How much does Performance mode affect battery life/range?

[Dragon]

Some of you guys should really really read the manual.

[Fuzzylogic]

That's the only benefit of getting your licence plates weeks after getting your car. You can read the manual, and then read it again, and again..

I know i did, had to wait 2 weeks, i think you had to wait 2 months?

[dhrivnak]

On a 1.5 I have not been able to measure a difference between standard mode and performance mode. The ranger said there is a .1 sec difference 0 to 60. I think the advantage is more for longer Autocross courses as the batteries can run warmer keeping more power to the wheels rather than cooling. I hear there is more difference in later models. As far as the effect on range there is none as it charges to the same SOC.

Battery life could be affected but it is really a function of how long you keep the battery at elevated temperatures. My guess is few of us keep it in performance mode long enough to make a measurable difference.

[daniel]

Some of you guys should really really read the manual.

I've read it through several times. It's not always as clear or as detailed as I'd like. For example, it says that Performance mode can be entered and canceled from the touch screen, but does not mention how. I didn't realize until dadaleus posted yesterday morning, that it's done by touching the battery icon. (This board is a great source of information!)

On a 1.5 I have not been able to measure a difference between standard mode and performance mode. The ranger said there is a .1 sec difference 0 to 60. I think the advantage is more for longer Autocross courses as the car can run warmer keeping more power to the wheels rather than cooling. I hear there is more difference in later models.

My Customer Advocate told me 0 to 60 is around 4.1 seconds in Standard mode. (Compared to 3.9 in Performance mode.) This is a 2.5 non-sport. But I don't know if she was quoting published numbers, relaying information from a tech, or just guesstimating. And I don't know how much difference there is between P mode after charging in P mode, vs P mode after charging in Standard mode, or how quickly (if at all) the advantage is lost as miles remaining declines. I do remember reading that power will decline if the battery gets too warm, and that apparently under extreme driving the cooling system cannot keep up.

This is mostly academic for me. My only interest in really maximizing acceleration is when showing off the car. I like to dispel the golf-cart mentality by giving people more acceleration than they've ever experienced before.

[strider]

This is mostly academic for me. My only interest in really maximizing acceleration is when showing off the car. I like to dispel the golf-cart mentality by giving people more acceleration than they've ever experienced before.

Also acceleration may be tire-limited (ie tires are cold) and if so there won't be a difference because TC is limiting power in both modes.

I felt the same way about my Corvette but I got used to it. I'm starting to feel that way about the Roadster. The acceleration is becoming commonplace for me so it's fun when I get to take someone for a ride and they're blown away by the acceleration.

Maybe Tesla will offer a Sport motor/PEM upgrade in the future?

[PV4EV]

My only interest in really maximizing acceleration is when showing off the car. I like to dispel the golf-cart mentality by giving people more acceleration than they've ever experienced before.

I had a very interesting passenger this week, but I have been sworn to secrecy about who, and which rather well known exotic car company he owns.

All I'll say is he's been around a long time, done a lot of racing, and is a petrol head in the truest sense, and the thought to him that cars powered by anything other than a thumping great ICE is just not worth thinking about.

Basically I had to have a meeting at the 'factory' to discuss mods to a V8 I still own (and am looking to sell…) and took the Roadster as its pretty much my daily drive.

I parked up, had the meeting, all went fine, and the boss sees me back to the entrance for a final hand shake … when he spots the Tesla, and his face just dropped and he became quite dismissive of all things EV, and he turned to me as if to ask why I'd defected to the dark side.

But he did accept the offer of a quick demo drive…



First comment was how silent it was when I told him 'the engine' was actually running, as I reversed out. We hit some rush hour traffic on exiting the car park, but I knew all I needed was a quiet 100 yards or so. Conveniently I found a stretch that was inclined slightly down hill.

… I engaged performance mode, flicked through some interesting graphs on the VDS, and left it in Peak Performance display to record the G-force. I punched the loud pedal, and held-on for impulse power to turn into full-on warp mode.

Somehow I managed to do a particularly good launch and about 2 seconds in it felt like it was actually accelerating even harder. Even with the two of us in the car, I got a Peak G of 0.78 !!

About 4 seconds in my passenger was giggling like a school girl, letting out the odd *&^%, $%^& and @~{* with some OMG and %$£$%^*(" thrown in for good measure.

He was stunned, shocked, amazed, and in between more giggling he was full of questions, and demanded more blasts with the on/off the power pedal, and demos of mid range overtaking ability etc, and could it be made to drift through a roundabout.

He even liked the jet engine noises, and declared that he was gonna have to look into getting one as he just didn’t realise that such fun could be had in something so small without all the drama of a nitrous snorting V8. When I summarised some of the amazing tax benefits of running and EV through a company he was even more inquisitive as he 'had some tax to waste'.

I don’t think I've ever seen someone's views change so radically so quickly !

To wrap up, I jokingly suggested how I'd love to mention our drive on a car forum and he politely but firmly asked me not to … as he might never live it down, and his customers would look to have him sectioned, and others would demand refunds.

[daniel]

^ Great story! Thanks.

Maybe Tesla will offer a Sport motor/PEM upgrade in the future?

I wouldn't spend the money. I made a decision that I didn't need the Sport version, and I still feel that way. But keep in mind that my daily driver before the Roadster was a Zap Xebra SD.

[NigelM]

I had a very interesting passenger this week, but I have been sworn to secrecy about who, and which rather well known exotic car company he owns.

I think some of us know who your John is....

[scott451]

Do you have a 1.5 or 2.x? As far as max torque goes, on a 1.5 the max torque (281) is the same standard vs performance. 2.x it is 265 standard vs 273 performance (295 sport)

[daniel]

Mine is a 2.5 non-Sport. Very Orange. That's the fastest color, right?