Um. So, before 9/28/2023, I had a M3 LR RWD, 9/2018 vintage. It had 50k miles on it when a transfer-the-FSD bit was performed; and am now driving a 2023 M3 LR AWD. In addition, there's a 2021 MY LR AWD that gets driven around, sometimes long distances.
The 2018 M3 had a spec'd 260 W-hr/mile usage; the 2021 MY has a 270 W-hr/mile usage, as does the 2023 M3. (And I've got the Mulroney papers open in front of me, as it happens.
Now the kicker: On Interstates, local roads, and what-all, all three of these cars pretty much met the EPA numbers on range pretty closely. During the warm months, outside of October through March, especially on trips, the rated range (shown at the top of the screens) and the actual range (seen on the Energy screen) were either in a dead heat or the actual range was more.
As it happens, both the SO and I are not jackrabbit starters, nor do we race around and Go For The Corners. We do floor things, when called for, from time to time. But, before having Teslas, both of us drove econoboxes for decades, up to and including the 2010 Gen III Prius. Owning a Prius is interesting: The controls and displays make it a game of maxing out the gas mileage, which both of us were happy to do.
So, while I wouldn't call the two of us hypermilers, we're not the types to screetch rubber.
Now, cold weather impacted the 2018 M3 pretty severely. It would go from its nominal 260 W-hr/mile to around 330 W-hr/mile during the dead of winter; it's keeping the cabin warm that does it for energy usage. The 2021 MY has been dropping a bit in winter, to maybe 280-290 after a few miles of warm-up, but that's what a heat pump will do for the climate energy. I pretty much expect the 2023 M3 will do the same.
In fact, I have a fair amount of respect for the EPA numbers. In general, over the decades, I've never had much trouble meeting or bettering the EPA numbers for the Civics, Toyotas, and Dodge Caravans we've owned. Which is what makes this accusation against Tesla so weird. The other part.. maybe somebody here will explain this, but why is it the DOJ going after Tesla? Why isn't the EPA doing it?
