Tesla Model 3 Drive System Validated after 1 Million Miles of Testing

[ℬête Noire]

Model 3 has been in development since 2014-ish.

For some meaning of "in development". Remember they were hip deep in Model X through that.

They didn't have hand-built road worthy prototype vehicles put together until early 2017. They probably had a pretty good idea about the motor designs but unlikely they had anything resembling production drive units before mid-late 2016.

EDIT: Cleaned up sloppy terminology.

 

[voip-ninja]

My front drive unit didn't make it to 1k miles . I'm hoping the replacement unit is of the same revision as the ones that made it to 1M miles.

I believe the 1M mile test was only of the new permanent magnet rear motor.

 

[voip-ninja]

For some meaning of "in development". Remember they were hip deep in Model X through that.

They didn't have hand-built road worthy prototype vehicles put together until Spring 2017. They probably had a pretty good idea about the engines but unlikely they had anything resembling production engines before late 2016.

Well, these aren't engines, they are motors, pretty big difference although I understand what you mean.

The engineers would have designed the new permanent magnet motors quite a while ago and they would have needed prototype units built pretty early on for testing & validation which takes quite a long time. If Tesla is smart they aren't reliant on a single supplier either, so they need engineering samples built by a couple of different companies to their specs and they then need many months to test those samples to make sure they are performing properly.

It would not surprise me at all if this stuff was going on by the time Musk made the announcement of Model 3 pricing and planned availability.

 

[outdoors]

Tesla Semi is clearing a path for the goal of a 1 million-mile electric drivetrain

In 2015, Musk said that they “want drive units that just never wear out” and they changed their endurance test to aim for 1 million miles.

Some part of me says that they have been working on this a little longer than people suspect. If it is in the Semi powertrain I suspect the whole math argument that it hasn't existed long enough is no longer valid.

I remember in the Explorer GM post I belonged to in the early 90's they had engines in the truck powertrain already built for 4 years in the future under testing.

 

[voip-ninja]

In 2015, Musk said that they “want drive units that just never wear out” and they changed their endurance test to aim for 1 million miles.

Some part of me says that they have been working on this a little longer than people suspect. If it is in the Semi powertrain I suspect the whole math argument that it hasn't existed long enough is no longer valid.

I remember in the Explorer GM post I belonged to in the early 90's they had engines in the truck powertrain already built for 4 years in the future under testing.

The engine and transmission carry the longest warranty of anything in the car (often 8 years or 100,000 miles) and companies have to validate their designs and put them through the paces as far ahead of time as possible and correct any problems they discover in early testing before they build 1M of them and end up having to replace them all 5 years into the lifespan of the vehicle.

 

[SD_Engnr]

I believe the 1M mile test was only of the new permanent magnet rear motor.

Ah, I missed that part. Well, I hope the replacement lasts more than 5.5 weeks and 1k miles.

 

[voip-ninja]

Ah, I missed that part. Well, I hope the replacement lasts more than 5.5 weeks and 1k miles.

I believe that eventually both front and rear motors on all of Tesla's vehicles will be permanent magnet but there might have been reasons a front PM motor couldn't make it into this iteration of the 3.

 

[JeffK]

They didn't have hand-built road worthy prototype vehicles put together until early 2017. They probably had a pretty good idea about the motor designs but unlikely they had anything resembling production drive units before mid-late 2016.

Many of the engineers at the initial unveiling March 31st, 2016 said that was the production drivetrain.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I believe that eventually both front and rear motors on all of Tesla's vehicles will be permanent magnet but there might have been reasons a front PM motor couldn't make it into this iteration of the 3.

I thought they went with induction motor for the front because it's cheaper and it is more efficient when freewheeling. I haven't heard that there are reliability issues specific to induction motors (maybe cooling issues?).

 

[ebmcs03]

I want to see the test procedure and data and test conditions.

Means nothing without the data behind it.

 

[Eno Deb]

Wait a second.
(1,000,000 mi / 60mph) = 16,667 hr
16,667hr / 24hr/day = 694.4 days

That would take nearly two years running constant to hit that mark. Even it you bumped it to 100 mph it's over a year. It also means it would (EDT: not) factor in the extra wear of stop/starts. Hmmm.

I think this isn't so much aimed at privately owned cars but rather commercially used vehicles which are more or less constantly in operation. Think Uber-like ride-sharing service (perhaps with autonomous driving) or the Tesla Semi (which supposedly uses the same motors as the Model 3).

I don't want to know what the seats and parts of the car exposed to the elements look like after a million miles though.

 

[ℬête Noire]

I think this isn't so much aimed at privately owned cars but rather commercially used vehicles which are more or less constantly in operation. Think Uber-like ride-sharing service (perhaps with autonomous driving) or the Tesla Semi (which supposedly uses the same motors as the Model 3).

Urban environment Uber is going to be a very different duty cycle than a 300 miles at a time Semi.

I don't want to know what the seats and parts of the car exposed to the elements look like after a million miles though.

I remember a Saturn commercial like that. Where they had an (insurance salesman?) that had driven a huge pile of miles, he drives into the dealership to say he's got a mechanical problem, and they cut to service people replacing his seat that had been totally owned by his sweaty buttocks.

 

[ngogas]

Does this mean our warranty for drive train moved to 10years 1 million miles?! Haha.

 

[insaneoctane]

I'm hoping Tesla will release more details about this test. Even without the specifics, it's impressive, for sure. 1M miles in most any reasonable test configuration is great news and the more challenging the details of the actual test turns out to be the better.

 

[mrrross]

If you ran the motor in the lab at 155mph you could complete 1 million miles in 270 days. They may even run at a higher mph for a shorter duration, and/or extrapolate reliability. In the space world one can emulate 3 years on mars in about 6 months in the lab.

 

[AlexanderAF]

That is quite impressive. I hope mine lasts for many years to come!

 

[systemBuilder]

Hey if they disconnect the motors from the wheels and run the motors at 1000 mph then it would only take them 1.5 months to go 1M miles!

 

[Knightshade]

I thought they went with induction motor for the front because it's cheaper and it is more efficient when freewheeling

I thought it was because a PM motor can't freewheel. At all. (or more than a very short distance)

It's why you can't tow the Model 3 with wheels on the ground.

 

[JeffK]

Hey if they disconnect the motors from the wheels and run the motors at 1000 mph then it would only take them 1.5 months to go 1M miles!

It likely is disconnected from the wheels. I wouldn't doubt it'd be capable of 190-200 mph but 1000 mph not so much.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I thought it was because a PM motor can't freewheel. At all. (or more than a very short distance)

It's why you can't tow the Model 3 with wheels on the ground.

It must be able to supply zero torque otherwise there would be a step in the throttle between positive and negative torque. Maybe it just needs to have the motor controller active to do so. My knowledge of electric motors is very limited.