sethr]

I do like the idea of DRLs, though.

 

[ggr]

I do like the idea of DRLs, though.

You can always just leave the headlights switched on all the time. It uses negligible power and they switch off when you take out the key.

 

[sethr]

Yes, but LED DRL's would last longer and no doubt be cheaper and easier to replace....

 

[Habious]

Elon Musk: Tesla Model S will go farther on a charge - Mar. 15, 2015

"Tesla similarly upgraded its Roadster electric cars last year, expanding their range to almost 400 miles between charges via an over-the-air update. Before the upgrade, Roadsters could travel about 245 miles on a single charge."

Am I the only one who didn't get this software update?

 

[ecarfan]

That article had some major errors in it.