The 40 kWh Model S was discontinued to increase the distance inbetween Superchargers.

[evmile]

I love my "40". I never considered taking it for road trips, because we could always take my wife's car. I got all the appearance of the more expensive cars, with leather, wheels and the pano roof, but without the extra range and performance. I wouldn't have bought the car if it were 10k more, because I just can't justify the expense, especially not just so I can drive to SD once a year. However... now I'm thinking of how cool it would be to be able to road trip this savage beast. The prospect of driving my wife's Lexus for 6 hours haunts me and fills me with sorrow. Heading up to the mountains of AZ, running up the California coast, it all would be so nice with Supercharging. But really, it's going to be a stretch to do PHX-SD or PHX-LA or PHX-LV even with the 60. I believe the map of proposed superchargers has one in the West Valley, so you can top up before heading across the desert. But $13k for the upgrade? Probably not worth it, that's a lot of plane tickets.

I think you would be a perfect candidate for a battery swap to an 85 kWh pack for your annual trip and then return to your 40 kWh pack when you get home. I think most people could live with the 60 kWh pack for their daily needs and if they could swap to an 85 kWh on the way out of town for $60 they would be completely happy. I think this will be Tesla's battery model in the long run to get the entry cost down.

 

[zdre]

I don't know where this assumption comes from, but I keep hearing it over and over. No ICE vehicle I've ever owned; large (Ford LTD), small (Audi TT), efficient (2L TFSI), gas-guzzling (5L V8) has EVER had a 400-mile range. Maybe rated, but never real-world.

Make that "GAS vehicle" instead of "ICE vehicle". My "Clean" Diesel 2.0L Golf goes 700 miles on one 14-gallon tank on the highway in the real world.

 

[vfx]

The 40 kWh Tesla Model S was a "hobbled horse" according to Elon Musk (compared to the 60 kWh and the 85 kWh). So therefore it was discontinued....Supercharger stations that have to be placed to cover the are. All that to make free long-distance possible at a lower financial investment (more Superchargers will obviously cost more money, you know)....

Any discussion about the 40 needs to separate the "promised" 40 and the "delivered" 40 as they are very different animals

The "promised" 40 was even slower than the delivered 40 so it Elon was right that it was "hobbled" in that regard at least.

Re the OP above: Since "free" Supercharging is actually an up front fee then the money should be there to build even more Superstations.

Since the delivered 40 is actually a 60 Supercharging should be possible.

Rare can be good and bad. Our 1.5 Roadsters are more rare but get less love (upgrades) from Tesla since the count is 500 vs 2000 units.

@Purplewalt The range on the 40 is 140 miles (hj-45 gets 138) not 160.

When EVs get to a 500 mile range that will silence those fretful of range anxiety and "what if I want to do a long roadtrip" naysayers because that's a very long day of driving. Only pure road-warriors (crazy ones) drive more than that in a single day. Throw in Supercharging and it's game over for ICEs in that regard.

 

[Crispix]

It's been said many times here: those who were able to get the 40s got the deal of the century. I know we all love our cars, but I bet the 40 owners love theirs just a bit more.

 

[wycolo]

So *all* 40s are 'software 40s' that actually possess 60kw batteries? Freedom to upgrade is always there if desired. Neat.

How many circuits of Kauai can an MS_40 do on one full charge??
--

 

[Mayhemm]

Don't get me wrong, I know there a plenty of vehicles that get 400+ miles. What I object to is the assumption that this is the typical range of most vehicles on the road. This number is often quoted by people criticizing the range of Model S as compared to ICEs. The average range gap between EVs and ICEs is not nearly as large as some would have us believe.

My Hyundai Sonata has a 18.5 gallon tank. I can easily get 400 miles of city driving and 500 miles of highway driving on a tank of gas.

Our Prius V has more then 500 mile range but then again not 100% ICE either. Often get over 50mpg on local driving.

Make that "GAS vehicle" instead of "ICE vehicle". My "Clean" Diesel 2.0L Golf goes 700 miles on one 14-gallon tank on the highway in the real world.

 

[fluxemag]

Yes, we all got the 60kWh battery with supercharging hardware. The cost to upgrade is $12,500, they push a button and you have both immediately.

The answer for Kauai is 0 because the road doesn't go all the way around haha. The drive I'd be interested in would be Hanalei to Waimea Canyon. It's 67 miles each way according to the google. So it would be close but definitely doable since there isn't a lot of elevation change and the temperature is nice.

So *all* 40s are 'software 40s' that actually possess 60kw batteries? Freedom to upgrade is always there if desired. Neat.

How many circuits of Kauai can an MS_40 do on one full charge??
--

 

[Longhorn92]

Yes, we all got the 60kWh battery with supercharging hardware. The cost to upgrade is $12,500, they push a button and you have both immediately.

fluxemag: not that I plan on upgrading, but isn't the upgrade cost $13,500 for us post-delivery ($11,000 for extra battery and $2,500 for supercharger access)? I know they gave us an limited-time option to upgrade for the regular price several months ago, but I assume we are back to normal post-delivery pricing now.

As I've said in the past, this upgrade price should come down over time, and depending on pricing, I may upgrade if it seems like a good deal. I'm in no hurry though - perfectly happy with my 40.

 

[fluxemag]

Yes you're right, it's 13.5k.

fluxemag: not that I plan on upgrading, but isn't the upgrade cost $13,500 for us post-delivery ($11,000 for extra battery and $2,500 for supercharger access)? I know they gave us an limited-time option to upgrade for the regular price several months ago, but I assume we are back to normal post-delivery pricing now.

As I've said in the past, this upgrade price should come down over time, and depending on pricing, I may upgrade if it seems like a good deal. I'm in no hurry though - perfectly happy with my 40.

 

[neroden]

It's possible they never intended to develop a 40k battery, or offer a 40k car, long tem.

I think they intended to develop it, but basically failed to do so. Failed engineering project. Back before I got my car, I kept hearing comments from people inside Tesla that they were having trouble with the 40 kWh car -- they couldn't get the weight balance right, apparently. It was going to be a low-margin vehicle, even with all that R&D effort. The small number of reservations was probably the last straw.

 

[stealthnhawk]

I think they intended to develop it, but basically failed to do so. Failed engineering project. Back before I got my car, I kept hearing comments from people inside Tesla that they were having trouble with the 40 kWh car -- they couldn't get the weight balance right, apparently. It was going to be a low-margin vehicle, even with all that R&D effort. The small number of reservations was probably the last straw.

I would buy the 40kwh if they have it.. I had to cancel mine because I needed to buy a house.. now I have extra cash that I can use to buy the car, but it's no longer available.. =( $12.5k more expensive than before.. my commute is only 30mi a day.. i don't need the 6okwh version.. arg.. still mad that I had to cancel the 40kwh before.. arg..

 

[neroden]

I would buy the 40kwh if they have it.. I had to cancel mine because I needed to buy a house.. now I have extra cash that I can use to buy the car, but it's no longer available.. =( $12.5k more expensive than before.. my commute is only 30mi a day.. i don't need the 6okwh version.. arg.. still mad that I had to cancel the 40kwh before.. arg..

Look for a used one?