Automotive

Tesla Model S covers 452 miles on a single charge

Tesla Model S covers 452 miles on a single charge
Hyland says he aimed to drive at a steady 25 mph (40 km/h), kept the vehicle's air-conditioning and fans switched off and avoided hard acceleration and use of the brakes where possible
Hyland says he aimed to drive at a steady 25 mph (40 km/h), kept the vehicle's air-conditioning and fans switched off and avoided hard acceleration and use of the brakes where possible
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Hyland says he aimed to drive at a steady 25 mph (40 km/h), kept the vehicle's air-conditioning and fans switched off and avoided hard acceleration and use of the brakes where possible
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Hyland says he aimed to drive at a steady 25 mph (40 km/h), kept the vehicle's air-conditioning and fans switched off and avoided hard acceleration and use of the brakes where possible
The Model S was unmodified other than for its tires being inflated to 55 psi rather than the standard 45 psi
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The Model S was unmodified other than for its tires being inflated to 55 psi rather than the standard 45 psi
The hypermiling trip began and ended at a supercharger in Rødekro, Denmark
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The hypermiling trip began and ended at a supercharger in Rødekro, Denmark
A sign was used to notify other road-users of the vehicle's low speed
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A sign was used to notify other road-users of the vehicle's low speed
View gallery - 4 images

A Tesla Model S has reportedly been driven 452.8 miles (728.7 km) on a single charge in a feat that, according to driver Bjørn Nyland and the World Record Academy, sets a new world record for an electric production car.

The all-wheel drive Model S P85D used has a quoted range of 305 miles (491 km).

Nyland makes YouTube videos about his Tesla cars and the trips he takes in them. He recently quit his job to focus on his channel full-time, and he also recently won a Tesla Model X by becoming the first person to refer ten people to buy a Model S via the company's referral program.

The hypermiling trip began and ended at a supercharger station in Rødekro, Denmark. Nyland tells Gizmag that his preparation involved looking for an area with flat roads and long straight stretches, which is why he opted for Denmark.

The Model S, which Consumer Reports recently called the best car it has ever tested after it "broke" its rating scale, was unmodified, though its tires were inflated to 55 psi rather than the standard 45 psi. Nyland says he and a friend drove at a steady 25 mph (40 km/h) (with a sign to alert other drivers), kept the vehicle's air-conditioning and fans switched off and avoided hard acceleration and use of the brakes where possible.

A sign was used to notify other road-users of the vehicle's low speed
A sign was used to notify other road-users of the vehicle's low speed

The whole hypermiling trip lasted for 19 hours 40 minutes, of which one hour was spent on breaks, and with Nyland and his friend taking it in turns to drive. The exact average speed over the course of the journey ended up being 24.2 mph (39 km/h) and a total of 77.5 kWh of energy was used.

Nyland says the achievement shows just how efficient Teslas and other electric vehicles can be. "The energy consumption in an electric car is already way lower than the total energy needed for a gasoline car," he says. "This hypermiling is a proof-of-concept that electric cars have the potential to be even more effective than gasoline cars can ever be. As for Tesla, it shows that the P85D can be insanely fast, but at the same time also be very efficient."

Nyland says the route was recorded using Google My Tracks and that Tesla can pull the logs from the car to verify the distance driven before charging.

The video below documents the trip.

Source: Bjørn Nyland

World record: P85D driving 728.7 km, 452.8 mi on a single charge

View gallery - 4 images
13 comments
13 comments
Stephen N Russell
amp up Tesla so one can use AC for 500 mile range drives, be awesome & make some for rentals nationwide
jayedwin98020
I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem like this "new record" has any real importance.
What would make a lot more sense, would be to do second test, over the same route, but driving in a traditional manor. Then let's see what the results are. To my way of thinking, that would provide way more "useable" data.
Come on, who drives 25mph, doesn't use their brakes and doesn't accelerate.
All this really was, was just an endurance test, nothing more, nothing less. And, very little necessary information was generated, other than maybe some bragging rights, for the two fellows who did the driving.
Stu, you may want to suggest a "re-due" on their little experiment. And this time, ask if they could provide some actual significant information.
habakak
I'm all for electric cars. They simply are the future and so much more efficient and potentially faster and more reliable than ICE cars. But travelling at 25 mph on flat roads without braking much is just a pointless exercise. Nobody drives like this. Why not drive 5 mph? You can always go slower.
Robert Walther
Good news in general, but driving at 24.2 mph for 452 miles in the US is probably not something inner city cabs or local route, UPS drivers could manage.
Don Duncan
Not sure how I can use this info to improve my milage. I already knew a lot of efficient driving techniques. But I didn't know Tesla had a reward program for referrals. I probably won't buy a Model X, but I definitely want a Model 3 because I have been waiting over 30 years for a practical EV (cheaper overall than any other type), and I am running out to time.
Bob Flint
Do this in a modified golf cart with equal capacity and see how far it gets.

Below the minimum speed limit on hi way and not realistic travel time for that distance.

BZD
@jayedwin98020 My feeling exactly. As this took place in Denmark the "record" has also been reported by Danish news media and those reports that have read all forget to mention the slow speed, so I supposed for some the achievement is now the new benchmark for what can be done. To be fair it most be said that most of the reports I read did state the amount of driving time used, so some will have picked up on the low speed only it seems the journalists either missed it to choose to do so.
MattII
Okay, not a realistic way of driving, but if you halve the distance to account, that still comes out at a round trip of over 200 miles, which isn't bad if your plans for the day are a round trip from Baltimore to Washington DC.
CarolynR
Of course this is not intended to be a realistic pattern of driving in the US or anywhere else, but it's a great example of the potential of electric cars and a fun stimulus to more research. Keep the developments coming, folks!
Bruce Miller
I like it! No boasting about zero emissions either!renewables can so charge this buggy up! Three moving part drive train! Looking good!
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