I’m assuming this could be why Tesla’s are so cheap compared with similar electric cars.
Let’s take the model y LR and the Kia Ev9 Earth.
The model y LR has a range of 533km with a 75kwh battery
The ev9 earth has a range of 512km with a 99.8kwh battery.
That’s 14.8kwh more than the Tesla and 21km LESS range than the Tesla.
Is Tesla’s cars just more efficient? And by that much??
There’s no way Tesla can be that much more efficient with it’s motor, aerodynamics and electronics. (What am I missing?)
Other brands should be able to do somewhat the same. An electric motor isn’t a complex machine and aerodynamics can be easily improved upon. Same for electronics.
Unfortunately, it’s mostly to do with their inaccurate range claims. You should also compare similar class vehicles, Kia EV6 and the Model Y.
EPA Ranges:
Model Y LR 75kwh - 533km
Kia EV6 77.4 kWh - 499km
Edmunds tested:
Model Y LR - 510km
Kia EV6 - 520km
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/electric-car-range-and-consumption-epa-vs-edmunds.html
They’re not getting the range they say. That’s the answer.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/23/23928563/tesla-doj-ev-range-exaggerate-investigation
They aren’t getting the range they say (I have a model 3) but their efficiency is definitely better than many other cars. I average over 4 miles a kWh overall for my cars lifetime.
Our awd ID4 will go about 270 miles on a full charge in the summer assuming 55mph and a flat road.
Well for starters Kia EV9 competes with model X (100kWh) battery.
you are comparing WLTP range here and not real world range.
also these two vehicles are very different in size.
looking at real world range the model Y LR in the summer at 120kmh only made it 340km which means going from 80% to 5% charge on a road trip is only 221km so you are charging less than every 2 hours.
the EV6 GT in similar conditions had 259km of range at 120kmh giving it 187km range when using 75% of battery charge.
Tesla has heavily optimized for these test cycles so they get really good numbers on paper but in reality theres a HUGE difference between test cycle range and real world range.
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Tesla vehicles (not including the Cybertruck) tend to weigh less. A model 3 weighs up to 4000 lbs, an Ionic 6 weighs up to 4600 lbs, a Polestar 2 weighs up to 4600 lbs, and an i4 weighs up to 5000 pounds.
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Tesla lies about the range. They claim around 15% more than is realistic for most drivers.
Edit: Fixed a typo
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Tesla has very efficient electronic components. Cumulative tiny gains in the entire system. Tesla also focuses on frictional efficiencies (drivetrain and rolling) and aerodynamics. And even weight. It’s a systemic approach and they do a good job. The results are there. Yes, they also lean on EPA loopholes for stated range, But still.
Tesla lies about their cars. Who would have thought with their leader being a sociopath?
Tesla is being investigated for lying about their vehicles’ range capabilities.
One of the reasons I bought my Model 3 SR+ (apart from being one of the safest cars on the road) was because of its kWH/mile efficiency was so much better than it’s competitors - that meant maximising my savings on energy compared to fuel running costs.
Tesla Leads in Energy Efficiency by 10 to 30% Nov 24, 2019
https://medium.com/swlh/tesla-leads-in-energy-efficiency-by-10-to-30-e8e0a8bc1548
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The aerodynamics are better. Drag coefficient is .23 in the Model Y LR
Vs
.28 in the Kia EV9 -
Weight is lower: 4,555lb in the Tesla Model Y LR
Vs
5,873lbs in the Kia EV9 with the large battery pack and AWD
The RWD version might be a bit lighter, but it’s still over 750lbs more than the largest Model Y.
These are the two biggest factors of efficiency, but there may be some other little stuff that Tesla has done to improve it.
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Actually efficient electric motors are hard to make. Then add in a lot of other stuff. Don’t take “official” numbers. See what Bjorn says.
Not rah-rah Tesla, this is just what happens when your company ONLY makes EVs.
All Teslas were built from the ground up to be EVs. Every design decision in them aligns with them being an EV. Aerodynamics was job 1 (that’s why all Teslas are exactly the same shape) and that has a huge impact on highway range. Close attention was paid to HVAC and cabin insulation, because that effects winter range.
It’s like the difference between a 1990s EV1 (scratch built to be an EV) and a 90s Toyota RAV4-EV (a complete afterthought, battery packs slapped onto an ICE frame). Of course the EV1 got better mileage.
Tesla lies about its mileage figures. I’ve had a base Model 3 for years and I’ve never gotten more than 180 miles on a full charge.