Battery is big disappointment

[alseTrick]

is the battery sled going to a 75 but "dumb" it down to a 55 and then we can pay to unlock it later?

That wouldn't seem to make any financial sense for Tesla.

 

[jelloslug]

It's not that the small or big batteries cannot turn a better 0-60 time, they are being deliberately held back in their controller programming. If we want awesome speed we have to pay more for the D or Ludicrous versions. This is what we get for $35K or $44K. 5.1 to 5.6 seconds.

With the controller unleashed, the small battery can crank out 4 second times, no problem.

The voltage is not the same between the different sizes.

 

[jgillispie]

isn't the gap in mileage larger on the model 3 than teslas other cars? maybe base battery is less than the anticipated 55kwh..

Either way, 9K battery upgrade will have many people budgeting their options a bit differently than they hoped. I thought it would be somewhere in the 5-7K range.

I thought it would be 5-7.5 but I also thought it was going to be a 60-75kwh.

 

[alseTrick]

The AC doesn't use 60 miles of your range. 3 or 4 miles per hour of driving...maybe.

But driving 75mph+ with the AC on?

 

[dhanson865]

Very doubtful. Margins will be thin on the 3 as is, I doubt Tesla can afford to provide software locked 75kwh batteries on all 3s.

Not just doubtful, totally disproved by the two vehicle weights given.

• Curb weight:
  • 3549 lbs. (Model 3)
  • 3814 lbs. (Model 3 Long Range)
• Weight distribution:
  • 47% front, 53% rear (Model 3)
  • 48% front, 52% rear (Model 3 Long Range)

 

[Trancela]

It's not that the small or big batteries cannot turn a better 0-60 time, they are being deliberately held back in their controller programming. If we want awesome speed we have to pay more for the D or Ludicrous versions. This is what we get for $35K or $44K. 5.1 to 5.6 seconds.

With the controller unleashed, the small battery can crank out 4 second times, no problem.

This may be an issue with the 215 mi T3. There may not be enough cells to generate the power needed for a 4 sec 0-60. And then the motor needs also to be bigger and the power connection fatter. It is more than just the inverter.

 

[electracity]

But driving 75mph+ with the AC on?

Yes, that was more my point. Decent highway travel range doing whatever makes you happy. The point behind buying the S/X 90 and 100.

 

[Trancela]

Underwhelmed by the smaller battery, overwhelmed by the larger one. It's a big gap between the two. For that range difference the price is great though. Makes me think they are baiting most people to pick the larger one.

The gap between 215 and 310 is just about right. I am more than happy with 215, while others need a 310. The range points are about right.

 

[macpacheco]

But driving 75mph+ with the AC on?

Try to drive your gasoline car at 75mph and see what mpg it gets vs the advertised mileage.
Driving at 75mph will hurt range, EV, Hybrid or fossil car.
75mph isn't normal speed.
But the faster you go, the less significant AC off/on will be in your total range.
I think you will get the advertised range at 55mph with AC on or 60mph with AC off. Something like that. 75mph will get 25-30% less range.
Increasing your speed by 50% about halves your mpg. Same thing for gasoline cars.
Expect anything else at your own peril. Its pure physics. Car makers wont (ever) use 75mph to calculate range.

 

[Trancela]

If large battery is about 75kWh and gets 310 miles, then the smaller battery version (which should be more efficient) getting 220 miles implies a little over 50kWh.

Or being the lighter car, the 215 car is 50 kWh -- which is the perfect capacity for a 2nd car.

 

[schonelucht]

No absolute battery sizes given??!?

 

[electracity]

75mph isn't normal speed.

Yes, it is too slow.

 

[Trancela]

No. Elon specifically has said that the 3 is being programmed to be efficient above performance. Straight up. You want performance, you get an S.

Not really. If the T3 has 4000 cells (for a capacity of 50 kWh), then it can generate only 100 kW, which is not a lot. The Leaf is at 80 kW, and the i3 at 120 kW. Tesla may run the cells at a higher discharge rate (at the risk of cell damage) and you may get up to 150 kW and not more. 150 kW is not enough to allow 4 sec. 0-60.

 

[alseTrick]

Yes, that was more my point. Decent highway travel range doing whatever makes you happy. The point behind buying the S/X 90 and 100.

I'd be pretty stoked to drive 75mph with AC on and get 250 miles on a mostly full (90%?) charge. It might be good enough for me to upgrade to the larger battery, actually.

 

[jelloslug]

But driving 75mph+ with the AC on?

AC usage is negligible to the battery consumption.

 

[alseTrick]

Try to drive your gasoline car at 75mph and see what mpg it gets vs the advertised mileage.
Driving at 75mph will hurt range, EV, Hybrid or fossil car.
75mph isn't normal speed.
But the faster you go, the less significant AC off/on will be in your total range.
I think you will get the advertised range at 55mph with AC on or 60mph with AC off. Something like that. 75mph will get 25-30% less range.
Increasing your speed by 50% about halves your mpg. Same thing for gasoline cars.
Expect anything else at your own peril. Its pure physics. Car makers wont (ever) use 75mph to calculate range.

I see your location is Brazil. Idk how familiar you are or are not with US Interstate driving. But 75mph is absolutely normal. And driving 55-60mph for efficiency-sake will take you forever to do any long-distance traveling in the US (I know Brazil is a decent sized country, too). Not to mention, the lower the Tesla's state or charge, the quicker it will recharge, so better to drive fast and run the battery down, no?

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

They didn't mess around, did they? Part of simplification not to offer an intermediate size.

It's the modular nature of batteries. The minimum range was probably determined by module size.

 

[gjunky]

Press Kit | Tesla
For the specs and pricing

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Try to drive your gasoline car at 75mph and see what mpg it gets vs the advertised mileage.
Driving at 75mph will hurt range, EV, Hybrid or fossil car.
75mph isn't normal speed.
But the faster you go, the less significant AC off/on will be in your total range.
I think you will get the advertised range at 55mph with AC on or 60mph with AC off. Something like that. 75mph will get 25-30% less range.
Increasing your speed by 50% about halves your mpg. Same thing for gasoline cars.
Expect anything else at your own peril. Its pure physics. Car makers wont (ever) use 75mph to calculate range.

Uh 75mph isn't normal for me, since I stick to speed limits and I live in 70mph country, but I can assure you that 75mph is very normal in lots of places.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

The gap between 215 and 310 is just about right. I am more than happy with 215, while others need a 310. The range points are about right.

I'd have liked something in between, but it really wouldn't be possible without complicating battery production.