Tesla's Model S will officially go on sale this Friday.
With the countdown clock on the Tesla website closing in on the final hours before the maker officially launches its first mainstream product the maker got some reasonably good news from the EPA – an 89 MPGe fuel economy rating for the new Model S, the feds also estimating the battery-electric sedan will get up to 265 miles per charge on its largest, 85 kWh battery pack.
The numbers aren’t quite as good as some had anticipated, especially considering Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been flaunting the company’s own forecast of a 300-mile range for the big battery pack – and 160 and 230 miles per charge for the smaller packs also offered Model S buyers.
Meanwhile, the 89 MPGe might sound great when compared to a conventional, gas-powered sedan but it lags well behind the 118 MPGe rating the EPA recently gave the new Honda Fit Electric, the 112 MPGe numbers for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Ford Focus Electric’s 105 MPGe or the 99 MPGe earned by the Nissan Leaf.
Tesla will follow next year with the Model X - with its unusual "falcon" doors.
Then again, those are all smaller vehicles than the Model S, which Tesla claims can squeeze in room for seven passengers. And the EPA-rated range for all those vehicles has come in lower than what the manufacturers had predicted. With the Leaf, for example, Nissan had been projecting a range of as much as 100 miles but the government test cycle whittled that down to just the 73 mile figure posted on the battery car’s Munroney window sticker.
In the real world, both mileage and range can vary widely depending upon a variety of factors including driver behavior and weather conditions. Battery cars use up a significant amount of energy when a motorist switches on its electric heat in winter, for example. And, like hybrids, they often do better in stop-and-go driving, where energy can be regenerated, than on high speed roads.
What’s significant about the Model S is that even its smallest, 40 kWh lithium-ion battery will deliver significantly more than 100 miles per charge – as much as double the range of the other models listed above. There’s also a mid-range, 230-mile battery. Meanwhile, Tesla will also offer a special tech package that boosts the range of the big 85 kWh battery by 20 miles, the maker claims.
The base car will start at $57,400 – $49,900 after deducting the federal $7,500 tax credit. A top-line Performance Model, with the big battery, goes for $87,400 — $79,900 after the tax credit.
All versions of the new Model S sedan – as well as a Model X crossover to follow next year – will roll off Tesla’s new assembly line in Fremont, California. That facility was original a General Motors plant and, until 2009 served as the based for a joint venture between GM and Toyota. Toyota inherited the facility after the Detroit maker’s bankruptcy then sold it to Tesla.
The Japanese giant has a growing relationship with the California EV maker, Tesla producing the driveline for the new Toyota RAV4-EV. Tesla also has ties to Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG.
The first production Model S actually rolled off the line earlier this month and was delivered to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, a major Tesla investor. The second set of keys was handed over to Elon Musk, founder of both Tesla and the private rocket firm Space-X. The rest of several 100 customers who’ve placed deposits for the vehicle will have to wait until this coming Friday for retail deliveries to begin.
Thanks for this balanced article. You misstate the base price of the car, which is $57,400 _before_ the federal tax incentive, or $49,900 _after_. Also, the tech package does not improve range; the optional air suspension and optional aerodynamic wheels, however, will.
The article also states that “several 100 customers” have placed deposits. Reservations now exceed 10,000.
The base model of the Model S is $57,400. Minus the $7,500 tax credit that makes it $49,900.
http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options
Thanks. We already corrected this!
Paul E.
“Meanwhile, Tesla will also offer a special tech package that boosts the range of the big 85 kWh battery by 20 miles, the maker claims.”
That is likely referring to the Aero wheels that Tesla recently pulled from production. I believe they plan to reintroduce them at some point though. The ‘tech package’ includes:
Xenon headlamps
Electrochromatic side mirrors
LED foglights
Convenience lighting
Power rear liftgate
High definition back-up camera
Homelink
Turn-by-turn navigation with
seven years of free map updates
Automatic keyless entry
The 300 mile range Tesla had been advertising was at 55 mph. The 5 cycle test includes speeds faster than that and acceleration so it was expected it would come in lower than 300 miles. The 265 should be a fairly realistically achievable number. Even with normal highway speeds, you should at least be able to go well over 200 miles without having to worry about it regardless of temperature.
All said, Tesla seems to have delivered basically what they said they would even though many people didn’t think they could or that they were lying about the range. The 300 miles still is achievable, you should have to drive very gently, likely on a state road since 55 mph is too slow for most highways.
Hi, DSM,
Thanks for your comments. It tentatively agree — Tesla, as always, reluctant to let journos get time in vehicles — that it likely COULD deliver 300 miles out of the Model S with the 85 kWh battery. And, as I noted in my story yesterday, ALL battery cars get lower numbers out of the EPA test.
That said:
1) Tesla ALSO promotes the performance of the car and if you drive it the way they promote, rather than “very gently,” as you suggest, you’re going to get substantially poorer range;
2) To suggest that the true range is based on hyper-miling and other excessively ginger behavior isn’t a valid argument. Drive ANY vehicle that way and mileage and range will be substantially better. I have had muscle cars that, to purely prove a point, delivered to me econocar numbers when I did everything I knew how to maximize fuel economy. I beat Hyundai’s Sonata numbers by over 10 mpg the same way. A standardized test is the only valid way to compare and contrast. To their credit, the EPA routinely revises the test — as it did in 2008 when hybrids were routinely shown delivering MUCH better mileage than anyone but a hyper-miler would get in the real world.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
I agree. I don’t think they ever should have advertised such conservative numbers but it’s kind of like traditional automakers bragging about horsepower from the motor instead of at the axel (think that’s what they normal do). Anyway, the EPA numbers are still impressive.
I’m not sure I’d call driving 55 mph hyper-miling but it’s definitely not driving the car the way it begs to be driven. For most people, you can drive the car how you want (as long as you bought the proper battery pack for your standard charge, weather conditions and driving style) and not worry about it. If you drive about 50 miles in a day on average, even with the 40 kWh pack and more normal driving (not taking it easy at all but not gunning it at each stoplight) you still should get over 90 miles of range.
It’s all about choosing the proper battery pack for your needs.
Hi, DSM,
There are so many battery chargers available that times will vary widely. If you’re running at Leaf levels charging times will take forever. If you run the 70A charger Tesla offers it is a hugely shorter. I have seen very rough data that suggest most folks who have chargers installed to date have relatively low amp units, but more importantly, and as I have previously noted, very few homes can handle 70 amps without costly rewiring. A contact at DTE recently suggested that’s actually more than the service to the typical residence in their area but I won’t state that as absolute fact. Yes, you would think buying a $90k car might justify the expense but even Tesla, in a comment a few months back seemed to suggest to so.
The math going to 40amps is easy…meaning a fair bit longer but still a lot better than with a current Leaf charger.
The question is what will happen if an owner uses a public charger? I believe most stations are 20 amps/220 volts or less…some maybe just 10A. That math is not so appealing. I don’t have immediate access to hard data on public chargers and that is changing rapidly, so I would encourage anyone who can provide reliable info on that topic.
Paul E.
I answered this in the other thread but all of the public chargers installed with DOE funding and the other major companies (ChargePoint Network…etc) are all 30A. The only public chargers less than 30A would be a regular 110V outlet you found in an emergency. Those are usually on 15A circuits which allow you to use 80% of that or 12A). See the calculator link on the other article. The first gen leaf has only a 3.3 kW charger while the base Model S (Single charger) can charge three times as fast at 10 kW or 40A on 240V which is faster actually than the 30A the public charging provides.
You really don’t need 80A (Model S HPC) at home although in some instances it could be useful (friend visiting or passing through who wants to stop for a long lunch or dinner and recharge before taking off again). Think about it: How many hours do people usually have at home before they need to go to work the next day? Most people who work a normal day schedule have at least 6 hours at home at night when charging is usually cheapest anyway. At the 32 miles of range an hour, this would give you over 190 miles of driving a day. If your daily commute is over 190 miles then yes, maybe the HPC would be useful but what percentage of the population has that kind of commute? For those people, maybe an EV isn’t for them but I’d argue as long as their commute was less than 240 miles, they’d save thousands of dollars a year in gas (the 240 mile commuter) and would easily pay for any expensive upgrade to their electrical work.
While I may disagree, I am perfectly fine with journalists who are skeptical about EVs, don’t think they’ll fit most people’s driving habits, or who just like the loud engine noise of an ICE but until someone can show me otherwise, I believe the charging times Tesla shows on their website. They match with what I’ve seen on the Roadster.
Again, not confident enough to speak authoritatively on public chargers though in conversations with DTE and a couple other “knowledgeable sources” last year, the figure of 20A on public chargers was used. That may have been in error or could refer to early-generation chargers.
The bottom line for me is that I personally consider myself a “skeptical proponent” of electrical propulsion. I’d like to see the technology find a place but that must be tempered by a real-world analysis of the numbers, of the costs, benefits, problems, advantages, disadvantages, etc., as well as some less tangible issues: from politics to public perceptions. My goal is to balance these all out on TheDetroitBureau.com (and my other personal outlets, ie MSNBC.com). The issue is not simple, nor is it a clear and straight path. Some articles will frustrate proponents, others infuriate skeptics. But by cutting through the clutter and exploring the subject with the intent of balance is the only way we’ll see where things are (or could be) going.
Paul E.
Those must be chargers from the the EVs of the 90s. I’d recheck with them since they must be referring to something else. All of the level 2 chargers I’ve ever seen or read about, ChargePoint and others are almost all J1772 30A.
http://www.chargepoint.net/find-stations.php
Remember, the charger is actually built into the electric car. The ‘charger’ with the cable you plug into your car actually just passes the electricity to your car. The Model S can max out the typical 30A public charger while the Leaf tops out at 15A I believe.
I think it’s fine to be skeptical but when someone points out an error and backs it up with facts, I hope you’ll reconsider things are possible amend your article or correct the figure. The 18 hour recharging time for the 85 kWh pack in your newer Tesla article for one when 9 hours would be the most common home scenario at 40A and up to 16 hours for 24A. Thanks.
Dave
When I am absolutely clear of an error I routinely correct it. I have heard and read the 18-hour figure and am still comfortable with it, especially as it is so close to the 16 you quote. I will further research this and correct if so required, as I did an error on Tesla pricing. When an error is clear it is important to revise. BTW, I have yet to hear back from folks that were all over me some months back when I quoted figures in this time range and who absolutely insisted I was totally wrong…that everyone would migrate to 70A chargers and that charging times would be in the mid-single-digits. I took some pretty rude comments then but, as you’re noting, something in that range, whether 16 or 18, is likely not off-base for most folks letting the battery drain down.
Meanwhile, directionally, the difference between 16-18 is marginal. It is a long charge cycle that a lot of potential buyers will not accept, anymore than they like the long cycles with the current Leaf, etc. I recognize this is when a battery is drained, something many owners won’t let happen. But the key point that I raise is that there is a sharp difference between advocates and enthusiasts willing to accept the changes required of BEV/PHEV owners and the mainstream audience. Folks don’t like to fill up on gas, never mind charge up, and often let their vehicles run to near-empty. Yes, there’s now likely a charger in your garage but… And if you don’t have a garage…? To simply assume the mainstream mass will adapt and adjust is a bit unrealistic, if not elitist. And remember, this is not a 5-minute fill-up, so if you fail to act in advance you have potential problems.
Paul E.
How is it not clear the 18 hours isn’t correct? Did you use the calculator on Tesla’s website with the different power sources to get your time? If, using Tesla’s calculator, it is clear that your 18 hour figure is off by 2 hours, I don’t see how it would harm your argument to be accurate. Your 18 hour figure is in-between the worst case 240V 24A NEMA 14-30 home circumstance (16 hours) and the 60 something hours on a 110V outlet. 2 hours is a big difference but this, again, is assuming you come home every day empty. If you only drive 50 miles that day you’ll fully charge in 2 hours for example. The only instance where you’d approach this 16 hour example is if you already had a 30A dryer in your garage exactly where you wanted your charger to be and you didn’t bother to have the electrician upgrade it to a 50A circuit. You’d be better off telling people how many miles of range an hour each source will give them (“A typical NEMA 14-50 outlet allows you to recharge your Model S at 31 miles of range an hour so if you drive 90 miles in a typical day, you only need to be at home recharging for 3 hours to be full” for example. Always quoting the worst case time is misleading. I’m not saying you shouldn’t mention it but only mentioning ‘it takes 18 hours to recharge this car’ is not even close to the normal circumstance most drivers will find themselves as the average American drives about 30-40 miles in a day.
Anyone buying the big battery pack who is as concerned about recharging times will at least install a 50A outlet and be able to fully recharge in 9 hours. If they’re planning on charging only on the 110V outlet they need to be very away of the very slow charge times. If they drive 200 miles a day on average and need faster charge times, they should just get the HPC.
I think you miss the key benefit of an EV and once again, I agree EVs are not for everyone but definitely more people than you think. If you don’t have a garage, it might not be the car for you but I leave my garage every day with a ‘full tank’. For the people who don’t like going to the gas station, this is better actually. If you know how to plug your cell phone in, you can charge your EV. It takes about 5 seconds after you park. I’ve lived with an EV for well over a year now and would much rather take the 5 seconds to plug in each night than drive to a gas station once a week.
What you actually got a lot of grief for was when you said ‘at best’ the Model S would be able to recharge in 12 hours. We attempted unsuccessfully multiple times to bring up the HPC and that the ‘best’ situation would be around 4 hours but you didn’t seem to buy that. We never said everyone would be installing a 70A charger just that that was possible and the ‘best’ at home situation, not the most likely which is 50A outlets. I think it’s pretty clear that your prior 12 hours ‘at best’ comment is wildly off the mark since most people buying a $90,000 EV would install the 100A circuit and HPC if recharging faster than 9 hours was a major concern.
The other main argument that gets missed is Tesla is an American company building cars in America with American workers that gets powered with 100% American energy. If you don’t believe in climate change or care about the environment, that doesn’t change the above sentence. No wars have been fought over coal, natural gas, wind or solar power in the US as far as I know so driving an EV is more than just about not going to a gas station.
I don’t know if you were directing that elitist comment at me but I never suggested everyone has to get an EV or they are bad people if they don’t or whatever your argument is. Frankly saying people pushing for EV adoption are elitist is rather insulting. That’s the equivalent of calling all Mercedes S class or Porsche drivers elitist. Expensive things cost a lot of money (the definition of expensive) and can typically only be afforded by people who make enough money to buy then. How many people do you know who have cell phones? How much did the first cell phones cost and how did they work? I believe the first cell phone cost about $3,000 (at the time, not adjusted for inflation) and had a talk time of less than an hour. Without early adopters (the elite I guess in your view) willing to pay that premium, we might not have the mobile market we have today. Same with EVs. It takes time and money to drive the cost down for the mainstream.
I know EVs are expensive, especially the Model S, and never suggested everyone needs an EV as the only affordable EV, Nissan Leaf, is still expensive and has a very limited range. I’m not sure where you got all that from. This whole argument was predicated on someone buying a Model S ($50,000-$90,000 car) so I’d say a vast majority of those buyers will likely own a home and maybe even have a garage. Yes, not everyone owns a home and charging an EV at an apartment at this point can be difficult. Again, anyone who the range or cost will be a problem for should not buy an EV! Just as a Ford F550 isn’t the truck for everyone, an EV isn’t the car for everyone. Each kind of car can serve a segment of the population well. I don’t see the problem with advocating EVs for the people that can afford them and for whom they would benefit with less fuel costs.