I have driven about 4,000 miles so far on new my X PLAID. My question is around expected range and what other same year and model owners are experiencing. I have not been able to achieve better than 77% of EPA and am generally getting around 50-65% with normal driving, even in Chill mode.
With my concerns, I spoke with Tesla and arranged a test to do my best to replicate ideal conditions, with the promise that they would gather a full report on the back end and do deeper analysis – they never delivered on that promise.
Here’s the test: I Drove 312 miles – outside temp was between 69 to 75 degrees. Some minor uphill/downhill – 90% flat.
Settings: Cabin AC: 72 degrees, Chill Mode, Sentry off, overheat protection off, radio off. Started non-stop travel with 95% charge.
Driving style: I drove 180 miles non-stop, didn’t go faster than 65mph (I was vigilant and set the limit to 65), and was extremely gingerly with the pedal – didn’t pass, focused on regen braking and I averaged about 55mph the whole trip. Remember, this was a test to find-out what my best-case scenario could be for range. It was painful!
Outcome: I was able to make the first leg of my trip, driving a total of 180 miles to a supercharger with 25% range left, with an average wh/mi of 331.
Doing the (rough) math, add another 60 miles to makeup for the last 30% of battery, and that nets me a 100% battery range of 240 miles. Best case scenario – I can achieve 77% of the EPA range of 311 miles.
Observations: I presume that this the most optimistic view of what my car is capable of from a range perspective and the best I have ever been able to achieve with a significant delta. I am generally only able to make it about 130 miles before I have to charge under daily driving conditions, 90% to 25% or so. Some Plaid, some chill mode, no launches, or aggressive driving.
Expectations: I have done plenty of research since my concern first appeared and understand conditions are so much of a factor in overall range performance, and I am curious to know if my battery performance is different than other same model and year Tesla’s and am hoping for some feedback from the community. I don’t have much data on other 2022 X PLAIDs, but looking across the rest of the 2022 line, EPA achievement tests show at minimum, 90% + of EPA range, doing 75mph tests. There wasn’t any 3rd party test data on the 2022 X – curious…
I spoke with Tesla service on numerous occasions, and they say they deal with range complaints all the time, but haven’t shown me any relative data to prove this is normal. They also haven’t been able to produce reports when I request them for specific driving periods (like the 312 mile road trip that was coordinated between me and Tesla service prior with the expectation they would send a report), and when they do produce a report, they look through the past two weeks of recorded data and find the conditions that support their case the most, insisting that this is normal battery performance.
Question for my fellow 2022 X Plaid owners: What’s the best range you have been able to achieve on a charge?
Question for all: Do you think I have a range issue, or is this normal? And if this is normal, shouldn’t there be better education for first time Tesla buyers around range reality vs. as advertised?