Tesla Reveals Its Secrets for Calculating Range

The American manufacturer reveals how the range of a vehicle is calculated and now includes the battery’s age.

A head chef rarely reveals his secret recipes. But when customers express doubts about promises, he has no choice but to comply. Thus, Tesla has been under scrutiny for several months regarding its range figures. In the United States, all values have been revised downward, accompanied by significant negative publicity.

But across the Atlantic, legal actions from dissatisfied customers can be very costly. Consequently, the California-based manufacturer has launched a broad transparency campaign about its calculation parameters for its range.

A multitude of parameters

In February 2024, Tesla reveals a new parameter for calculating a vehicle’s range: the age of its battery. Surprisingly, one might have thought this was already factored in.

Here are all the parameters now considered by a Tesla once the route is entered into the navigation system:

• wind speed and direction
• elevation changes on the roads traveled
• traffic speed
• average accelerations and decelerations
• external temperature
• humidity and atmospheric pressure (air penetration)
• sunny or cloudy coverage
• initial battery charge
• initial battery temperature
• battery age
• pre-conditioning of the battery before charging en route
• tire pressure
• power consumption of on-board devices (smartphone charging, etc.)
• vehicle load weight
• rolling resistance of the road
• aerodynamic resistance (roof box, bike rack, etc.)
• use of ventilation, air conditioning, heated seats

The most accurate calculation in the world?

Without wanting to play the devil’s advocate, the range calculation for Tesla is widely regarded as the most reliable in the electric vehicle universe. Despite all the factors involved that can affect it.

Customer experiences further reveal a very “pessimistic” approach to range estimates to prevent breakdowns on the road. A Tesla will always prefer to impose a short recharge at a Supercharger en route rather than risking trouble. Better safe than sorry. One more parameter to consider in your planning…

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