The Slow Death of the Internal Combustion Engine

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Do you have a source for that info on the standard range using the midrange pack?

Auto manufacturers have long meetings and argue about saving 2 cents on a vehicle, so spending $1000 extra per vehicle is not to be taken lightly.

The devil is always that you read it, but there's more to read, then looking it back up a day later it's hard to find back.

Reddit calls it a theory for the 'standard plus' battery: https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors...oftwarenerfed/

Elon Musk seems to have hinted a cost reduced lighter battery pack:

“We came up with a new design that achieves the same outcome, that’s actually lighter, better, cheaper and we will be introducing that around the end of this year – probably reach volume production on that in Q1 or something. That will make the car lighter, better, and cheaper and achieve a higher range.”

But it could still mean anything.
InsideEVs take last year: https://insideevs.com/deep-dive-tesl...-model-3-pack/. But even then, it was thought possible that it would just be either a depopulated (less cells) or even a software limited midrange pack.

So looking back I cannot provide evidence the Standard range does indeed have the same battery as the midrange.
I assume Tesla's battery electronics are sophisticated enough to be able to work with or be adapted for different pack sizes, so no problem there. And if the pack just uses the same shells but fewer cells the production line argument drops away too. Using less cells also means more packs can be made so more cars could be sold, or the Power Walls could finally get bthe cells they've been waiting for.
All arguments in favor of a smaller range.

But then there's the Standard Plus. Would that have the same pack with just a few extra cells? Or would that truly be a midrange pack? If so, would Tesla make even less on that because it is only $2,000 extra but has more trim than the standard range?
And why did all the other options get so much cheaper? If a battery shortage is holding back production that does not seem smart. I know trim costs less than it shows in the shop, but still you do get a lot more for not that much money. So why did they bring the higher versions down? It should not matter that much? And many would still pay the higher price, so that's a pure loss.

Tesla's strategy hints that they rather not sell the Standard but have you upgrade to the higher range versions. It only makes sense if the Standard version really isn't much cheaper to build.
So while I can't find what I read earlier nor prove in any other way that the battery is a midrange, I still think it likely is.
But if not, my apologies.

Guess we'll find out within a few weeks when the first Standard model 3 gets torn apart.

[redpoint5]

I think the most likely theory is the SR and SR+ use the same battery, with the SR being software locked to a lower range. Then there is the medium and long range batteries. You'd think with how many people the Gigafactory must employ, that someone would leak the various pack sizes.

[RedDevil]

But then the difference between the SR+ and MR pack is only 24 miles in range...

[redpoint5]

Reading through the Reddit, the latest comments said Tesla rates the SR and SR+ as the same weight, with the medium range heavier, and the long range heavier still.

If one of the models has software locked range, then that's the one to get, as the battery will wear slower than the others. You'll eventually get the extra range via normal degradation, not to mention the the ability to DCFC at a higher rate than would have been possible with a lower capacity battery.

There'd be potential for future software upgrades, such as more power, more range, or quicker charging.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Auto manufacturers have long meetings and argue about saving 2 cents on a vehicle, so spending $1000 extra per vehicle is not to be taken lightly.

A little exaggerated but true. Adding a dollar to a vehicle requires approval from people that talk to the CEO on a regular basis.

[IamIan]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Where is this rich on rich batt fire vid?

It was used as a reference in previous Post #30 of this thread.

Rich himself even posted later video's adding additional details , about all the things that they did wrong .. like not having any of the Tesla Safety systems , BMS, balancing, thermal regulation .. that his charger didn't stop charging when it was full .. that they sprayed it with water (supposedly to keep the heat down for the paint of other near by cars) .. etc.

Although the previous use of this reference , was that this fire was 'typical' , of an EV battery fire .. That is not not what it is an example of .. it was the result of numerous deliberate choices.

Originally Posted by Taylor95

Typical car fire:

[oil pan 4]

I didn't go back quite far enough lol.

[Xist]

That looks like the proper time to use a square-nosed shovel.

This says that it costs half as much to drive a Tesla as a 30 MPG Camry: https://www.investopedia.com/article...-tesla-car.asp

I do not believe that Camries and Teslas are very comparible, but Camries start at $24,000. If you save $600 a year in gas, the Tesla will break even in eighteen years, ignoring interest.

Far too many people ignore interest.

[RedDevil]

The savings really come from not having to change the clutch, cat, oil, brakes, spark plugs, coolant, you name it, so you have money to swap those big tires when needed and maybe have some change left.

And insurance? Driving around with a big heavy car should add some cost?

If they made the comparison with a $35,000 model 3 I'd say yes, that should really be cheaper in the long run.

[redpoint5]

Depreciation is the #1 cost for most any car.

With electricity here at 8 cents and gasoline at about $3, an EV is more like 1/3 the cost per mile to drive.