Tesla Releases $2,000 Model Y Acceleration Boost, Shaves Half Second

[AFN1]

I have no issues maintaining acceptable levels of efficiency after the boost upgrade. The people stating range will decrease probably haven't bought it. As long as I'm not driving aggressive, my wh/mi is the exact same as prior to the purchase. My drive to work is the same consumption as it was the last 3 weeks.

I appreciate your feedback. I am not concerned with efficiency or range.

What interests me is how Acceleration Boost affects pedal travel. i.e. the difference of a quarter distance depression on the accelerator pre/post Boost. Is the accelerator mapped in such a way that I can still accelerate in a wife approved manner in sport mode or do I have to switch to chill mode to avoid an aggressively mapped accelerator. Ideally the software would take into account speed and distance of travel of pedal but I am curious to hear others thoughts on this.

 

[pt19713]

I appreciate your feedback. I am not concerned with efficiency or range.

What interests me is how Acceleration Boost affects pedal travel. i.e. the difference of a quarter distance depression on the accelerator pre/post Boost. Is the accelerator mapped in such a way that I can still accelerate in a wife approved manner in sport mode or do I have to switch to chill mode to avoid an aggressively mapped accelerator. Ideally the software would take into account speed and distance of travel of pedal but I am curious to hear others thoughts on this.

You'll be fine in Sport mode and partial accelerator driving without breaking any passenger necks. There's literally no difference in day to day driving, no hit in range/efficiency if you're not stomping the pedal. My wife didn't even know I had the boost upgrade on her initial drive. On the way home, I told her "grab the door handle" and that's how she knew I bought it.

 

[Bengt18T]

I would think that range would be unaffected if driven at the same much lower than WOT style as before. Back in ICE world you can achieve the same mileage at reasonable driving because you can remap the throttle and engine throughout the rev and throttle range and have them become more aggressive the more throttle you give it. I would imagine the same is true in a BEV, possibly with finer adjustments since everything is electric and not mechanical.

The other point is that look at the PUP Y vs the LR Y. Basically the same drivetrain, and if you remove the 21" wheels you have the same range. This is with even more power than the acceleration boost.

Personally, it's all exciting to me... basically relearning about tuning after 20+ years of ICE chips, maps, turbos, etc... Guess we all have to geek out about something.

 

[overkill]

I got the the AWD Perf. without PUP model Y. If I had to do it all over again, I would purchase AWD Non-performance and upgrade to boost. 3.5 seconds is overkill and 4.3 is damn fast. I probably wouldn't get the FSD either, it's waste of time and money. Standard autopilot - lane keeper and adaptive cruise - is all I need and use. Hopefully Musk will come through on that FSD upgrade this year...

This is where I am at with the Model 3. I bought the AWD in June 2019 and bitterly regretted not waiting a month for the Performance stealth model (not that I could have known it was coming out). Then the Acceleration Boost option came out and I bought it. The car is ridiculously fast and makes me carsick if I actually use the additional performance, which I do from time to time. I now have zero regrets in "only" owning a AWD + Performance boost. The torque is massive. If we buy a Model Y to compliment the 3, we'll do the same thing. The Performance bragging rights is not worth the price tag for me. For the first time in my life, I am satisfied not owning the "top" model of any given car.

 

[mark95476]

Agreed, but there's no "logic" or reasoning other than FUD.

The M3 has had it's acceleration boost for 1+ year(s) so all of this is rehashing the same FUD for MY. There's no evidence based on M3 data that shows range decreases with acceleration boost when driving the same.

It seems you are trying to apply ICE engine logic to an electric motor. RPM is directly coupled to speed since there is a fixed gear transmission. The amount of power generated by the motor is a function of how much you press the accelerator, that's why energy usage is not impacted in case you drive exactly the same as before enabling the boost.

 

[mark95476]

I felt the AWD MY was super fast even without acceleration boost. With acceleration boost, yes, it's ridiculous even in the Y. I was a bit afraid of getting the P, so I didn't. Absolutely no regrets now.

I'm glad I'm not in my 20s and have decades of driving experience with performance gassers.

This is where I am at with the Model 3. I bought the AWD in June 2019 and bitterly regretted not waiting a month for the Performance stealth model (not that I could have known it was coming out). Then the Acceleration Boost option came out and I bought it. The car is ridiculously fast and makes me carsick if I actually use the additional performance, which I do from time to time. I now have zero regrets in "only" owning a AWD + Performance boost. The torque is massive. If we buy a Model Y to compliment the 3, we'll do the same thing. The Performance bragging rights is not worth the price tag for me. For the first time in my life, I am satisfied not owning the "top" model of any given car.

 

[E-curb]

If everything stays the same and you actually have more power this almost certainly means less range. Unless physics just doesn't apply. I assume they can achieve this via tweaking the software on the motor. Even if they tweaked this for the top range it is probably impossible to keep things similar.


Now if you are able to keep everything the same then the update is not as good as people think. For them to achieve any gains it means the motors and power consumption are higher then before you did the upgrade.

Tesla can't avoid physics so for a lot people it's more of a case of what are the trade offs to get more power.

Well if you want to talk physics, the energy of motion for a car going 60 MPH is 1/2 X Mass X Velocity^2. How quickly you reach 60 MPH doesn't change that. Off course with greater acceleration you have greater losses, but once you are at cruising speed, physics does not indicate the boosted car's range will be any less.

 

[fparent]

So Tesla purposely takes a half a second of the acceleration and sells it back to us for $2000? And you guys are okay with that?

 

[john5520]

So Tesla purposely takes a half a second of the acceleration and sells it back to us for $2000? And you guys are okay with that?

It's your choice to buy it.

 

[NJEV-Don]

It's your choice to buy it.

I agree. You are buying a car with specs that you know in advance. You pick the motor, the exterior and interior colours, the wheels. You know the electric range, how fast it will go and the 0-60 time. You know if you’re buying a Long Range version or Performance and what exactly is included in those options. You know exactly what you’re buying. Just because the car is capable of doing more through a software update doesn’t mean they owe it to you for free. You will get plenty of free software updates that will give you things you didn’t have at time of purchase. The acceleration boost is NOT one of them. If you want it and think it’s worth the $2000 you buy it. If not then you don’t get it.

 

[Balthezor]

Damn, I really want this, but the Y is my wife's car. Guess I should just put that $2k in Tesla stock.

 

[empiredown]

Damn, I really want this, but the Y is my wife's car. Guess I should just put that $2k in Tesla stock.

Same boat. Surprised her with it and she loves it. Do it and you'll both have fun with it. Her for you geting it for her. You for you getting it for you!

SS

 

[empiredown]

Thinking about performance ... why I never saw a need for more than 4 cylinder turbo charged.
Passing & getting onto highways.

24-27 mpg around town
36 mpg on the highways
that from a 1989 (better than my 1976 Saab +15% mileage +1/3 more power)

Waste just the way we do things - for some anyway. Don't Ads work great ?

Uh... English much? Or are you a poet and didn't know it???

SS

 

[tron37]

I have my 3 week old Y with the acceleration boost and a 2018 MB GLC63 out in the garage right now and I think the Y out performs it in every meaningful way in everyday life and even though the raw numbers say the GLC is faster. It may be but it doesn't feel it in real life because it has to figure out what gear it needs to be in and and if it needs to switch to sport or sport+ mode and who knows what else, but the Y just goes and is well ahead before the GLC gets started.

The most annoying thing about the GLC is that the traction control is overly sensitive and will tell you your tires are slipping when you know they aren't (52 in a 50 going around a corner on the freeway in dry daylight and the car cuts power like you're about to go into the ditch). And will also do the same thing if you try to merge into traffic from a side street and leave you in the middle of the street with your pants down when it cuts the power and bogs the engine just when you need it most.
The GLC was over $90k new and it's the noisiest car (rattling dash, doors and suspension) I've had so I'll be selling it soon as it's just not as good a car nor as fun to drive.

 

[pt19713]

The difference in 0-60 is about 0.1 between the Y and GLC63, the edge to the GLC. I don't think most will be able to feel the difference. At lower speeds, EVs tend to feel faster just because of the lack of shifts and the immense torque from idle. Where the GLC63 has a big edge is 80+ MPH.

 

[frankvb]

The difference in 0-60 is about 0.1 between the Y and GLC63, the edge to the GLC. I don't think most will be able to feel the difference. At lower speeds, EVs tend to feel faster just because of the lack of shifts and the immense torque from idle. Where the GLC63 has a big edge is 80+ MPH.

I'm guessing that (similar to my previous 2018 X3 M40i) the only way to do the published 0-60 time is to put the GLC in some sort of 'launch' mode. First need to warm up the engine, then apply both brake and accelerator so the turbo revs up. That is one major difference with an EV where no such thing is needed (though you'd need to have a fairly high battery charge level).

 

[pt19713]

I'm guessing that (similar to my previous 2018 X3 M40i) the only way to do the published 0-60 time is to put the GLC in some sort of 'launch' mode. First need to warm up the engine, then apply both brake and accelerator so the turbo revs up. That is one major difference with an EV where no such thing is needed (though you'd need to have a fairly high battery charge level).

A warm battery is needed, too. I tested it on a Dragy GPS with a cold battery and lost 0.5 seconds in 0-60

 

[guyrelax]

So Tesla purposely takes a half a second of the acceleration and sells it back to us for $2000? And you guys are okay with that?

Easy to forget the car is already better than the competitors. If anything this is a good value compared to buying a performance model


...


So what is the verdict on the 2k upgrade? How noticeable is it? I mean, I'm gonna do it. But only had the car 2 days and loving it. Only test drove the performance before this. Honesty it doesn't feel much different while driving. Off the line is less but still great.

 

[empiredown]

Absolutely noticeable and absolutely worth it. Even if you only use it to have fun a couple times a year vice heading to an amusement park... It's just enough to make you giddy/laugh with fun vice scaring the crap out of you and making you sick. A great balance for a great car.

SS

 

[tonyb99]

Easy to forget the car is already better than the competitors. If anything this is a good value compared to buying a performance model


...


So what is the verdict on the 2k upgrade? How noticeable is it? I mean, I'm gonna do it. But only had the car 2 days and loving it. Only test drove the performance before this. Honesty it doesn't feel much different while driving. Off the line is less but still great.

Very noticeable off the line or when overtaking. How much does it cost to add 50HP to an ICE vehicle? 2k is a bargain.