The Tesla Model S Controversy: Understanding the Effects of Temperature on Electric Vehicle Efficiency and Range
by Vivek Gowri on February 18, 2013 4:22 PM EST- Posted in
- Auto
- Electric Vehicles
- Tesla Model S
- Nissan Leaf
The Impact on the Model S
So, how does this all relate back to the Tesla Model S? The basic technologies involved in the Leaf and the Model S are the same - you have an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery, and an electric heater. The Model S is a bigger car with a more powerful electric motor (310 kW), a larger battery (85 kWh), and a more robust electric heater, but they’re all the same elements. So our findings with the Leaf, particularly in the HWFET side of things, are definitely applicable here (which isn’t to say that the numbers will match exactly, for a number of reasons.) The 85 kWh edition of the Model S is claimed to have a 300 mile range by Tesla and is rated at 265 miles by the EPA based on their 5-cycle fuel economy testing. In cold or near-freezing weather, with the heater running, I would not be that surprised to see range fall to something in the 180 mile region.
The world of electric vehicles is still very new to the automotive industry, the tech industry, and the mainstream consumer. This breed of cars is completely different than ones that have come before, and there’s a lot that people are learning and still need to learn about EV technology. Incidents like NYT vs. Tesla (and the previous Top Gear vs. Tesla, which was an outright sham) are just steps along that path. I feel like I am in agreement with Anand here in that the way cars are tested, as we move into the EV age, needs to change radically.
Thanks to Argonne National Laboratory, the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility, and Dr. Henning Lohse-Busch for testing and analysis of the AVTA Nissan Leaf, as well as Kevin Stutenberg for maintaining the Downloadable Dynamometer Database. All graphs and data used in this post are available publically and are courtesy of Argonne National Laboratories.
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Wolfpup - Thursday, February 21, 2013 - link
Are they? Lithium ages even if it's not being used. I'd feel more comfortable with a NiMH battery pack in a vehicle like the Prius than with Lithium.What happened to super capacitors?
Exodite - Monday, February 18, 2013 - link
25-100% increased power usage at a mere -11C?I guess there's a reason no one here (northern Sweden) particularly fancies EVs. I shudder to think what the fuel economy would be like at -40C.
Kjella - Monday, February 18, 2013 - link
No, 20F = -6.7C so it's worse than that. Also I would assume this is the battery charge when they're new. I'd sure like to see tests on a 5-10 year old battery to see how reduced capacity and high drain go together. I suspect it would not be pretty.Here in Norway you get massive advantages from buying an EV (no one-time fee, no yearly fee, free toll roads, ride the bus lane, publicly sponsored charging stations) which is the only reason they've managed to sell a few thousand.
Exodite - Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - link
Yeah, I calculated from 20 rather than from 12. My bad. :(I could see EVs being used for something like inner-city taxi services in the southern end of the country but generally speaking both Norway, Sweden and Finland suffer from the same concerns here... cold climate and long distances.
I'd rather see a quicker push into fully synthetic diesel solutions for us.
elmicker - Monday, February 18, 2013 - link
"the previous Top Gear vs. Tesla, which was an outright sham"Well, that's a libel.
jonup - Monday, February 18, 2013 - link
So was the lawsuit.What is so special about Model S? It's fugly and it feels like made in a shed. (I've been in one and it felt cheap.) Doesn't even stand a chance next to Fisker Karma. And just like the electric Elise before, it took on honest review to destroy the PR/artificially created fame.
Azethoth - Monday, February 18, 2013 - link
1) The model S is a sedan. You compare it with a Lexus or Mercedes sedan.2) The Fisker Karma is a sports car. You compare it with a Porsche or the Tesla Roadster.
3) The review was in no way honest. Major egg on his face and NYT face.
Your post is bizarre. Do better in the future.
jonup - Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - link
Fail on this one alone:/quote 2) The Fisker Karma is a sports car. You compare it with a Porsche or the Tesla Roadster. /quote
Both Model S and Karma are 4-door sport sedans. Except one is fugly and the other is gorgeous. Tesla Roadster is what the name says.
I really don't get your first point. Are you arguing build quality?! I've been in one and it was as refined as... refined and Tesla Model S do not belong in the same sentence.
They tore apart the guy that gave objective review of the POS Chrysler 200. It beats me how car companies have better PR than newspaper.
You know what, forget what I wrote. Go get yourself a Model S with a big touch screen "tastefully" slapped in the middle. It seems to impress most people.
Activate: AMD - Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - link
"Except one is fugly and the other is gorgeous."Thats your opinion, don't pass it off as fact. I personally think the Fisker looks like the sick offspring of a Maserati and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.
Spunjji - Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - link
Don't let your logic get in the way of a fan-boy rant ;)