Both of these ideas (vfx & dsm363) are interesting options, IMO. Obviously you've got a battery pack now that can haul it's own weight (~1,000#) plus the weight of the car (3,000#) plus the weight of the occupants (up to 1,000#) and haul them pretty quickly (0-50 in 5.6s). The Model X will add a second electric motor in the front. Having a second battery pack should enable you to tow another 4,000# plus.
[Another way to think about it might be a 300 mile pack will move 4,000-5,000 pounds 300 miles. If you add 6,000 pounds of payload then that would cut your range to like ~130 miles from 300].
The problem of course is the battery is the most expensive part of the car. Adding 70 miles (from 160 to 230 and from 230 to 300) adds $10,000 each time. That's like $140 per mile. So the base battery pack with 160 miles costs like $23K and 230 and 300 cost $33K and $43K. So adding another 300 mile battery pack to the car or to the trailer would be big bucks!!
In the end I think that the weight is just one factor. Once you're at highway speeds the drag from the wind resistance is a bigger factor than weight. I'm not smart enough to figure out how that factors in to the equation.
[Another way to think about it might be a 300 mile pack will move 4,000-5,000 pounds 300 miles. If you add 6,000 pounds of payload then that would cut your range to like ~130 miles from 300].
The problem of course is the battery is the most expensive part of the car. Adding 70 miles (from 160 to 230 and from 230 to 300) adds $10,000 each time. That's like $140 per mile. So the base battery pack with 160 miles costs like $23K and 230 and 300 cost $33K and $43K. So adding another 300 mile battery pack to the car or to the trailer would be big bucks!!
In the end I think that the weight is just one factor. Once you're at highway speeds the drag from the wind resistance is a bigger factor than weight. I'm not smart enough to figure out how that factors in to the equation.
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