P85D First long trip, range data, etc...

wk057 · Dec 23, 2014

Set out with my new P85D this morning on a roughly 600 mile trip.

Left with a 100% charge which showed 243 rated miles. Was 55F so I kept the heat off and used the seat warmer.

Headed to Newark DE supercharger, which isn't far, where I am now.

Conditions unfortunately a light rain so far.

Did a few tests though. I got to the highway driving very conservatively. Used 360 Wh/mi over 12 miles. Not terrible, but way worse than my P85.

Got on the interstate. Set cruise to 65 (the speed limit) since the next stretch was relatively flat and I've done this exact test in my P85 previously. Results over 5 miles showed 340 Wh/mi. Also way worse than my P85 which clocked under 280 on that stretch at 65 MPH.

Did a test at 70 also and some traffic screwed up my testing a bit. Did get a 5 mile clip in after though at 360 Wh/mi.

Arrived at Newark with 195 rated miles after driving 45.3 miles at 356 Wh/mi. So 5 rated miles lost which I guess isn't terrible. However I was driving conservatively even compared to similar trips where I did not in my P85 and still was more efficient.

It is a bit over 200 miles from here to the Glen Allen supercharger. If my efficiency holds I technically could make it with 100% charge. Woodbridge (which I want to avoid) is a little past half way, so I should easily know by then if I need to use it or not.

If I do need Woodbridge, Tesla has failed on their increased efficiency claims. I've done Newark to glen allen in 20F weather with snowy conditions before with 25 rated miles to spare in my P85. If I cant make it today in the mid 50sF, in barely light rain, then the efficiency claims are false. We shall see soon.

I'm driving alone so I'll have time to post at supercharger stops. I'm also taking tons of dash pics with data along with my front dash cam which I'll go through when I get where I'm going tonight.

More soon.

- - - Updated - - -

I'll note that the P85D (E battery) maintained a higher charge rate longer... 20kW all the way to 98% then a quick taper...

Heading south...

Todd Burch · Dec 23, 2014

I think the only way to do this is to team up with a P85 and drive a stretch at the same time. Way too many variables. Even having P85 experience, it's too difficult to compare one day to the next. A simple 5 mph headwind, when traveling 65 mph, can make an enormous difference.

purplewalt · Dec 23, 2014

#1. First thing I notice is your P85D has 21s, not 19s as previous P85. 19s get better mileage.
#1A. Tire manufacturer, newness and stickiness also impact mileage.

#2. Check your air pressure at each tire.
Higher the air pressure, the better your mileage.
Colder air temperature reduces tire air pressure.

#3. If you want premium mileage, try driving with a steady foot, as opposed to using the cruise control. Cruise control does work, but a steady foot will get you better mileage.

#4. Temperature needs to be same for test to be valid.

#5. Any wind and direction needs to be the same.

#6. Time of day needs to be the same.

The P85D may not be the best setup for mileage: the S85D will probably get better mileage and longer driving range.
But we'll have to wait until at least a couple of those cars make it into user's hands for some valid testing and reports.

Guess those reports will start coming in around March 2015 or so for a head to head testing....

ipryor · Dec 23, 2014

Following along with this one - I find it interesting that 100% was only 243 miles. I've got about 29,000 miles on my P85 and I usually get 240 miles when I set the charge to the top of the "daily" meter (is that 80%, I forget). Also - I actually find that my 21 wheels get better mileage than my 19s! So go figure...

randompersonx · Dec 23, 2014

Is it possible alignment is part of the problem?

3mp_kwh · Dec 23, 2014

I think its lunar. He was driving towards the moon with his P85, and may be driving away from it in his D. Completely invalid

wk057 · Dec 23, 2014

Skipping Woodbridge. 24 rated mile buffer to Glen allen.

Zextraterrestrial · Dec 23, 2014

randompersonx said:
Is it possible alignment is part of the problem?

+1 - can be a huge difference in addition to what purplewalt said

andrewket · Dec 23, 2014

wk057 said:
Skipping Woodbridge. 24 rated mile buffer to Glen allen.

This is a good sign.

svp6 · Dec 23, 2014

Thank you for the info - update us from Woodridge!

3mp_kwh · Dec 23, 2014

svp6 said:
Thank you for the info - update us from Woodridge!

He skipped Woodbridge and is doing direct Newark/Glen Allen, ~200 miles.
wk057-"a bit over 200 miles from here to the Glen Allen supercharger".
Woodbridge is about 45 miles out, which with "24 rated mile buffer to Glen allen", currently looks like ~224 available.

Grendal · Dec 23, 2014

Thanks for doing this. It may not be precise information, but it is information for all of us to chew on and analyze. Good luck.

svp6 · Dec 23, 2014

Let's see how this compares with the EV planner prediction:

wk057 · Dec 23, 2014

Ok. At glen allen finally.

Arrived with 14 rated miles.

208.5 miles. 346 Wh/mi. 72.2 kWh.

I passed a Tesla in an accident on Rt 1.

Theres 5 Model S here... most I've ever seen here.

The last 50 miles of the trip I cruised around 79 MPH. Didnt seem to make much difference in usage aferall. Efficiency seemed to improve the second half of the trip.

Regen is definitely better at lower states of charge. Looked like 90kW at 70 MPH.

More in a bit... hungry....

SteveG3 · Dec 23, 2014

thanks for the info wk07.

I mentioned this on the P85D range and highway battery performance thread,

P85D range and highway battery performance

but could there still be a "normal" mode in addition to "sport" and "insane" which all the testing (EPA and the non EPA 65 mph number Tesla had on website) was done? I realize it would seem odd that the monroney sticker and the car's dash would have numbers for a mode not currently active, but maybe it's imminently active. Perhaps because this is the mode that testing is done, Tesla is still tweaking the software on it for optimal results.

has anyone heard anything directly from Tesla on the status of "normal" mode?

sandpiper · Dec 23, 2014

SteveG3 said:
thanks for the info wk07.

I mentioned this on the P85D range and highway battery performance thread,

P85D range and highway battery performance

but could there still be a "normal" mode in addition to "sport" and "insane" which all the testing (EPA and the non EPA 65 mph number Tesla had on website) was done? I realize it would seem odd that the monroney sticker and the car's dash would have numbers for a mode not currently active, but maybe it's imminently active. Perhaps because this is the mode that testing is done, Tesla is still tweaking the software on it for optimal results.

has anyone heard anything directly from Tesla on the status of "normal" mode?

This is interesting. That might start to make this make sense. Although, why would they not include it, knowing that we're all going to be testing for range right off the hop?

dennis · Dec 23, 2014

Thanks for reporting this data. Like other P85/P85+ owners who are upgrading, the true highway range is what I am concerned about.

SteveG3 · Dec 23, 2014

sandpiper, they might be tweaking the software that runs "normal" mode. There's various reasons they might do this such as-

they hit all the reported numbers already, but want to tweak how the car performs to get those numbers. that is, they may have already had software that delivered these numbers, but felt they could hit these same EPA numbers (or possibly improve them) while changing some of the choices in how the car performs in various conditions to deliver what they feel is an overall better experience for most drivers. so they may have thought, okay we'll take a X amount of time to see if we can arrive at driving algorithms that offer a better experience, but worst case we have the base case algorithm that delivered the EPA numbers. X amount of time goes by, and they can't resist trying to tweak some more, even though cars are starting to be delivered.

that's just one hypothesis as to why normal mode might be held up... I'm sure we can think of other possible reasons. of course, normal mode may have in fact been ditched and so maybe this isn't what's causing the unexpected real world efficiency numbers.

wk057 · Dec 23, 2014

Charged to 158 at Glen Allen and then drove like I had infinite energy towards South Hill.

88.2 miles, 33.7 kWh, 382 Wh/mi. 48 miles remaining, so 110 used for 88.2 actual miles. Range mode off, heat on 68, outside 45F. In "Insane" mode. (This seems to have no effect whatsoever on acceleration at highway speeds...)

This was keeping with traffic at 75+ MPH the whole way.

This is actually not far off of my P85 trips on this stretch since they opened the South Hill supercharger...

I'm starting to wonder if there were a few hundred miles of break-in needed...

Todd Burch · Dec 23, 2014

wk057 said:
Charged to 158 at Glen Allen and then drove like I had infinite energy towards South Hill.

88.2 miles, 33.7 kWh, 382 Wh/mi. 48 miles remaining, so 110 used for 88.2 actual miles. Range mode off, heat on 68, outside 45F. In "Insane" mode. (This seems to have no effect whatsoever on acceleration at highway speeds...)

This was keeping with traffic at 75+ MPH the whole way.

This is actually not far off of my P85 trips on this stretch since they opened the South Hill supercharger...

I'm starting to wonder if there were a few hundred miles of break-in needed...

I found that even light rain makes a considerable difference...that's a lot of additional mass that needs to be accelerated by the car, in addition to the increased tire drag on wet roads, etc...maybe that was it.

P85D First long trip, range data, etc...

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