2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus becomes first EV to break the 643-km range barrier, according to EPA

2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus becomes first EV to break the 643-km range barrier, according to EPA

Tesla has secured another achievement by becoming the first electric vehicle manufacturer to offer an EV that provides over 643 km (400 miles) of range. To be specific, the new 2020 Model S Long Range Plus sold in North America now has an official EPA-rated range of 647 km (402 miles), which represents a 20% increase when compared to a 2019 Model S 100D with the same battery pack design.

The company cites various factors for the significant bump in range, starting with minimising the vehicle’s mass based on lessons learned from engineering the Model 3 and Model Y – this is also applied to the Model X. Additionally, weight savings have also been achieved via the standardisation of Tesla’s in-house seat manufacturing and lighter materials used for the battery pack and drive units.

On the mention of the drive unit, the Model S’ rear AC-induction drive unit now comes with an electric oil pump instead of a mechanical one to better optimise lubrication independent of vehicle speed to reduce friction.

Improvements have also been made to the gearbox for the front permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motors shared with Model 3 and Model Y, resulting in a further increase of 2% more range while driving on the highway.

The car’s regenerative braking system has also been tweaked to incorporate a new “Hold” feature that blends the motor’s regenerative braking with physical brakes to bring it to a stop when easing off the accelerator pedal. This works at a lower speed and deceleration rate, sending more energy back to the battery pack.

Besides the reduced vehicles mass and revised powertrain, the Model S is also fitted with new “Tempest” aero wheels and bespoke tyres, which were specifically engineered to reduce rolling resistance, adding to a 2% improvement to overall range.

With the update, Tesla has beaten the Lucid Motors (and its upcoming Air) as well as Rivian (and its R1T) in providing an EV with a range of over 643 km (400 miles). In fact, the Model S beats out many other EVs (in the US) from more prominent brands like the Hyundai Kona Electric (415 km or 258 miles) and Jaguar I-Pace (376 km or 234 miles), just to name a few.

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

  • Ajibkor on Jun 16, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    Rindu zaman tesla bersama saya dulu…

    https://paultan.org/2016/02/18/govt-to-allow-duty-exempt-import-of-100-tesla-model-s/

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Engineer on Jun 16, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Meanwhile battery production scars the earth with open pit mining.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1
  • vivizurianti on Jun 16, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    Malaysia’s (f)lying car has much longer mileage, with top of the world view….Sure syoik sendiri while flying, right?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • seancorr (Member) on Jun 16, 2020 at 8:41 pm

      Until u accidentally got one of TNB’s power grid lines.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Muhammad Zikry Saiful Zamir on Jun 16, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    I really hope that model 3 will enter malaysian market

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Muhammad Zikry on Jun 16, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    I really hope that model 3 will enter malaysian market

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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