Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has announced another range boost for the Californian electric carmaker’s flagship electric sedan and premium electric SUV.
The Tesla website now shows that in the US – which uses a rating from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is perhaps the closest to real world driving range – the maximum driving range of the Model S is 390 miles (627km) and that of the Model X is 351 miles (565km).
The boost in range was announced in typical Musk fashion on Saturday (US time) via social media channel Twitter, with Musk saying the range boost is due to “many small hardware improvements” introduced over past months.
Musk added that Tesla will also unlock the extra range for recently purchased vehicles via an over-the-air upgrade, explaining that vehicles made in that time period and sporting the new hardware improvements will also benefit once a software upgrade is applied.
“Software just thinks the car is less efficient than it actually is,” said Musk on Twitter.
Software just thinks the car is less efficient than it actually is
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 15, 2020
In Australia – which uses the NEDC range rating (known colloquially as “Not Even Damn Close”) – the Model S is rated for 713km and the Model X for 580km. Take these distances, however, with a grain of salt.
Due to the range boost, both the Model S Long Range and Model X Long Range will now be known as “Long Range Plus” – not because there will also be “Long Range” only models available, but because of regulatory requirements for a new model name.
“Regulations require calling it something else, so we added +,” said Musk.
Regulations require calling it something else, so we added +
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 15, 2020
Musk has previously said that he expects Tesla will be able to be able to more than drive 400 miles – and in the latest Twitter tête-à -tête says it may even be possible now if better tyres and wheels were used.
Maybe possible with improved wheels/tires (which would be available to all previously made cars)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 15, 2020
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.