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which range to choose?
- Thread starter rmm 12345
- Start date
You should get as much range as you can afford, in my opinion the LR AWD. Give's you flexibility in winter and accounts for some normal battery degradation over several years.
For a 175 mile range, given the various factors which impact range (shouldn't be charging to 100% regularly, cold-weather hits to efficiency, etc.), I don't think an SR/+ will do the job for you. As @Twochewy said, you should get a LR AWD
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
You must get the LR with 322 miles of rated range, and please note even with the LR, you may well have problems in the winter getting 175 miles out of it in day, depending on how those miles are traveled. If it's several shorter trips with stops in between, in winter that could be a real problem. In winter, assuming you don't want to freeze, the higher your average speed, generally the better off you are. Puttering around surface streets for 175 miles averaging 30-40mph could be a real problem.
Fortunately for you, global warming means that winters in NJ are just getting warmer and warmer.
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TydalForce
Member
Keep in mind it's not just the range; the LR AWD is dual-motor, has the full "Premium" Interior, has a higher max charge rate (48amps vs 32) and is a little quicker/faster.
I went for the LR AWD mostly because of the dual motor, but the other things (like range) are definitely nice to have
I went for the LR AWD mostly because of the dual motor, but the other things (like range) are definitely nice to have
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
They way in which you asked this question suggests you already know the answer. You quite obviously should buy a long range.
The range numbers listed are only for optimal conditions and don't include things like heat or a/c (if they do, a minimal of it). Also, you will likely want to remove the top 10%, and then remember that when you get down below 20% you must be a reasonable distance from home or a supercharger.
You are in NJ, so you will be using a lot of heat in the winter.
So rule of thumb for northern climates 40-50% of the miles that are posted if you want optimal battery / peace of mind + reasonable HVAC. It will improve your supercharging speed also to have the bigger battery.
You are in NJ, so you will be using a lot of heat in the winter.
So rule of thumb for northern climates 40-50% of the miles that are posted if you want optimal battery / peace of mind + reasonable HVAC. It will improve your supercharging speed also to have the bigger battery.
Sounds like it, it is possible he does not know. The SR+ is listed at 250 miles, so removing the top 10% he would seem to have still 50 miles extra a 225. Possibly expecting to hear "you'd be running it close with the SR+" and not "SR+ == no way".
There's nothing on the Tesla website explaining about the losses due to HVAC and inefficient driving.
Long range all the way. There will be days where it’s extremely hot or extremely cold. Cabin overhead protection and sentry model will eat battery life. Also remember the car actively manages battery temperature (hot and cold) so it will use energy. In the SoCal summer I was losing 5% just sitting for 9 hrs in the heat of the desert.
srs5694
Active Member
I agree with most of the preceding comments; an SR+ (or worse, a bare-bones SR) will be cutting it a bit close on cold-weather days when you need to drive more than average. That said, there are a few other factors that could make an SR+ a better (or worse) option, including:
- Home charging -- If you can charge at home at 32A, 240v or better, then you'll be able to recover ~200 miles of range in about seven hours. If you'll be limited to lower charging rates because of lack of home charging or a house's electrical infrastructure being sub-par, then the extra range of an LR may be necessary on some days. (Of course, you'll need to recover that range sooner or later, but an LR will give you more "wiggle room" on when that's done.) Also, the LR can charge at up to 48A, whereas the SR+ is limited to 32A. Thus, if your house's electrical system can support it, you can install and take advantage of a more powerful 48A Tesla Wall Connector (or third-party EVSE) for an LR Model 3. This might not be strictly necessary, but if you have a limited time in which to charge the car on some particular day, it may be helpful.
- Work charging -- If you can charge at work, then an SR+ becomes a much more reasonable option. You could drive the ~55 miles to work and recover that range (including whatever extra range is consumed because of cold weather) in two or three hours while at work.
- Local DC fast chargers -- If there's a Tesla Supercharger site near your commute route, then you could use that on the rare occasions when you need to drive ~175 miles in a day, if you need a little extra boost. This might be a bit of a hassle, but if the Supercharger is somewhere you might reasonably stop anyhow (say, in a mall with a supermarket), then it could make the SR+ not much less convenient than an LR. Similar comments apply to CHAdeMO DC fast chargers, with the caveat that you'd need to buy Tesla's $450 CHAdeMO adapter. (EVgo is planning to add Tesla connectors to many of their stations this year, which will help, too.) Check PlugShare to see what charging options are available along your commute (and near your work, for that matter). You can adjust filters for various charging options -- Tesla, Tesla SuperCharger, J1772, and CHAdeMO are the ones you can use.
- Warranty -- Tesla's battery warranty is a little more generous on the LR battery pack than on the SR+ pack. Given that your commute will use a much greater percentage of the SoC on an SR+ than on an LR, and thus strain it more, it becomes more likely that you'll end up having battery problems in a few years on an SR+. If that happens after the battery warranty has expired, it could be costly.
- Price -- This issue has been lurking in the background, but it deserves explicit mention, since the LR AWD is $9,000 more than the SR+. You'll have to balance this against all of the above.
I’m reading between the lines here, but it sounds like you will have multiple stops during the day. In winter, the cabin will cool back down to ambient temperatures relatively quickly, so multiple short stops will require much more heat to return the cabin to a nice toasty 75F. If that’s your driving pattern, then definitely get LR AWD. The battery cools down or warms up much slower, over 5-15 hr, so it’s best for range to charge all night until just before leaving, then drive to the farthest destination. I see very little difference in my 100 mi trip to the nearest supercharger, except when temperatures get way below 20 F (because I start with a garaged, full battery). If parking overnight on the street, then expect a much colder battery and lower range.
However, if you regularly stop for coffee or lunch right near a supercharger, then you can save some money upfront and get the SR. I don’t really recommend this, but it’s your life and the $9000 saving will pay for a lot of food or charging. However, remember that your charging will be slower than the LR and usually in the worst inclement weather.
SoccerMan94043
Member
Due to my "spirited" driving, I get about 20% less than the rated range. Add that potential to the 10% charging buffer and the other winter driving issues.
Is your winter cold?
Your only real option is a RW LR with that kind of commute. Unless you're ok with stopping to supercharge for a short period of time every day.
srs5694
Active Member
The range difference between the LR RWD and the LR AWD is pretty small. As the former is no longer available new, and Tesla has tweaked its efficiency numbers since the last time it was offered, it's unclear how big the difference is. As I recall, the last time the LR RWD was sold, it was rated at 325 miles, vs. 310 miles for the LR AWD. Even assuming a charge to 90% and leaving a 10% gap at the bottom, that 310 miles translates to 248 miles, which is 42% over the 175-mile commute distance. That's a comfortable enough gap for all but the very coldest of days. (Charging to 100% on a very cold day when you expect to drive 175 miles is reasonable, so long as you don't do it too often.) The extra ~15 miles (more like ~10 miles under those conditions) of the LR RWD could be useful on rare occasion, but if the commute really is that close to the line on a regular basis, I'd say that any Model 3 isn't adequate, at least not without charging available at work or maybe a Supercharger along the way.
The last I heard, the LR RWD was no longer available, at least new from Tesla. It was moved off-menu in the spring of 2019 (I don't recall exactly when), then quietly discontinued entirely. I probably got one of the last ones produced, in late March of 2019.
That said, Tesla has discontinued it twice and resurrected it once. They could bring it back again, but I wouldn't assume it will happen. If you really want one and can afford to wait, then that's an option. Otherwise, it's necessary to settle on an SR+ or an LR RWD; or buy an LR RWD on the used market. A used one is likely to have at least a little battery degradation baked in already, and so might not give better range initially than a new LR AWD, although a used LR RWD would probably asymptote out to a better value than a new LR AWD after a few years.
joebruin77
Active Member
Yes, the LR is $9,000 more at time of purchase, but I read a recent article that said with EV's in general, the longer the range, the better the resale value. So whenever you sell the car, you will make back some of your $9,000 for the LR on resale. As for how much you will make back, I do not know how to calculate that. But it does make the higher cost at time of purchase sting a little less.
huangm777
Member
I have a simple rule for all electronics I buy (and the Tesla should be treated as a gadget just as much as a car): there is no such thing as “too much” capacity. Whether it be hard drive space, RAM amount, extra cables, or battery range, you always buy the most you can afford.
Why? Because you never know when that extra amount might become necessary in a pinch. I have been saved time and time again where I don’t use all that extra storage or capacity 95% of the time, but that 5% turns out to be for a critical application and it made the difference between not being able to do my work and being able to do it. Or when a cable I had long forgotten I had turns out to be just the thing I need.
I think this is even more critical for things like car range. Perhaps you might find yourself driving in an unfamiliar place far away, without many charging options. Those extra miles could mean the difference between getting to a Supercharger and being stranded for hours. You might not drive in those places 95% of the time either, but those 5% times are often unexpected and critical.
That said, except at the extreme low end I don’t find this to be nearly as true for raw speed. I never needed the fastest CPU or in the case of cars the fastest acceleration. It doesn’t seem to impact overall usability nearly as much as storage/capacity.
In short: unless you genuinely can’t afford it, get the Long Range battery. You won’t regret it.
Why? Because you never know when that extra amount might become necessary in a pinch. I have been saved time and time again where I don’t use all that extra storage or capacity 95% of the time, but that 5% turns out to be for a critical application and it made the difference between not being able to do my work and being able to do it. Or when a cable I had long forgotten I had turns out to be just the thing I need.
I think this is even more critical for things like car range. Perhaps you might find yourself driving in an unfamiliar place far away, without many charging options. Those extra miles could mean the difference between getting to a Supercharger and being stranded for hours. You might not drive in those places 95% of the time either, but those 5% times are often unexpected and critical.
That said, except at the extreme low end I don’t find this to be nearly as true for raw speed. I never needed the fastest CPU or in the case of cars the fastest acceleration. It doesn’t seem to impact overall usability nearly as much as storage/capacity.
In short: unless you genuinely can’t afford it, get the Long Range battery. You won’t regret it.
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