What will Smart Air Suspension cost on Model 3?

[Brad_SC]

I am creating a series of polls regarding what we (collectively) think certain features will cost on the Model 3.

This is a forum, so please feel free to add comments, but for the sake of data collection, please do vote on the polls!

I will provide the Model S and Model X price points for each of those features, in USD.

Yes, the Model S and Model X have a few more features than I’ll be making polls for, but some of those features are just not needed to be polled on.

 

[EcoHeliGuy]

The cost should be the same. All the same components are needed.

 

[AUSinator]

The cost should be the same. All the same components are needed.

The cost will not be the same as the Model S. The model 3 will be 300kg+ lighter so the air suspension will be built to handle less weight. Considering much higher sales to the model 3 my guess is the air suspension to be in the $1500-$2000 range.

 

[tga]

I'll ask a different question - why would anyone want it? Everyone I know who has had a car with air suspension (including me) has had expensive (>$1000) out-of -warranty repairs on the system.

People claim it allows you to increase ride height to increase clearance over obstacles (curbing, etc). Wrong - on high, the Model S with SAS is indistinguishable from coils. If anything, SAS allows you to lower the car and hit obstacles - hardly a "feature" (ie, SAS "fixes" a problem that doesn't exist with coil suspension cars)

The claim is it improves range by reducing frontal area - but by what, 2*(ride height lowering)*(front tire width)? Seems hardly worth it - tests show it isn't really measurable at all - Air suspension and range?

So what's the appeal? Just that it's cool?

Full disclosure - if I buy a CPO S to wait out the 3, I'll probably wind up with an S with SAS, because (a) most used cars have it, (b) it probably helps resale/trade in (since I don't plan to keep the S once my 3 arrives), and (c) I'll trade the S before the warranty is up.

 

[ProtomanX]

I'll ask a different question - why would anyone want it? Everyone I know who has had a car with air suspension (including me) has had expensive (>$1000) out-of -warranty repairs on the system.

So what's the appeal? Just that it's cool?

Air suspension makes the ride much more quiet and smoother. Most the shocks from the wheel are absorbed. Standard coil is more firmer and more road noise.

 

[RiverBrick]

People claim it allows you to increase ride height to increase clearance over obstacles (curbing, etc). Wrong - on high, the Model S with SAS is indistinguishable from coils.



So what's the appeal? Just that it's cool?

1)Do you have a link to the ride height of the S/X on coils vs air? There are four air levels, and I though low was at the same level as coils, not high as you state, and there's also a "very high" setting.


2) After having had three different loaners with air, I have to admit they all offer a more comfortable ride than my car with springs.

 

[tga]

1)Do you have a link to the ride height of the S/X on coils vs air? There are four air levels, and I though low was at the same level as coils, not high as you state, and there's also a "very high" setting.

I meant to include this link, but forgot to: Air suspension ride height vs. Standard suspension ride height

It says SAS on high is within 1/8" of coils.

 

[AUSinator]

Air suspension makes the ride much more quiet and smoother. Most the shocks from the wheel are absorbed. Standard coil is more firmer and more road noise.

Also the ride is less crashy over poor surface. It makes the car feel a lot more premium and is deferentially worth the investment. No question about it. Other than larger batterie ,AWD and performance ok maybe leather it's the next best option. Air suspension is 100% on my list.

 

[RiverBrick]

I meant to include this link, but forgot to: Air suspension ride height vs. Standard suspension ride height

It says SAS on high is within 1/8" of coils.

Thanks for the link. If high is 1/8" above coils, the very high setting probably offers 5/8" more clearance than coils.

 

[RiverBrick]

Also the ride is less crashy over poor surface...

Unfortunately, this is something that has become all too clear due to the millions of potholes in my town this Winter.

 

[melindav]

I'll ask a different question - why would anyone want it?

For me, I would add the air suspension because I live in a house/neighborhood with rollover curbs. My stock height car scrapes if I don't approach from a sharp angle, and my lowered car scrapes no matter what angle. And my driveway is pretty level, so expect there are many out there with much more difficult driveways to get in/out of at a standard height.

 

[EcoHeliGuy]

I'll ask a different question - why would anyone want it? Everyone I know who has had a car with air suspension (including me) has had expensive (>$1000) out-of -warranty repairs on the system.

People claim it allows you to increase ride height to increase clearance over obstacles (curbing, etc). Wrong - on high, the Model S with SAS is indistinguishable from coils. If anything, SAS allows you to lower the car and hit obstacles - hardly a "feature" (ie, SAS "fixes" a problem that doesn't exist with coil suspension cars)

The claim is it improves range by reducing frontal area - but by what, 2*(ride height lowering)*(front tire width)? Seems hardly worth it - tests show it isn't really measurable at all - Air suspension and range?

So what's the appeal? Just that it's cool?

Full disclosure - if I buy a CPO S to wait out the 3, I'll probably wind up with an S with SAS, because (a) most used cars have it, (b) it probably helps resale/trade in (since I don't plan to keep the S once my 3 arrives), and (c) I'll trade the S before the warranty is up.

Although I agree with most of your points. Reducing frontal area isn't the reason lowering improves mileage.

By lowering the car you reduce the amount of slow moving air below the car. By lowering the car you can actually accelerate the air passing below the car causing a low pressure environment which reduced drag and offset the tendency of the air over the cabin to create lift at high speed. In Tesla's case the read defuser also increases in efficiency.

The is the reason all the manufacturers place ugly black plastic air dams below the front bumper. GM placed a massive air dam below the Canyon Z71 reducing ground clearance trying to maintain fuel efficiency.

 

[Colsla]

Air suspension makes the ride much more quiet and smoother. Most the shocks from the wheel are absorbed. Standard coil is more firmer and more road noise.

hmm it's a nice appeal but not for me when I am already on budget and its just one more thing to break.. I can see why some people need it though.

 

[Galve2000]

I don't think the Model 3 will offer air suspension... I'm not sure why everyone insists that the Model 3 will have every option of the model S and X.. Just for less..

 

[Zoomit]

I recall one of the driver's at the reveal indicated the car had optional air suspension in a video, though I could be misremembering.

A tow hitch is an option and they may require the air suspension to have that option. The self-leveling feature keeps the rear suspension geometry correct with a heavy tongue weight.

 

[MTL_HABS1909]

I don't think the Model 3 will offer air suspension... I'm not sure why everyone insists that the Model 3 will have every option of the model S and X.. Just for less..

Do you ever read Elon's tweets?

 

[tga]

Air suspension makes the ride much more quiet and smoother. Most the shocks from the wheel are absorbed. Standard coil is more firmer and more road noise.

While true for the S and X, that doesn't have to be the case with the 3. The main advantage with an air suspension is adjustable height, not stiffness. You don't need air to make a soft suspension. Tesla could (like most manufacturers) offer a stiff sport suspension and a soft luxury suspension, both with standard coil-over-shock design.

Although I agree with most of your points. Reducing frontal area isn't the reason lowering improves mileage.

By lowering the car you reduce the amount of slow moving air below the car. By lowering the car you can actually accelerate the air passing below the car causing a low pressure environment which reduced drag and offset the tendency of the air over the cabin to create lift at high speed. In Tesla's case the read defuser also increases in efficiency.

The is the reason all the manufacturers place ugly black plastic air dams below the front bumper. GM placed a massive air dam below the Canyon Z71 reducing ground clearance trying to maintain fuel efficiency.

Good point - I hadn't considered old Bernoulli - but the fact remains, Bjorn's testing shows little real world changes in range while adjusting the height on the S.

 

[EcoHeliGuy]

Like anything else there are optimum scenarios. The Dual motors are an example, stop and go traffic they don't really increase range, but get into the hills and the dual motors optimism down hill regeneration, and on the highway steady speed energy usage.

The lowering of suspension will have better results the faster the car travels as well as if it's in the slipstream of another vehicle. If you spend most of your time traveling at 90kmh (55) then the lowering doesn't benifit you much. But at higher sustained speeds 120(75)+ the effects is sizable. But at high speeds the car maintains stability is also increases comfort, safety, and sense of control. In locations such as where I live the posted speed limit can be 120(75) and the average driver maintains 130(80), air suspension does indeed produce real world results.

If I went on a long Supercharger road trip once a year and spent most my time driving on 90(55) or below and didn't tow. Definitely would skip the option.

 

[HanSolo]

As someone who has owned 2 vehicles with an air suspension, this is one option I am going to absolutely stay away from. Everyone who has argued the merits are exactly correct, but the OP has a great point about the cost of keeping it up. This is something that can get very expensive very fast as the car ages and heaven forbid that compressor goes bad. I am not sure about this being an option in an entry level luxury car, but it would be something I would stay away from as I have a cost objective to stick with in how I need to add the options. I also don't want the repair when it is time to repair as I have seen in the past.

 

[LaCostaRacer]

I don't understand the need for all the polls on the options and what their cost will be. We don't even know the length of the car, so how will we as a forum project the cost of options? Our opinion doesn't make a big impact on what Tesla's costs are anyway.

With that said, I think taking the model S option price and multiplying by .95 might approximate the M3 price for options common to both cars. The Model3 might give some economies of scale for component prices when components are shared between the Tesla models- otherwise it's hard to know.