Tesla released details of their Master Plan part 3 and shared that the compact car has a 53 kWh battery. What does this mean for its range?
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Tesla Compact Car: 53 kWh Battery
We can see some new details from Tesla released in a multipage PDF file of its Master Plan Part 3 that outlines its entire plan for the future of sustainable Energy. Elon Musk has said that all the materials and technology exists for humanity to completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels and use sustainable Energy.
One part of this report was that the compact car, which is to be determined, will use LFP batteries and have a 53 kWh battery pack. Tesla expects to sell about 42 million of these vehicles, and there are rumors that it will be a compact Model Y.
I believe this compact car will be about the size of a Honda Fit and if Tesla is truly able to make it in half the time and half the cost of a Model Y, that will be a very impressive feat.
It is important that this battery chemistry be LFP batteries for several reasons.
The first is that the iron is much more abundant and has a longer life span than current alternatives today. The second is that the battery doesn't need to have super speed and performance. It needs to be cheap to produce and use and have a long life span.
This satisfies the needs of this particular vehicle. It's a compact car and doesn't need all the speed and performance that a typical Tesla has. That being said, I don't see this vehicle being slow by any means, it just won't be as fast as a typical Tesla, not even a Model 3 RWD.
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What Will be the Range of the Compact Car?
What will the range of this vehicle be with a 53 kWh battery pack?
Let's take what we know about this vehicle. We know that it will definitely be smaller than a Model Y. That means less weight, and that means the car can go further for the same amount of kWh.
According to most sources I've seen, a Model Y long range currently gets anywhere between 3.3 and 3.8 miles per kWh. This is for the long range version of the Model Y.
A compact version of this car, if it has less battery and less weight overall, should be more efficient. I'd say anywhere between 4 miles per kWh and 4.5 miles per kWh as an initial guess. I am guessing this because the car will be smaller, weigh less, and have a smaller battery. If Tesla is really able to get the weight down a lot, then 5 miles per kWh isn't out of the question.
Here's what the range looks like at 4, 4.5 and 5 miles per kWh. A 5.5 miles per kWh would be amazing, but I just don't see this happening - but I'll still put it in.
* 4 miles per kWh: 212 miles range
* 4.5 miles per kWh: 238.5 miles range
* 5 miles per kWh: 265 miles range
* Bonus, 5.5 miles per kWh: 291.5 miles range
A 5.5 miles per kWh would be amazing, but I don't see that happening. However, with reduced weight and a smaller battery pack by 22 kWh from the Model Y long range, I see 4.5 to 5 being very reasonable.
That puts the range of this vehicle somewhere between 238.5 and 265 miles of range. Keep in mind that winter driving of this vehicle will significantly reduce the range. I know, because my Model 3 RWD loses about 30% or more of its range when the temperature is cold.
Factor other things in like using climate controls, and the real range drops further. Battery technology and heat pumps are going to have to continue to improve before EVs start matching the range of their gas equivalents.
Still, even with the range loss in the winter, I would take my Tesla Model 3 RWD any day of the week over any gas car. I love everything about it and the only con is the loss of range due to cold weather, along with some battery degradation from fast charging (3%) so far.
What do you think about Tesla's upcoming compact car? Will you be getting it?
In Related News: Elon Musk Gives Nod to Model 3 - Project Highland
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Jeremy Johnson is a Tesla investor and supporter. He first invested in Tesla in 2017 after years of following Elon Musk and admiring his work ethic and intelligence. Since then, he's become a Tesla bull, covering anything about Tesla he can find, while also dabbling in other electric vehicle companies. Jeremy covers Tesla developments at Torque News. You can follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his Tesla news coverage on Torque News.
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I think that it will be
I think that it will be something under 250 miles. But the good news is that owners will be able to charge from 0-100% with minimal degradation.
Though only a 2-seater, the
Though only a 2-seater, the Aptera, if it can make it to production, will travel over twice as far per kWh as this Tesla Model 2. Their 25 kWh model, with a projected price of only a couple thousand more, will achieve the same 250 mile range, but it will also have integrated solar on its upper surfaces that will gift you up to 40 miles/day 'driven by the sun'. Behind those two seats it will have 32 cubic feet of storage space configured such that you can lay down and sleep fully stretched out back there.
Every decision Aptera Motors makes is driven by their laser focus on efficiency. This Includes its unusual 3-wheel form factor, that helps it reduce weight/materials/road friction and achieve an astonishing 0.13 drag coefficient. Though it doesn't look like it, an Aptera will prove to be safer than most cars with its stronger than steel composite enclosure, low center of gravity, designed in crush zones and dual air bags.
Aptera's Launch Edition, with a projected price ~ $8,000 more than the Tesla Model 2 and a battery pack over 10 kWh smaller, will have a 400 mile range. Many Aptera employees, including its two CEO's currently drive Tesla's, and this company is the first, beyond Tesla itself, to advocate for, and adopt Tesla's so-called 'NACS' charging port,
Aptera also plans to leverage its hyper efficiency to eventually build 600, and 1,000 mile range Apterae, but of course these models will cost much more. The largest battery model with ~ a 100 kWh battery is projected to set you back almost $50,000 before delivery fee, tax, and registration are added on, depending on what other build options and accessories you choose.