Tesla Model S Now Officially Has A Range Of Above 400 Miles

The Tesla Model S has finally touched the benchmark 400 miles of EPA battery range. Tesla’s flagship sedan is now the first production car to achieve an EPA rating of more than 400 miles.

The EV maker recently updated its EPA range of Tesla Model S to 402 miles on its official website. This is the second time in 2020 that Tesla Model S has received a range improvement.

Earlier this year, the Model S achieved an improved rating of 391 miles, up from 373 miles earlier. A couple of months after that, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, claimed that the EPA has made a mistake while testing the Model S and it has already touched the 400-mile mark.

Elon said that EPA left the door of the Model S open along with the key inside while testing it. This led to unnecessary battery drainage and eventually resulted in a low EPA rating. However, the EPA denied confirming any such mistake.

As of now, after the retest of the Model S, the electric car has achieved what Tesla was yearning for: the world’s longest-range electric car.

From now on, all Long Range Plus variants of Tesla Model S will have an electric range of 402 miles.

Moreover, Tesla stated several factors that led to the improvement of the battery range in the Model S.

Factors That Led Model S Achieve More Than 400-Miles Range

According to Tesla, they made several improvements like weight reduction, new aerodynamic wheels, and a few other optimizations to achieve this new level of efficiency.

1. Weight Reduction

Reduced weight of a vehicle increases both its efficiency and performance. Tesla said its engineers have taken lessons from what they did with the Model 3 and Model Y and applied it to Model S and Model X.

The automaker said minimizing the weight of each component is an ongoing goal of its engineering and design teams. Additionally, Tesla has incorporated new lightweight in-house built seats and other lighter materials used in the battery.

2. New Aero Wheels And Tires:

Tesla believes its new 8.5-inch wide aero wheels will reduce aerodynamic drag compared to the wheels used in the older Model S. According to Tesla, when paired with a specifically designed tire with low rolling resistance, the battery range will see a 2% improvement in range.

3. Improvement In Driving Unit Efficiency

In the rear AC induction unit, Tesla has replaced the mechanical oil pump with an electric oil pump. The arrangement optimized lubrication independent of vehicle speed to reduce friction.

Furthermore, the engineers made some modifications in the gearbox by taking inspiration from Model Y and Model 3. Altogether, this step also improved battery efficiency by 2%.

4. Optimization Of Regenerative Braking

Tesla has introduced a new feature called “HOLD” that integrates the motor’s regenerative braking with physical brakes. This way, the regenerative braking works more efficiently than before.

Apart from this, the price of the Model S remains the same. In fact, Tesla recently reduced around $5000 on the MSRP of Model S. Additionally, all its electric cars except Model Y have received a discount. You can read the full story here.

Final thoughts

The driving range of an electric car is one of its most appealing characteristics, and all the EV makers are trying their best to provide the maximum possible range.

However, Tesla is currently leading the chart of the longest-range electric cars. Which electric vehicle do you think will likely overtake Tesla in the future?

The post Tesla Model S Now Officially Has A Range Of Above 400 Miles appeared first on Fossbytes.

Tesla Model S Now Officially Has A Range Of Above 400 Miles
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