Dive Brief:
- Tesla updated the advertised driving ranges for the Long Range and Performance versions of the Model Y, Electrek first reported on Friday.
- The automaker lowered the estimated range of the Model Y Long Range from 330 to 310 miles, while the Model Y Performance dropped from 303 to 285 miles. The Rear Wheel Drive Model Y remains the same at 260 miles.
- Tesla also adjusted range estimates for select versions of the Model S and Model X for both the U.S. and Canada, Drive Tesla reported.
Dive Insight:
The automaker adjusted its range figures in response to changes to the Environmental Protection Agency testing cycle, which now requires automakers to test acceleration and ride height modes in “best and worst case scenarios” before averaging them, according to Drive Tesla.
One of the reasons for the adjusted range figures is what Tesla calls “comfort and functionality improvements” that draw more power from the vehicle’s battery pack, according to Drive Tesla, citing an internal document it obtained. However, it’s unclear what those improvements include.
The EPA tests the range of an electric vehicle by fully charging the battery and driving continuously over the EPA city cycle until the battery is depleted, then measuring the distance driven. It's a single-cycle test done in a laboratory setting on a dynamometer. It is then repeated with multiple drive cycles, which include both city and highway simulations.
However, automakers can also do a multi-cycle test, which consists of four city cycles, two highway cycles and two constant speed cycles.
The city and highway driving range estimates are then adjusted to account for real-world factors that are not represented in the laboratory test procedures, such as using the vehicle’s air conditioning, as well as operating in cold temperatures and at high speeds.
The new EPA testing procedures result in “higher consumption and a slight decrease in overall range," Drive Tesla reported.
In addition to changes in the advertised ranges for the Model Y, Tesla lowered the estimated range of the Model S Plaid with 19-inch wheels from 396 to 356 miles. It also lowered the Long Range Model X Plaid with 20-inch wheels from 333 miles to 326.
Tesla has previously been accused of showing drivers inaccurate range on the dashboard of its vehicles using a rigged algorithm.
Last summer, Reuters reported that once the battery dropped below 50% charge, the algorithm would show drivers more accurate range projections to prevent them from running out of power and getting stranded. A person who worked on Tesla’s dashboard display said the range projections were described as “rosy” to impress customers, according to Reuters.
When customers complained about their vehicles’ lower-than-expected range and tried to book a service appointment, Tesla connected them with a team of employees who were instructed to convince customers their cars were operating normally then canceled their appointments.
