Tesla's new entry-level 70D doesn't exactly give off an "base model" feel.
Tesla may have pushed back the planned introduction of its second model-line, but it has also been rapidly expanding the number of variants of its big Model S. Only a few months after adding its first all-wheel-drive version, as well as the fastest Model S yet, the Silicon Valley start-up is adding a new base model to the Model S mix.
To be more precise, it is dropping the old base version in favor of a faster, longer-range spin-off, the Tesla Model S 70D. At $76,200 before the applicable federal tax credit, and making a healthy 514 horsepower, this is not exactly what you’d consider your typical base vehicle.
You’d certainly be hard-pressed to tell while taking the 70D out for a drive, as we did this week shortly after Tesla announced the changes to its line-up.
The new variant replaces the old 60D which was about $5,000 lower in base price. At first glance, you’d have a hard time telling the two apart – or differentiating the 70D from any other Model S, for that matter.
The primary differences, beyond badging, are found under the hood, so to speak. What you get, first of all, is a larger, 70 kilowatt-hour battery good for an estimated range of 240 miles per charge. That’s better than the old 60d at 208 miles, and not all that much behind the top-line Model S, and more than double what just about every other battery-electric vehicle on the road now can deliver.
For many potential buyers, the 70d should provide more than enough travel to obviate “range anxiety.” It’s about as much as most drivers would likely track in a week. Notably, the 70D comes with the unlimited use of Tesla’s fast-expanding Supercharger network, a $2,000 option on the old 60D. There are currently more than 250 of those super-fast chargers in place around the U.S. and Canada, and lots more are coming.
The heart of the drivetrain is a pair of electric motors, one for each axle, and each producing a peak of 257 hp. In reality, you’re never going to see all of those 514 ponies. For a variety of reasons, Tesla has used software to limit output to a peak 329-hp.
Then again, when it comes to battery-cars, horsepower isn’t the primary number to worry about; it’s torque. Electric motors make 100% of their wheel-spinning torque the moment they’re turned on, which is why a beefy enough electric drivetrain can press you firmly into your seat when you slam the throttle.
Unfortunately, Tesla has not yet released torque numbers for the Model S 70D, but even a short drive will suggest that the number is measured in gobs. Heading out on a winding course that combined wide boulevards, Interstates and local roads, we needed only a matter of minutes to recognize that the new sedan is quick. Very, very quick. Passing maneuvers were lightning fast, as was our merge onto I-75. We had to back off the throttle barely halfway down the entrance ramp and were still pushing well into extra-legal numbers.
Officially, Tesla lists a 0 to 60 launch of 5.2 seconds. While we didn’t have enough time to run our stopwatch we’re inclined to believe that number errs on the conservative side.
The Model S 70D proved nimble and adept at weaving through traffic with a firm yet comfortable ride, its suspension intuitive enough to know when to hunker down for more aggressive maneuvers.
That “D,” incidentally, is the tip-off that this is one of Tesla’s new all-wheel-drive models
If there was any surprise with the sedan it was the noise level. No, it wasn’t loud. It was easy to hold a normal conversation, but it was slightly louder than some other EVs we have driven. Cutting the decibels is a major challenge for plug-based automakers who have to deal with the so-called stumps-in-the-swamp syndrome. All those belts and pulleys, the little motors and even the crackle of tire rubber no longer are masked by the sound of a roaring internal combustion engine.
As for the sound of the drivetrain itself, the Tesla Model S, in all its forms, produces a confident whine as you accelerate, not unlike the sound of the battery race cars in the new Formula E series. To classic muscle car fans it may be more like a scratching phonograph needle. To techies – who may never have heard a phono – it’s music to the ears.
(Tesla introduces entry-level Model S. For more about the 70D, Click Here.)
The 70d’s interior is basically the same as the top-line P85D, complete with the massive touchscreen display that serves all manner of functionality, from operating the climate control system to locating nearby chargers.
Tesla recently upgraded software – remotely and automatically, one might note – among other things providing the ability to predict when you’ll need to recharge and helping you find a charger along the way. It’s not only one of the most functional infotainment systems we have seen, but also the fastest. We wish our laptop computer was as quick.
(Click Here for details about Tesla’s new quarterly delivery record.)
The digital technology includes adaptive cruise control and a collision warning system. It also has the capability of being upgraded – again, automatically – once Tesla launches its semi-autonomous Autopilot technology in the next year.
Is it worth the money? Factor in the $7,500 tax credit and a few options and you’re coming in around $70,000. It’s steep but not out of line with similar luxury vehicles offering the same level of performance. Meanwhile, Tesla will quickly remind you of the money you’re saving on fuel.
(To see more about the revival of the Fisker Karma, Click Here.)
No, it’s not going to take the California carmaker into the mainstream, but the addition of the Model S 70d is likely to expand the appeal of this battery sedan, Tesla already reporting record sales in the latest quarter. It’s a fun car to drive – one that will shock anyone who thinks of battery cars as slow and stodgy. It’s also lavishly equipped. And it suggests that Tesla is becoming a serious challenger to traditional luxury brands.
This reads like a Tesla press release more than an objective test report. As an example, how did you determine that an estimated 240 mile range (under ideal conditions no doubt), would “obviate range anxiety for many consumers”? That’s like saying a 10 gal. gas tank in a car that gets 20 mpg, is sufficient to obviate range anxiety when there are no refilling statins within 200 miles of the travel route. With (250) Fast charging systems across the U.S. that means Tesla is only short about 10 million stations. As far as the fast charging is concerned, that’s a bad joke when you see the actual time required for a full charge, not a partial charge. The Tesla deception is all in the details.
10 MILLION? Unlikely. Maybe 10,000. The fast chargers, meanwhile, are being spaced out on major freeways more along the line of the service stations on highways like the NJ or Ohio Turnpikes. And these are just fast chargers from Tesla. As for the time of charging, the numbers are for an 80% recharge, not a full charge, but a reasonable amount for anything but the longest cross-country trips.
Range stated by Tesla is for 65 mph, rather than the ratings many automakers base on 55 mph with gas cars. Would I personally get less range at the pace I tend to drive, yes,indeed.
But I personally have long argued that for most folks, the critical line is crossed only at a minimum 150-200 miles range. The argument that 80-100 miles is more than enough for the typical daily use is specious. Yes, it might get you to work and back, but American buyers tend to purchase vehicles on the “what-if,” ie “What if I get a call from my son’s school and need to go back, take him to the doctor and then return to school?” At 200, that’s largely out of the concern factor. The down side is that battery charging is slow, even with 440V DC. The positive side is that you can charge at home, at the office, at the store.
As we have stated in countless stories on TheDetroitBureau.com, EVs are not yet ready for prime time for the mass but for those who are considering one, the 70D starts to make battery power much more reasonable.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
Until fast charging stations are available like petrol stations, it’s unreasonable to even suggest that a small increase in range is the solution to range anxiety for EV owners. In fact quick battery changes make more sense but are still impractical.
Few EV owners are going to travel 50-100 miles out of their planned route to find a fast charging station or battery exchange location because it that takes too long to recharge the batteries. Rapid battery exchanges also are impractical so the suggestion that Tesla or any other EV owner can use their EV for typical long distance travel is just nonsense. That’s my point. The slight increase in range of the 70D isn’t going to change the situation.
Again, GT, you miss a critical point. While I somewhat agree with you about the need for a much more vast charging network long-term, it is NOT necessary to significantly increase the base of plug vehicles from the current, miniscule level. I was surprised by recent research that found the majority of current Chevy Volt owners are 1) largely charging at home after hours; 2) not even bothering to get 220V chargers but simply plugging into standard 110V outlets. That is, of course, unreasonable with any vehicle with a larger battery pack. (Try that with an 85 kWh Tesla Model S 85d!) But it makes an important point.
We need a mass network of gasoline stations simply because that is the only way to fill up. You can’t tank up overnight at home, or when at work or at the supermarket. Even on a lower amperage 220V charger a Tesla 70 or 85 can readily be fully at capacity overnight. And while the lack of a gas station-sized infrastructure may limit your ability to easily drive cross-country, a 240-280 mile range absolutely can handle the vast, vast majority of driving duties most Americans would consider. Add a single supercharger between Detroit and Chicago, or NY and Boston and you’ve made those trips possible. Yes, they may require a little more forethought, but for those who don’t do such travel often (the bulk of Americans), it becomes readily possible.
I had this debate, by the way, over the numbers and location of the Superchargers. The key here is to service primary long-distance routes, not to fill out the map with gas station equivalents. Per my comment, above, that can be serviced in a different manner.
Again, I am not saying plug-based vehicles have reached the stage they are interchangeable, but for a lot of folks they CAN fit into the consideration set more easily than expected. And, as prices for battery tech falls, while more vehicles — think Chevy Bolt — increase range, the potential audience will grow. Whether buyers will accept them is another matter
Paul E.
I think most current EV users are tree huggers, not typical auto consumers. That’s why EV sales are dropping – because there are only a few tree huggers willing to pop for a city use only vehicle. Sure a few more might bite at $70K but the more people see how impractical these vehicles are the lower sales will be. Some day they might make sense for typical auto consumers but I suspect that is decades off.
Hi, Jorge, I think you’re wrong here. While the “tree-huggers” are certainly among the buyers of plug-based vehicles there’s also a strong contingent of well-off buyers who may have a bit of an enviro bent but would not fall into that category. They like new tech and find cars like the Tesla very “cool.” I know more than a few folks who fall into this category. In fact, I think you’ll find a slightly higher percentage in the luxury market, overall, with the exception of the youthful market. And there they cannot afford to buy the hip cars they’d like unless/until battery pricing falls sharply.
My sense is that as makers press above 200 miles range, more chargers appear, and as pricing falls, ala the Chevy Bolt, we’ll have the real test of potential demand.
Paul E.
Yes there are also some status conscious people who want to one-up their neighbors and they can pretend they care about the environment. Vanity has never been in style however and thankfully their numbers are low. LOL
I simply don’t see EVs becoming a mainstream vehicle for decades if ever. There are so many aspects of EVs that make no sense and their use is limited geographically by climatic conditions, etc. that it’s pretty much smoke and mirrors except for those groups mentioned above. Fuel cells cars are likely to eliminate battery powered vehicles sooner than later.