One of the aspects of the new EV market that we’re searching to have the largest number from is the driving range. Tesla is without a doubt the champion when it comes to the range that can be had in an EV model.
While other companies are working hard to catch up, and in the case of the Chevrolet Bolt outperform, with what Tesla has to offer, the Model S continues to be the champion of the market. As such, we’ve seen this car be the one used as the quickest on the dragstrip because of the insane instant power, but can it perform as designed for the range desired?
Preparing for the drive
Recently, a Tesla Model S was tested to see if it could reach the level desired. This is a car that was set up for the long haul, not the drag strip. In order to make sure this would be an honest run to see the possible range, the car was fully charged and then the charger was sealed by a lawyer to make certain the drivers couldn’t pull off and charge up the batteries of this car; not that they would.
The car used was a Tesla Model S P100D which was fitted with a set of low rolling resistance tires. Other than the special tires, the car was completely a normal production model, but the drivers that handled this drive for the range record were sure to keep the air conditioner turned off. Using the Autopilot system the team was able to keep the car rolling at a constant speed in the middle of the lane to make sure it would be able to make the most of the range offered from this powerful battery pack that was powering the car.
The Results
The previous record for the Model S P100D was 560 miles, which was achieved in Belgium. The goal with this new drive in the southern part of Italy was to reach over 1,000 km which is equal to 621 miles. The driving of this new P100D took over 29 hours which allowed the car to be able to make a run at the title and possible at this goal to make sure the car with the sealed charging port would be able to be the subject of discussion until the next time a record-breaking range was attempted.
Yes, the Tesla Model S P100D that was driven around the south of Italy with the charging port sealed was able to complete the task. This car reached a distance of 670 miles on a single charge making this the new record holder. This was the first time an EV model was able to reach over 1,000km and you would certainly expect this to be the car that would get the job done. This new record is proof that Tesla continues to be the leader when it comes to the range needed in an EV. This record of 670 miles is one that allows us to see an EV that can now reach a distance past the average range of a gasoline engine. The next challenge is the charging time, but that’s for another record-setting run.
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