Blog Model 3: Is The Long Range Battery Worth It?

At $9,000 US, one of the pricier options for Model 3 is range. The Standard Range (SR) vehicle comes with 220 miles of EPA-rated range and a Long Range (LR) car has 310 miles. Is the long-range upgrade worth $9,000 for 90 more miles? Today, we’ll explore this question.

You need to understand your personal driving needs. If you’ll never use the additional 90 miles, you might as well save the money. If, however, you’ll use it or it would give you peace of mind and you can afford it, you should get the LR.

Faster Charging

In addition to the extra range, the LR will also charge faster when connected to Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector. The SR charges at a rate of 7.6 kW (about 30 miles per hour), whereas the LR charges at 9.6 kW (about 37 miles per hour). The slightly faster home charging is a nice add-on, but far from justifies the cost. The point of the LR is the additional range, let’s move to that aspect.

Battery Cost

I thought you said we were going to talk about range next; this is cost. Yes, I did. But the question we are asking is about value for money. So, let’s look at the cost value of what you’re getting.

The price of lithium-ion batteries has declined from an average of around $400 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2012 (when the Model S was launched) to under $150 today. For comparison, GM says when buying batteries for the Chevy Bolt, they pay LG Chem about $145 per kWh. This is, of course, just for the battery cells, it does not include the packaging, cooling, installation… The final retail price for any finished goods would be far above the cost of the raw components, but this gives you a starting reference.

Although Tesla has not released specific pack sizes for the two vehicles, there have been leaks that have let us know the that the SR has about 50 kWh of capacity and the LR has 75 to 80 kWh. So let’s assume that the extra $9,000 buys you 30 kWh more capacity. That is a retail price of $300 per kWh. From this perspective, Tesla is not giving us a bargain, but there are other ways to look at this too.

It’s All About The Range

If you just look at the price of the car and the range, you can make a simple table of price per mile. Our table will have the Model 3 LR and SR as well as a few other EVs for comparison. Note, these are base prices (not including incentives). If you want to buy leather seats, or dual motors, that’s up to you, but including it here would complicate the table.

* The 2018 Leaf data is not final/official at the time of writing, this may need an update when final pricing and EPA results are published.

Looking at the range this way, the LR is the best per mile bargain in the bunch. Only the Model 3 SR and Chevy Bolt are even in the same category for dollars per mile category.

Summary

The car you’ll like best is the one that meets your needs and your budget. Make sure you understand your driving habits. Open Google Maps and plot out your regular drives. For your longer drives, open the Tesla Supercharger map and see if there are any Superchargers along the routes for your longer drives.

Sidebar: Margins & Upgrade Options

Tesla has to make money on each car they sell. These funds go towards building out the production capacity, charging infrastructure, and more. The no frills SR car should be as affordable as possible to allow as many customers into the 200-mile plus EV market as they can. One way to do this is to keep the profit margin on the base model of the car low and then offer compelling upgrades (with higher margins). This allows the company to have a blended margin that is above that of the base model while keeping the door open to more price-sensitive customers. Tesla is far from the only automaker to use this scheme and it is a win for both the company and customers.

TMC Member Patrick0101 is a solar and electric vehicle advocate who blogs at Cards With Cords. 

 

[voip-ninja]

Minor quibble with that point (based on 5 winters worth of experience): I have found that frequent, short trips in the winter are absolute murder on your battery range due to having to heat everything up, then letting it get cold, and repeating. I used to have a very long commute (about 40-50 highway miles each way) and found that over these distances, my efficiency was very close to what I got in the summer, and no more than about 20% more if driving through snow. Once the cabin, drivetrain etc. all get heated up, the car does not seem to use a lot to keep it that way. I could see massive energy use for the first, maybe 10 miles, then the Wh/mi numbers would settle right down for the remainder of the trip. All the better if I pre-heat on shore power before setting out.

Your experience seems different than others who reported that their long range in winter time was as much as 30-40% reduced from other times of year.

 

[mknox]

Your experience seems different than others who reported that their long range in winter time was as much as 30-40% reduced from other times of year.

I guess. In addition to my long commute, we regularly drive the Toronto-Chicago route at Christmas to visit family and I get the same (good) results on those trips too. As I say, trips under about 10 miles in the winter are brutal on range, but so far, so good on long trips. I was very apprehensive the first time I made that winter Chicago trip and even kept detailed driving/charging logs just to be sure. I built in a 30% buffer in my estimates, but turned out getting near the EPA rated efficiency and range on my drive segments from Supercharger to Supercharger.

 

[voip-ninja]

I guess. In addition to my long commute, we regularly drive the Toronto-Chicago route at Christmas to visit family and I get the same (good) results on those trips too. As I say, trips under about 10 miles in the winter are brutal on range, but so far, so good on long trips. I was very apprehensive the first time I made that winter Chicago trip and even kept detailed driving/charging logs just to be sure. I built in a 30% buffer in my estimates, but turned out getting near the EPA rated efficiency and range on my drive segments from Supercharger to Supercharger.

Thanks for providing your first hand experience.

Honestly winter range is one of the primary motivators for me to go with the LR battery. If I had zero concern about it I would consider getting the smaller battery.... but, would probably still get the LR battery anyway for better resale value as I don't expect the SR battery to be on offer for too long.

 

[mknox]

Honestly winter range is one of the primary motivators for me to go with the LR battery. If I had zero concern about it I would consider getting the smaller battery....

I would definitely agree with you. There is a HUGE delta in the winter between short trips and long-haul excursions like the ones I reference (which, I guess is my point). I think this is a bit different than with an ICE where, sure, you get worse mileage in the winter, but you never see the wild swings like you can with an EV.

As I said up-thread, I have many times appreciated and absolutely needed the extra kWh in the winter on those cold days where I've had to make multiple trips. You could easily burn through a full charge just going from store to store in your town doing, for example, Christmas shopping. Being able to pre-heat while on shore power helps tremendously, but that is not always possible. Before I installed EVSE at my workplace, my winter trip home was always higher than the trip to work since I couldn't pre-heat the car before setting out, and would leave with a cold-soaked vehicle.

 

[ElecFan]

From the Tesla Website: you lose more than 20 percent range in cold winters.

 

[mknox]

From the Tesla Website: you lose more than 20 percent range in cold winters.

You sure can. I can go from my summer average of near 300 Wh/mi to well over 1,000 Wh/mi in winter on shorter trips (i.e. a LOT more than 20%). But I can also get very close to 300 Wh/mi in the winter on (very) long drives (i.e. less than 20%). As they say YMWV, and this is especially true in an EV.

 

[KarenRei]

Minor quibble with that point (based on 5 winters worth of experience): I have found that frequent, short trips in the winter are absolute murder on your battery range due to having to heat everything up, then letting it get cold, and repeating. I used to have a very long commute (about 40-50 highway miles each way) and found that over these distances, my efficiency was very close to what I got in the summer, and no more than about 20% more if driving through snow. Once the cabin, drivetrain etc. all get heated up, the car does not seem to use a lot to keep it that way. I could see massive energy use for the first, maybe 10 miles, then the Wh/mi numbers would settle right down for the remainder of the trip. All the better if I pre-heat on shore power before setting out.

You match what Björn Nýland says. 40-50 highway miles is nothing for him, he drives all over Norway And he estimates only 10-20% range loss in the winter. There's a lot in the beginning to heat things up, but once everything's warm, it's not that big of a hit. He thinks people put too much emphasis on cold weather range loss and should put more emphasis on A) rough roads, B) wet roads, and C) wind.

Any way, moral of the story: preheat on mains power

 

[Electroman]

Another moral of the story: Range is king. Get as much range as you can afford. Give priority to range over other options.

 

[chadgladue]

i dont know if its been said yet or not, also dont forget the bigger pack will degrade slower since you have to discharge it less and at a lower rate overall then the smaller pack would need to be. This will mean your # of cycles over time would be less vs a smaller pack and would slow the rate of degredation, which for a tesla is minimal anyways vs other BEVs like a leaf but still ..

 

[voip-ninja]

i dont know if its been said yet or not, also dont forget the bigger pack will degrade slower since you have to discharge it less and at a lower rate overall then the smaller pack would need to be. This will mean your # of cycles over time would be less vs a smaller pack and would slow the rate of degredation, which for a tesla is minimal anyways vs other BEVs like a leaf but still ..

This has been said and is quite true. Ultimately it comes down to how long one plans to keep the car. For the typical person who only keeps a car for 3.5 years it doesn't matter at all.

For someone who wants to keep the car for 7-10 years or until the wheels fall off it probably matters a great deal.

 

[ElecFan]

In 7-10 years we might see charge speeds so high, that range is no issue anymore.

 

[brkaus]

This has been said and is quite true. Ultimately it comes down to how long one plans to keep the car. For the typical person who only keeps a car for 3.5 years it doesn't matter at all.

For someone who wants to keep the car for 7-10 years or until the wheels fall off it probably matters a great deal.

I just see $9k as an additional 25%. Wife doesn't need the range as we do trips in the S100D. Sure, I'll get some back on resale, but after 10 years probably not much. With kids growing up I'll always have a need for a car that can safely get them to/from school and activities and it will not need a huge deal of range. That will be in 4 years. I'd rather have them driving a car that I depreciated and know it's history than purchasing a random used car.

In 5 years, EVs should have longer range and/or quicker charging for the same (inflation adjusted) price for my wife's car.

Will I regret it? Maybe

 

[Scott7]

I just see $9k as an additional 25%.

This.

I'm curious... Is this the most expensive single option there's ever been on any car $35k or less?

 

[brkaus]

This.

I'm curious... Is this the most expensive single option there's ever been on any car $35k or less?

One could probably consider it a package as it includes battery, charger, performance.

But I also don't want to send anyone in the wrong direction. If you need it, you need it. Evaluate your own situation carefully. If it's your only car and you travel a lot. Or you have a long commute (or may in the future). Or if you live in cold area. Or you don't have easy access home charging. It is a bargain.

I paid ~$20k for the S100D over the S90D at the time... Also a package. It was worth every penny to me.

 

[voip-ninja]

This.

I'm curious... Is this the most expensive single option there's ever been on any car $35k or less?

Nope.

 

[andystj]

I just see $9k as an additional 25%. Wife doesn't need the range as we do trips in the S100D. Sure, I'll get some back on resale, but after 10 years probably not much. With kids growing up I'll always have a need for a car that can safely get them to/from school and activities and it will not need a huge deal of range. That will be in 4 years. I'd rather have them driving a car that I depreciated and know it's history than purchasing a random used car.

In 5 years, EVs should have longer range and/or quicker charging for the same (inflation adjusted) price for my wife's car.

Will I regret it? Maybe

The Long Range battery is only a MUST if the Model 3 will be your road trip car. The Long Range is pretty much pointless for a daily commuter.

My thoughts and situation are similar, but my plan is a little different.

• Our vintage P85 is used for road trips which are pretty frequent (141K miles to date).
• We have 2 driving-age kids with 2 more coming up over the next 6 years. One in college has an ICE (infrastructure not yet ready); one in high school limps along in a Leaf with limited range (they can't escape in a Leaf).
• We have two Model 3 reservations:
  • First one still shows 10/17-12/17 for first production, so I'm optimistic for February
  • Second shows 2/18-4/18 for standard. Somewhat optimistic for September.
• The plan is to get the 1st production and start enjoying it. We evaluate for the 4-6 months between reservations.
• The primary evaluation criteria relates to future road trips:
  • 2017-18 Model 3: a bit of extra range and autonomous driving
  • 2012 S85: More space & free supercharging
• If the S85 will remain the road trip car (with a potential upgrade to a 100D down the road) then we downgrade our Model 3 to a Standard Battery utilizing the 2nd reservation. (We won't engage in retail arbitrage specifically, but I think that the risk of depreciation in excess of the tax credit on the Model 3 in the 6 months that I would own it are pretty close to zero.)
• If the Model 3 will be the road trip car, then we decide what to do with the 2nd reservation. I have siblings and in-laws who forgot or declined to get in line, so I expect I can find a happy home in the extended family for the 2nd Model 3.

Best,
Andy

 

[Ollie Jones]

For me the long range makes the most sense.

I drive around 90 miles round trip a day to get to work and back. So it seems like the 230 miles would be fine (Even at 80% battery). The problem I have is since this is my primary vehicle and I don't want to have to charge it every day if I can help it.

I understand the batteries last longest if you charge to 70% capacity and discharge to 25% - 30% capacity. I have a commute like yours (80 miles in my case) so I charge my 90kWh battery each day to keep the longevity up. I might be able to get two round trips, but then I'd need to push the routine charge up to at least 80%.

 

[GregHudson]

What is "prolly"? Does that mean it is or it isn't a longshot?

prolly = slang for probably

 

[Vern Padgett]

Let me summarize the above:

------------
Someone has an income that allows a <crazy expensive> Model S and may or may not have blown another $1000-$2000 on "emergency backup" level 2 chargers at the homes of all of his friends and family, and he ALMOST needed to use a range longer than 200 miles like 3 times in the times he has owned his car. (Well, they now have installed more Superchargers so it wouldn't happen today, there will be many more in the future, and they all could have been avoided by going 60mph from the start if really in trouble, but you know...) For that reason, as well as saving about 9 minutes on average at any supercharger stops and a meaninglessly faster overnight charge, he feels that everyone should increase the price of their car (post-tax-credit) by 33%.
------------
A whole bunch of other people with absurdly high incomes such that they can afford $100,000+ cars chimes in and agrees.

I do realize that many people feel strongly that a larger battery is a "no brainer," and I can understand that if you're focused on the many real and significant benefits to a longer range. For everyone else, though, ie: all but those who constantly will be traveling very long distances (think a huge commute>75 miles, or frequent trips >400 miles), this benefit is wildly overblown. On long trips, until you get to 400-500 miles plus, the big battery is unlikely to save you any supercharger stops at all, just save you ~10 minutes per stop. If you talk to most electric car owners, they will tell you that range anxiety falls off quickly after the first year when you know your car and what it can do. With >200 miles of range, you are almost never going to experience range anxiety, and you are almost never going to use those last 85 miles.

Don't forget that those last 85 miles increase the base price (after tax credit) by 33%! That's crazy!

The right answer for MOST drivers is the short range battery, unless the money just doesn't hurt. Then by all means have a blast and get the sweet battery. It's a luxury, and that's great, but it's not actually worth it for most drivers. Don't be pressured into blowing 20% of an average American's salary for the few times a year it might slightly increase your convenience.

I agree with JS. We bought two S90Ds last year, and I probably should have bought one S90D and one S75. I don't think I paid 9 thousand more for the bigger battery-- I think it was 18 thousand. I'll check the sticker.

I live 3 miles from my job.

On the Model 3, I have 2 on order, and both of them will be with the smaller battery.

Here's an issue no one has brought up-- what are the costs, and consequences, of driving around the extra weight of the larger battery?

How much energy am I wasting, driving 3 miles to work, with a 90 kW battery, when a smaller one would have served just fine? Looking at my watt hours per mile for the last 30 miles today, it is about 377. How much of that goes to carry a much bigger battery than I need?

 

[Vern Padgett]

Dropping from "highway speed" to SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR!?

Where is it that you drive?

Lucky to drive as fast as 25 or 30 mph most of the time on our freeways here.