Specific Questions Between Model 3 Builds

[Clamps]

I'm considering a Model 3 among other EV's and had some questions between Standard Range Plus and the Dual Motor All Wheel Drive. Are the projected ranges of each 250 and 322 for highway/city or mix? If so, under fair conditions, sunny, no wind, modest elevation and about 70 degrees what can be expected for a road trip on the interstate at speeds of 65 mph?

As I live in the Northeast I'm interested in how each fare in winter driving, I'm assuming the all wheel version is better in snowy/icy conditions? Is the rear wheel drive Standard a handful?

Reading the interior specifications the big differences seem to be heated rear seats, audio (specifically speakers), floor mats and premium connectivity duration for trial period. Is the audio dramatically different between the two? In regards to premium connectivity when it states satellite maps does that mean the gps system is a pay for service after trial period? How much does the premium connectivity cost after trial period?

 

[bwilson4web]

I'm considering a Model 3 among other EV's and had some questions between Standard Range Plus and the Dual Motor All Wheel Drive. Are the projected ranges of each 250 and 322 for highway/city or mix? If so, under fair conditions, sunny, no wind, modest elevation and about 70 degrees what can be expected for a road trip on the interstate at speeds of 65 mph?

You're describing close to a Standard Day drive and my rule of thumb:

• distance - 30 miles reserve with 100% charge (overnight charging only):
  • 2020 Std Rng Plus Model 3 - 250 - 30 ~= 220 miles
  • 2020 Dual Motor Model 3 - 322 -30 ~= 292 miles
• subsequent legs, longest best speed limit charge to ~75% of rated range - 30 miles reserve:
  • (250 * 75%) - 30 ~= 158 miles
  • (322 * 75%) - 30 ~= 212 miles
• fastest and cheapest 'block-to-block' protocol, 30 miles reserve:
  • distance to closest supercharger + 30 miles reserve
  • due to the fastest Tesla charge occurring when the SOC is 5-10%, charge just enough to reach the next closest SuperCharger with ~10% SOC. When projected SOC becomes less than 30 miles, reduce speed and/or follow trucks, pickups, RVs, or towed trailers.

As I live in the Northeast I'm interested in how each fare in winter driving, I'm assuming the all wheel version is better in snowy/icy conditions? Is the rear wheel drive Standard a handful?

I live in Dixie but January drove Huntsville AL, Dallas TX, Coffeyville KS, and home. If it looks like reaching the next SuperCharger is marginal, use PlugShare to find L2 chargers and take a meal/bathroom break. In an hour, you'll add 24-31 miles, usually enough. So my 204 mi leg Huntsville-to-Memphis involved an unplanned stop (25 mph head winds, 40F temp) in Corinth MS where we ate McDonalds while on the charger.

We subsequently found staying overnight in motels with free breakfasts and L2/Destination chargers was wise. We have even 'camped out at RV park' for half the motel price and leave the next day with 100% charge.

Reading the interior specifications the big differences seem to be heated rear seats, audio (specifically speakers), floor mats and premium connectivity duration for trial period. Is the audio dramatically different between the two? In regards to premium connectivity when it states satellite maps does that mean the gps system is a pay for service after trial period? How much does the premium connectivity cost after trial period?

I can't answer about audio quality as I prefer podcasts or chatting with my wife. But we both grew up in the days of AM radio and I'm the youngest at 70 years of age. Our dogs have yet to complain about absence of rear seat heaters and the smallest enjoys my wife's lap.

I declined the $10/month charge for premium connect since my iPhone and T-Mobile service fully meets my needs. I can set my cell phone as a mobile hotspot and use it on the road within cell service range. Of course your mileage may vary. At $10/month, your car becomes another smart phone but without the Apps (except for games or web pages.)

CAUTIONS:

1. Full Self Driving (FSD) is now $7k and will probably go to $8k next month. The standard AutoPilot is very nice and all I had until October 2019 when I bought FSD for $6k, a week before the first price increase. Our January trip was AutoPilot and it was brilliant.
2. Tesla has offered to enable rear seat heating for $300 but with just us and my wife's dogs, not useful.
3. Paid off Model 3 loan as quickly as possible to save on insurance and interest avoidance. Happily, I had moved half of my 401k to stocks and so far have been lucky.
4. For a second opinion, I recommend a free account with: https://teslaownersonline.com. (A retired engineer, I can not recommend the unruly users and absent moderators at: https://teslamotorsclub.com)

Bob Wilson

 

[Pushmi-Pullyu]

Re real-world range:

I can't speak from personal experience, but there are a lot of comments posted to the Tesla Motors Club forum -- it may be an overstatement to call it a "consensus", as that never seems to exist in forum discussions, but a lot of them -- which claim that you should get approximately the EPA rated range when driving a Tesla Model 3 in optimal conditions -- in fair weather, no use of cabin heating or cooling, flat ground -- at highway speed between 60-65 MPH. Of course, at higher speeds you'll lose some range. That's just basic physics, and unavoidable.

Do be warned that in below freezing weather, the Model 3 takes a pretty severe hit to range, perhaps more so than most BEVs. The Model Y has a heat pump, which the TM3 doesn't; the TMY should do better with that situation.

Source for the graph above: http://www.roperld.com/science/TeslaModel3.htm

I don't know how old that graph is, but my guess is that it's for an older version of the Model 3 (probably 2018 or earlier), and that it doesn't include recent updates to the car which have slightly improved the range.

 

[Clamps]

You're describing close to a Standard Day drive and my rule of thumb:

• distance - 30 miles reserve with 100% charge (overnight charging only):
  • 2020 Std Rng Plus Model 3 - 250 - 30 ~= 220 miles
  • 2020 Dual Motor Model 3 - 322 -30 ~= 292 miles
• subsequent legs, longest best speed limit charge to ~75% of rated range - 30 miles reserve:
  • (250 * 75%) - 30 ~= 158 miles
  • (322 * 75%) - 30 ~= 212 miles
• fastest and cheapest 'block-to-block' protocol, 30 miles reserve:
  • distance to closest supercharger + 30 miles reserve
  • due to the fastest Tesla charge occurring when the SOC is 5-10%, charge just enough to reach the next closest SuperCharger with ~10% SOC. When projected SOC becomes less than 30 miles, reduce speed and/or follow trucks, pickups, RVs, or towed trailers.

So, using your methodology, driving from my home in Stoneham, MA to Toronto, ON, which is something we do periodically which has a total distance of 560 miles then an SR+ would require me to stop and charge four times before final destination. And the LR model would require three stops along the trip. Does that seem right to you?

 

[bwilson4web]

So, using your methodology, driving from my home in Stoneham, MA to Toronto, ON, which is something we do periodically which has a total distance of 560 miles then an SR+ would require me to stop and charge four times before final destination. And the LR model would require three stops along the trip. Does that seem right to you?

Close but not quite:

1. First drive is maximum range minus ~30 mi.
2. Subsequent segments are SuperCharger-to-SuperCharger without skipping for the shortest, maximum efficiency charging.
3. If taking a lunch break, say 1 hour, expect nearly maximum range minus ~30 mi.
4. Last segment, if you will stop where there is overnight charging, maximum range minus 30 miles.

2020 Std Rng Plus Model 3 (250 mi range, 30 mi reserve)

2020 Long Range Model 3 (322 miles range, 30 mi reserve)

Bob Wilson

ps. If you decide to go Tesla, please use my referral code as we will both get free SuperCharger credits.

 

[Clamps]

First off, I love that mapping software. Reminds me of googlemaps but you have the charge times listed plus the time broken into overall distance and overall distance with waiting while you charge.

I don't understand on the SR+ why you decide to stop in Utica? It's only 142 miles between Albany and Syracuse. Are you meaning to shorten the charge times so while there are more stops they are shorter? One other question, there is no wait time listed on the graph for the Guilderland charger, shouldn't there be at least another 1/2 hour added?

It sure makes the LR model more attractive for this type of road trip. We could even spend the night in Niagara Falls, which is something we like to do anyway.

ps. If you decide to go Tesla, please use my referral code as we will both get free SuperCharger credits.

You've been so helpful in all my posts I would be happy to use your referral code. Of course that is if I get the Tesla.

 

[bwilson4web]

First off, I love that mapping software. . . .

That is Plugshare.com and it is built on a Google Map interface. Accounts are free and it is not tied to any vendor. There are others but I find Plugshare.com to match my 'cognitive style' (retired engineer.)

I don't understand on the SR+ why you decide to stop in Utica?

The 2020 SR+ range is 250 miles when new. In the first year, you'll lose about 4-6 miles and bad weather, cold and headwinds, eats into the range. So what I did is:

1. Gunderland/Albany SuperChargers - maximum safe range with 30 mile reserve. So this trip plan works in nice and bad weather. There you charge just enough for the next segment.
2. Utica plus 30 miles reserve and Syracuse plus 30 miles - the maximum and cheapest charge rate is when the SR+ (or any Tesla) has 5-10 miles remaining in the battery (this is EASY to achieve.) So in practice your time on a charger will be shortest and due to the pricing structure, cheapest.
3. Syracuse, 1 hour charging - by now, the car has been on the road for over 5 hours and the humans need a break. I'm recommending a 1 hour lunch/dinner while the car is on a charger. A time to refresh for the next leg.
4. Niagra Falls - after getting through customs, take a biology break and quick charge to reach Toronto.

It's only 142 miles between Albany and Syracuse. Are you meaning to shorten the charge times so while there are more stops they are shorter? One other question, there is no wait time listed on the graph for the Guilderland charger, shouldn't there be at least another 1/2 hour added?

You asked about "shorten the charge times" and it means less total time sitting at chargers. Furthermore, it is cheaper because the two-tiered charge rate is very nice for fast DC charging.

One problem with PlugShare is it only allows 0.5 hr wait times: 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; . . . e.t.c. It really needs either 15 or 20 minute intervals to more accurately reflect practical Tesla charging. So when two stops are going to take a total of 30 minutes, ~15 minutes at each, one stop is shown as 0 hr and the other 30 minutes, 0.5 hr. It is a math trick that allows the total trip time to more accurately reflect the true time.

It sure makes the LR model more attractive for this type of road trip. We could even spend the night in Niagara Falls, which is something we like to do anyway.

The LR model supports a maximum of 250 kW vs 170 kW but at the expense of more kWh/mile. So that first segment after an overnight, full charge is nearly 5 hours ... and I'm severely married. The more frequent stops of the SR+ also solves a 'biology break' problem. <GRINS>

If you want to stay someplace overnight, use PlugShare to find affordable motels with free breakfasts and either free Tesla Distribution or free J1772 charging. You start the next day with maximum usable range and ready to go. No need to use 'for a fee' SuperCharger if spending the night for a 'free' charge.

You've been so helpful in all my posts I would be happy to use your referral code. Of course that is if I get the Tesla.

No problem as my first year was spent filling in the blanks. I did that with our BMW i3-REx and three generations of Prius. It is the curse of being a curious engineer ... even retired. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

[ericy]

Plugshare isn't the only route planning tool - "A Better Route Planner" is another one. If nothing else, these things make it easy to do "what if" kinds of trips from the comfort of your living room. "What if I wanted to drive to California", for example. You can also do "What if I had a Tesla", or "What if I had a Kona", or any other EV. Both Plugshare and ABRP have smartphone versions that you can use while on the road.

But the key with any of these is to take the proposed route as a starting point, and look it over to make sure that what it proposes makes sense before you get on the road, and you can tweak the route as needed. You might have a restaurant or a motel that you intend to stop at, for example.

 

[Clamps]

The LR model supports a maximum of 250 kW vs 170 kW but at the expense of more kWh/mile.

I get the first part, faster allowable charging. The second part, more kWh/mile, does that mean the SR+ is more efficient? I'm a bit confused.

 

[bwilson4web]

I get the first part, faster allowable charging. The second part, more kWh/mile, does that mean the SR+ is more efficient? I'm a bit confused.

• 24 kWh/100 mi - 2020 SR+ M3
• 28 kWh/100 mi - 2020 LR M3

Bob Wilson

 

[Pushmi-Pullyu]

Hmmm, not sure why the graph I posted in my comment above disappeared. Here it is again: