Newbie needs help with deciding on which model

[WannabeOwner]

Here ya go: Model S | Tesla Motors
Scroll down to "Range per car", you can play with speed, temp, battery size, wheel size, etc.

That's perfect, thanks (hadn't thought about ambient temperature & A/C on or off in terms of asking real-world users for data ... good job I didn't do that the data would have been worthless!)

the calculator is a little conservative, but it'll give you a pretty good estimate.

I'm after the Delta difference between Models / Speed, so absolute distance is less important to me, in this fact-finding mission, than how much range difference I get between, say, 85D and P85D, and thus I expect that the quoted figures are fine for my purpose.


Here's what I've got out of the spreadsheet I've been playing with:


First of all based on 19" wheels, with Air Con off, and temperatures of 20C, 10C and 0C (30C coming up in a moment). We are rarely driving long distance at 0C in the UK - we'd probably have lying snow, council will have failed to clear the roads, country will have ground to a halt!! But we might well have close-to-0C on winter days. Significantly below 0C and a long, business, journey would be very unlikely.


Change temperature from 20C to 10C, or 10C to 0C has the effect of reducing range by 6-8 miles, regardless of model. (Best model might be 6 miles, worst would be 8 miles; 70-65 might be 6 miles, 65-60 might be 7 miles; whatever, its within a mile or two, regardless of model).


Change speed from 70 to 65, or 65 to 60, or 60 to 55, or 55 to 50 has much the same effect. i.e. at 20C changing from 70MPH to 65MPH the 85, 85D, P85D gain 25-26 miles. The amount of "gain" only differs by a mile or two between the models for any temperature and MPH adjustment.


So there is no benefit, on 19" wheels, from one model over another based on either Temperature or dropping speed to conserve range.


Overall Range comparison by model:


On 19" tires comparing 85, 85D and P85D at various speeds and temperatures the 85D has 8-10 miles more range than the 85, and the P85D has 7-10 miles less (so the P85D is about the same range as the 85)


So my conclusion is that on journeys where range is critical the 85D might provide 10 miles additional "comfort".


Dropping speed from 70-65 would increase range by 25-26 miles (for all of 85, 85D, P85D) and add 13 minutes to a 200 mile journey time of 171 minutes


As I have read elsewhere, if on my journey I choose to stop at a supercharger en route for a pee and a coffee then I could just drive at 70 instead ... and make up the charging time by not having to reduce speed


Extra miles from dropping speed with 19" wheels (only a couple of miles difference between the models)


70-65 = +25-26 miles
65-60 = +28-29 miles, 70-60 = +53-54
60-55 = +31-32 miles, 70-55 = +84-86
55-50 = +34-35 miles, 70-50 = +119-121


If I turn the Air Con on at 30C I get the same range as Air Con off at 20C. We don't get 30C often in UK, mid-to-high 20's happens a bit (English summer defined as "Two hot days and a thunderstorm"!! but we do get heatwaves from time to time)


AirCon on at 20C costs me 12-15 miles range at 70MPH rising to 33-36 miles at 50MPH. so, again, no significant difference between the models


Things are different, and more erratic, with 21" wheels. I had already decided that I didn't want 21" wheels as I don't think (but need a test drive to be sure) I want a harder ride with better cornering ability; what I think I would appreciate, once I become an owner, is the more silent ride of 19" wheels/tyres.


Very similar difference between models, with 21" tyres, comparing 20C & 10C, and 10C and 0C. e.g. a 10 degree temperature drop costs 5-7 miles for all models.


Whereas with 19" wheels the range difference between models was similar at the various speeds, with 21" wheels it is more pronounced.


85D/85 @70MPH +13 miles, @50MPH +23 miles.
85D/P85D @70MPH +12 miles, @50MPH +22 miles.


Again, P85D and 85 are about the same.


Extra miles from dropping speed with 21" wheels (only a couple of miles difference between the models)


70-65 = +23-25 miles
65-60 = +26-29 miles, 70-60 = +49-54
60-55 = +29-32 miles, 70-55 = +79-86
55-50 = +32-35 miles, 70-50 = +111-121


Comparing 19" and 21" Wheels, with 19" wheels:


Model 85 - 10-19 miles more @70 / 50 MPH
Model 85D - 6-7 miles more between @70 & 50 MPH
Model P85D - 11-19 miles more @70 / 50 MPH (again, almost identical to Model 85)


Conclusion:


Range characteristics (at any given temperature/speed etc.) are much the same between 85 and P85D
85D would give me range-comfort of 10 miles compared to either 85 or P85D
Dropping speed by 2.5MPH would give me the same benefit. 2.5 MPH reduction @70 MPH adds 2.2 minutes per hour to a journey and 2.6 minutes per hour @ 60 MPH


Money aside, I find it hard to consider that extra range of 85D compared to P85D is a tangible benefit / consideration and, ditto, for a budget-conscious purchase the extra range of 85D compared to 85.


I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts if any of my assumptions are screwy

 

[mwulff]

A 150 mile round trip is probably outside the real-world range of any Tesla. If I were you I would get the 85D or the 85 RWD. Best value for money and all the cars you mention will need 5-10 mins at a supercharger to complete the trip.

The P models are just "toys" for people that like insane accelleration. All Teslas will take you from 0 to "No driving license" in a heartbeat in the UK.

I would not spring for a 90 battery nor would I waste money on AWD in the UK. The RWD 85 is still a great option and makes less noise when driving than it's AWD counterparts.

I believe there is marginally improved range for an 85D vs. the 85RWD but both cars will need a supercharger stop to complete a 300 mile trip.

 

[e-FTW]

Hehehe ... well in that case I can't resist posting my Seven-porn

3.5 V8 bored out to 3.9-ish, high performance heads, limited slip Quaif diff etc., about 300BHP and weighing half-a-ton. Great fun

- - - Updated - - -

EDIT: Sorry, not mastered the image upload very well there.

[emoji106]

 

[Dzanda]

From reading your post it seems as if the increased price for the "ludicrous" mode car isn't an obstacle. You also allude to "sub 5 second" cars as hitting a certain sweet spot for you. You also state that you're a grandparent (me too) and that you want to be eco friendly. Putting all of that together it seems as if a fully loaded 90D with all the toys will meet every requirement you have - or may have. For an incremental $10-20K, not insignificant but not excessive, you have every possibility covered. So my comment is - why not get a loaded 90D, scratch all of your itches and be ready for anything you want to do? Worst case? You overspent by $10-20K from a "stripper" version of ludicrous mode fun. Resale risk is maybe half of that? So for $10K, at most, you get everything you want? Seems like an economically justified rationalization for getting the car you really want. Enjoy.

Wow! You've been reading my mind!

 

[WannabeOwner]

A 150 mile round trip is probably outside the real-world range of any Tesla

Yes, sorry I was a bit loose with my "100-150 mile" statement. I have, now, stuck a couple of "long" journey destinations into Google Maps and it says the furthest one, that I have to do regularly, is 118 miles away. So I reckon I'm close to the limit but OK barring very cold weather or some detour (or maybe crawling in very slow traffic?)

will need 5-10 mins at a supercharger to complete the trip.

That's probably less time than I'll wait queueing for a Posh Coffee

The P models are just "toys" for people that like insane accelleration

It seems to me that on the one hand I could get supercar performance for an additional 10K on top of my car purchase price but on the other hand it looks like I only gain 0.1s nought-to-whatever and 2MPH on a standing quarter mile ... but I expect that there is a future software upgrade coming on that point. Its definitely not worth 10K to me as it stands

The RWD 85 is still a great option and makes less noise when driving than it's AWD counterparts.

We always used to have 4WD (XR4x4 in the early days, RS4 more recently) for the few weeks of the year when there was snow out here in the sticks and, indeed, for an icy drive home on ungritted roads on many a winter's night. That was before we had been Wow'd by Winter Tyres, and since then we've been very happy with Front Wheel Drive and Winter Tyres. I quite like the idea of AWD though, just haven't had opportunity to have it in the Eco cars we switched to 8-ish years ago. But now it seems I can have that again I'm seriously tempted - more traction/acceleration and better winter grip on untreated roads.