More to the point if the feds dig up some internal emails wherein Tesla execs are talking about intentionally gaming the system... that’s going to be a problem.
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The DOJ Tesla probe has expanded to include EV driving ranges
- Thread starter Macb00kemdanno
- Start date
ive found the tires matter less when your driving at highway speeds as the aero drag is such a bigger factor at 75+ mph than the tire drag/friction
the city rating certainly takes a hit from the increased tire drag with tires like all terrains but the highway does not take as bad as a hit
its a little hard to measure in my case though as i put the bigger treads on in the winter when efficiencies would be worse anyway
There is a 4.5% buffer below 0% SOC. Which might be significantly more than 10 miles. EPA runs it to true empty.
It might be that Tesla is more conservative in the in-car display of battery %age than others, and then uses EPA test aggressively without any deductions.
I've owned over a dozen gasoline-powered automobiles since the EPA adjusted its testing methodology in 2008. Each of them has met and some of them have exceeded their EPA ratings.
For example, the 2021 Ridgeline that my Model Y replaced was rated at 21 MPG combined. It averaged exactly 21.0 MPG over 30,358 miles.
The EPA says my 2019 MX-5 Miata averages 29 MPG combined. Over the four years I've owned it, it has averaged 33 MPG.
So, these two gasoline-powered vehicles get 100-114% of their EPA rating, but my Model Y gets about 80% of its EPA rating with the same driver and same driving.
I knew before I bought my first Tesla that I would not get the advertised range, but I rarely drive more than 40 miles per day. When I take a road trip, the trip planner successfully guides me to Superchargers before the battery dies, so this is a mostly a non-issue for me. However, my OCD would appreciate a more realistic advertised/indicated estimate.
I managed to go 20 miles after the car hit 0% during the snowpocalypse of 2019.. 30 mph, behind a truck, hypermiling, but still it was impressive.
2018 M3 LR
don’t try this at home.
Made it to Kettleman City from Paso Robles SC (where the wait at the time was 3-4 hours!) just fine (it’s 52 miles, had ~ 38 remaining, but it dropped pretty quickly when heading east over the hills to Kettleman.. the final 20 at 0% was either mild sleight downhill or flat. Hypermileling and trailing a truck that was SLOW helped I think… I have NO idea how much more I could have done.I'm morbidly curious... Were you able to make it to a charger or did you have to be towed to one after that 20 miles?
My last charge was 18%-51% used 27 kw/h during the charge. When the car was at 13% I drove 86 miles and the car said I used 23kw/h I used about 31kw/h. This is the only real way to check your range due to Tesla not accounting for all energy usage. Projected out I would of gotten 226 miles on a 23 MYP. I 110% drove with a heavy foot during this test. I'm doing the same thing again now and driving normal, I am on pace to do 270 miles on a full charge. I never paid much attention as I have solar and still have 2k SC miles for free. If I can get 260 per charge avg I will be happy. My lifetime is 4,122 miles using 1,112 Kw/h and 270wh/mi, per the car base don 76kw battery its getting 281 per tank. That is 100% not true.
I am (have become) a big Tesla fan. Driving experience and the tech (and the Supercharger network) are unparalleled. But I have to say: EPA numbers on Tesla are unrealistic. Not even close.
I have the 2023 Model Y Performance, rated at 303 miles range. In best times, I get 260-270 range, mixed suburban driving and highway traffic, mostly congested during commuting times. And it’s not even winter yet.
On the other hand, my wife’s IONIQ 5 SEL (also 2023) is rated at 264 miles range from EPA, but in real life I get close to 300+ miles range
I have the 2023 Model Y Performance, rated at 303 miles range. In best times, I get 260-270 range, mixed suburban driving and highway traffic, mostly congested during commuting times. And it’s not even winter yet.
On the other hand, my wife’s IONIQ 5 SEL (also 2023) is rated at 264 miles range from EPA, but in real life I get close to 300+ miles range
Tesla is the leader when it comes to many aspects of EVs, but unfortunately also in terms of inflating range. No doubt about it.
Hopefully most people have done their research and know that before buying.
Hopefully most people have done their research and know that before buying.
I don't know about that. I didn't realize it was complete BS before I bought the car. I did research but clearly not "the right" research because I'm getting an awful lot of surprises here. Tiresome. Hindsight's 20/20 and not helpful to hear that "You should have known better". At this point it is what it is but I don't think it's fair to say that everyone already knew this. And either way I'm glad CR is calling them out on it. Maybe it'll help somebody else going forward.
Me, I'm just going to have to deal with it. Life happens but I don't appreciate being fooled by a car company about so many things, including the features that I thought were included. At the end of the day though it's not going to make or break me. I'll make the best of it and supposedly Tesla will improve, which is one of the great advantages of the company- that we actually get updates that could turn the car around in a day. Now that'll be something to look forward to.
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sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
And there's your problem. Efficiency drops dramatically over 55-60 MPH. I've posted this several times before but I routinely get the rated efficiency or at least close to it driving to and from our cabin in northern Wisconsin. There are two routes I can take - one goes up I35 driving 70 MPH. The other takes state highways through WI, driving 55-60 MPH. I always get better milage staying off the interstate. Even dropping the speed from 75 to 70 mph makes a noticeable difference.
Another factor is whether you drive in chill mode or not. It was revealed recently that the car spends more energy heating the battery in regular mode than in chill mode so there's more 'parasitic' power draw, decreasing range.
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sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
yes. They are another source of data but IME they're not nearly as unbiased as they claim to be and often times their ratings don't match real life.
Not many people drive like this..but...
insideevs.com
2021 Tesla Model 3 70 MPH Highway Range Test Nets 310 Miles
We fully charge a 2021 Tesla Model 3 and drive it at a constant 70 mph to determine how far the vehicle can go at highway speeds.
insideevs.com
E90alex
Active Member
What do you mean? 70 mph steady highway is how a lot of people would drive on a road trip, if not faster. And a road trip is really where that range figure is most important.Not many people drive like this..but...
2021 Tesla Model 3 70 MPH Highway Range Test Nets 310 Miles
We fully charge a 2021 Tesla Model 3 and drive it at a constant 70 mph to determine how far the vehicle can go at highway speeds.
It’s not a “problem”. Interstates are for traveling long distances at a relatively high rate of speed. It’s normal for people to drive at that rate of speed.
I did not buy an EV to drive a slower route than I would with an ICE when the interstate is readily accessible.
As I’ve said multiple times, my issue is not with higher energy consumption at higher highway speeds. My issue is with competitors being able to more accurately predict and hit/exceed the stated EPA driving range under the speed conditions of typical Americans versus Tesla.
If anything, I’d expect Tesla to be BETTER, because they’ve been at this EV game much longer.
I’ve owned Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Subaru and Audi ICE vehicles in my 27 years of driving. They’ve all met or exceeded their EPA estimates on the highway when driving at around 70 mph. The VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI I had was especially good at hitting 43mpg+ at those speeds versus its 39mpg rating.
Our Model Y and 3 are the only vehicles to come up short by 20 to 25 percent.
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