Real World Range Questions (Winter)

[NigelM]

^^^ My conversations with Tesla convinced me that Model S A/C will be much more efficient. I see your point about the 240 mile trip from Miami to Orlando, but IMO the bigger issue for most people would holding down their speed on that freeway drive. Personally I'd be quite happy to attempt it with a range charge, and note that FL Turnpike have promised charge stations next year.

[dsm363]

I'm not a Roadster owner, but I think I've read that the A/C works totally differently than the Model S. And with the "range limit" getting lower and lower as I get closer to delivery, it's something I'm worried about. IMO, it's just passed below my Miami-Orlando comfort limit.

I think the range is right around where people were expecting it to be from the range vs. speed graph Tesla released previously. Tesla probably shouldn't have pushed the 300 miles at 55 mph range because while that's possible, it's unlikely to be something most people due since highway speeds are normally 65 mph and people tend to use their AC or heat.

[NigelM]

I think the range is right around where people were expecting it to be from the range vs. speed graph Tesla released previously. Tesla probably shouldn't have pushed the 300 miles at 55 mph range because while that's possible, it's unlikely to be something most people due since highway speeds are normally 65 mph and people tend to use their AC or heat.

Dave, with Roadster owner experience living in a warm climate would you worry abut a 240 mile drive in Model S 85kWh? I don't think I would worry, but I'm interested in others views.

[donauker]

With 46,000 miles on our Roadster in my experience the AC has a much smaller impact then cold temperatures with heater use. The real factor is speed, you can offset the AC loss with just a few mph of speed decrease.

The big factor that most non pilots will either ignore or vastly underestimate is wind! Most people will never even give a light breeze of 10 mph a second thought, but the Model S certainly will be affected. If you happened to be heading into that slight breeze with your speed carefully set at 65 you would be expecting a range of around 260 miles based on the chart posted by Tesla. Unfortunately as far as the car is concerned you are actually moving at 75 mph into that headwind so your actual range will be much closer to 220 miles. Up that breeze just slightly to 15 mph and your range drops to more like 200 miles!

[ckessel]

I confess that I was a little disappointed in the EPA and Motor Trend numbers. I had hoped that the 300 was going to be the equivalent of the EPA number, and that careful driving would allow exceeding it, while inattentive driving would yield more like 265.

I hadn't responded because I wasn't sure how to put it, but Mike nailed my feelings as well. I've got a 240-250 mile round trip I do regularly and I thought I'd fairly easily handle that without needing to change in the middle. That's now seems unlikely.

[Jaff]

Agreed Nigel...we've had a blasted hot, dry summer up here...I often drive with the top off and the a\c on...negligible range reduction at best...doesn't worry me a bit.

FWIW, I've had my A/C on 100% this entire summer and the impact on my Roadster range could be classified as a little more than marginal. It certainly hasn't bothered or worried me one bit. If I was driving close to the range limit I would have been concerned, but like most EV owners I try not to do that.

- - - Updated - - -

This is true Dave, but I think everyone needs to look at the big picture...do you want to drive a gasser &live with it's associated costs & headaches, or would you rather slow down to 55 mph, get to your destination a few minutes later, but enjoy the peace of mind of EV driving? ...it is a bit of a lifestyle change (minor), but more than a fair trade off (lower speed on drives where range is required vs arriving faster in a gasser)...a no-brainer imo...

I think the range is right around where people were expecting it to be from the range vs. speed graph Tesla released previously. Tesla probably shouldn't have pushed the 300 miles at 55 mph range because while that's possible, it's unlikely to be something most people due since highway speeds are normally 65 mph and people tend to use their AC or heat.

- - - Updated - - -

Well said donauker!

Speed, wind, and elevation change are all very important when trying to maximise your range...speed is the only factor of these three that is under your control so if you are running low on electrons, just slow down...

With 46,000 miles on our Roadster in my experience the AC has a much smaller impact then cold temperatures with heater use. The real factor is speed, you can offset the AC loss with just a few mph of speed decrease.

The big factor that most non pilots will either ignore or vastly underestimate is wind! Most people will never even give a light breeze of 10 mph a second thought, but the Model S certainly will be affected. If you happened to be heading into that slight breeze with your speed carefully set at 65 you would be expecting a range of around 260 miles based on the chart posted by Tesla. Unfortunately as far as the car is concerned you are actually moving at 75 mph into that headwind so your actual range will be much closer to 220 miles. Up that breeze just slightly to 15 mph and your range drops to more like 200 miles!

[MikeK]

The big factor that most non pilots will either ignore or vastly underestimate is wind! Most people will never even give a light breeze of 10 mph a second thought, but the Model S certainly will be affected.

Where could we put a pitot tube?

[Arnold Panz]

Interesting points on the effect of wind on range. Generally, the wind in Florida blows from southeast, so driving north and west gets me better mileage than other directions. I see an appreciable difference in my gas mileage in my current car.

So, it's possible that for a 240 mile trip from Miami to Orlando you could make it to Orlando pretty easily but have a harder time making it back to Miami without slowing down, shutting off the A/C or hitting a charging station along the way.

[dsm363]

Dave, with Roadster owner experience living in a warm climate would you worry abut a 240 mile drive in Model S 85kWh? I don't think I would worry, but I'm interested in others views.

If I was going to drive normally (speed limit is 75 mph in places here) with AC I probably would worry. More than likely I'd just slow down a little and maybe stop at an RV park for an hour if I thought I was cutting it close. Both 200 mile trips I've made without stopping were much more fun when I stopped to charge for an hour on the way back.

[Trnsl8r]

What do you guys think have a bigger effect on range? Running the AC or cracking some windows?