400 Mile Range Prize

[smoothoperator]

Tesla will catch you out with the full car logs coupled with GPS data! Or, they'd expect you to start from Palo Alto HQ and end up in Hawthorne or the other way around.

car carrier with dyno on board

[daniel]

I gather that the prize is yet to be determined. Kind of makes a difference whether the prize is $10,000 or a cap with "400 miles" written on it. I would not drive for ten hours at 40 mph in order to win a cap. Actually, I would not drive 400 miles just in the hopes of maybe, but probably not, winning any prize at all. But that's just me. And anyway, you'll have to be one of the very first in line even to have a chance. Someone will probably do it on June 22 or 23, with or without a prize. For at least the next year there'll be an informal contest to see who can set the new distance record.

[brianman]

I would not drive for ten hours at 40 mph in order to win a cap.

If Tesla offered it to all (not just the first), I'd do it for a plaque or crystal type memento.

[AnOutsider]

If Tesla offered it to all (not just the first), I'd do it for a plaque or crystal type memento.

+1, just to say I did If they get superchargers on I-95 I might make my roadtrip this fall in the S

[vfx]

car carrier with dyno on board

To keep the car clean inside? You'd still have to drive the truck at 40 or the GPS track would give you away.

Remove the GPS and give it to a cyclist.

[daniel]

If the prize has significant monetary value, someone will probably try to cheat. I like the idea of a nice-looking but cheap plaque to everyone who manages to drive 400 miles without charging. Though it would encourage abusing the battery by unnecessarily charging to full and driving to empty.

Actually, between 15 and 20 mph even the Roadster will do just over 400 miles. So doing 400 in the Model S will be a simple matter of driving very slowly. Maybe 30 or 35 mph with the larger battery pack in the S. That really wouldn't mean anything at all, other than your willingness to spend 12 or 15 hours driving very slowly. Maybe the "prize" should just be an honorable mention on the Tesla web site for the first person to turn in vehicle logs demonstrating a 400-mile run.

[NigelM]

^ Isn't "abusing" somewhat OTT in that context. EV's are designed to be driven and recharged after all.....

[malcolm]

Prize could be a free battery upgrade. The 500 mile pack that Elon says could be done now but which would be too pricey?

[daniel]

^ Isn't "abusing" somewhat OTT in that context. EV's are designed to be driven and recharged after all.....

Yes, but they warn aganst charging to full and discharging to empty on a regular basis. I charged to full once and the car warned me and asked if I was sure I wanted to. Say it takes you ten tries. Ten times charging to full and discharging to empty. Just in hopes that you might win a prize.

Prize could be a free battery upgrade. The 500 mile pack that Elon says could be done now but which would be too pricey?

They're not going to build a one-of-a-kind 500-mile pack just to offer as a prize for driving 400 miles. It would probably cost many millions to design and test it.

Anyway, I've changed my viewpoint: All you need to do to drive 400 miles is drive 20 or 25 mph for 16 to 20 hours. So the first customer willing to do that will win the prize. Won't prove anything. Maybe they should make it a race instead. Whoever can drive 400 miles in the least amount of time. Make it a traveling trophy. You get to keep it until your record is broken.

[NigelM]

^ It would only take one attempt. Ergo, no battery abuse.