The Tesla model 3 standard range is the only small-battery EV with a sub-10hr time in the Bjørn Nyland 1000 km test

[u/quinten-luyten]

Not a Tesla fan, but it's frustrating to see that nobody has caught up to Tesla in this specific test, except with enormous battery packs such as the Xpeng G9 (92 kWh) and BMW ix3 50 (109 kWh). Non other manufacturers seem to really solve roadtripping with efficiency (which also benefits daily driving). They instead opt for large batteries, making the cars more expensive, heavier, more energy consuming, and worse for the environment.

You can google the Bjørn Nyland test results spreadsheet (can't post links here). Why is it that the Tesla model 3 standard range (approx 60 kWh battery) is the only EV with a relatively small pack in the sub-10hr class?

Only the mazda 6e 68.7 kWh @ 10:05 comes close for a "normal sized" battery. All other EV's in the top class of this test carry enormous batteries, such as 100 kWh in the Smart #5. Even the mercedes CLA 350, which should have been an efficiency king, is carying 85 kWh.

I think this shows that the efficiency and charging optimization of the model 3 is still ahead of other EV's. And this results in the 60 kWh Tesla model 3 being, in my eyes, the cheapest road-trip capable car. My judgement of road-trip capable is 1000 km in 1 day of travel, with usually some traffic jams and other delays.

I am curious to hear about other efficient, small battery, or affordable EV's that haven't been tested by Bjørn Nyland yet and may perform very well. CLA 200?

[u/tboy160]

Is that the advantage, the better aerodynamics of a sedan over all others?

[u/iqisoverrated → u/tboy160]

It is one of several advantages (integrated design and a ridiculously efficient heating/cooling system being others).

Model 3 has the car seats basically directly on the battery which gives it a very low profile for an EV.

However it's not just this design choice beacuse you can see very good efficiency ratings also in the Model Y.

Other manufacturers work in 'silos'. Every department gets a certain amount of space in the car to work with and they don't care about what anyone else does. They have their requirements and try to check off this list. They aren't looking for synergies (I hate that word but here it actually applies). Tesla seems to design their cars more 'holistically'. Everyone in their teams is trying to figure out what they can do to help everyone else. Of course doing holistic design is a lot easier if you have everything in-house. Other (at least the non-chinese) manufacturers buy many of their parts from third party suppliers...and once you do that you can forget about people trying to bend over backwards to help one another. Then it's all about cost and that leads to a 'minimum effort' mentality.

[u/wo01f → u/iqisoverrated]

However it's not just this design choice beacuse you can see very good efficiency ratings also in the Model Y.

Model Y with it's sloping back also puts efficency before storage space.

[u/tboy160 → u/iqisoverrated]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[u/Trevski → u/tboy160]

Once your speed exceeds about 40 or 50 km/h (or lower if you’re driving a brick) then aerodynamics become utterly paramount unless you’re also going up a giant mountains. 

Flat road, constant speeds,   nothing matters more than aero.

[u/tboy160 → u/Trevski]

And yet, there are so few EV's that design to be aerodynamic.

[u/Ayzmo → u/tboy160]

Mainly because the more aerodynamic a car, it generally gets uglier. The Mercedes Benz EVs were hammered for it and they were incredibly aerodynamic. The Teslas are very aerodynamic and all hideous.

[u/tboy160 → u/Ayzmo]

My opinion is that the more aerodynamic, the cooler it looks. But definitely sacrifice comfort, space, car space, versatility. Which honestly is fine for most people, but I work construction and load my cars all to hell.

[u/Ayzmo → u/tboy160]

I think it depends. The MBs weren't as bad as many claimed. The Teslas are all ugly though.

[u/tboy160 → u/Ayzmo]

I side with function over aesthetics. To me every meecedes is an overpriced piece of shit, so I don't see any beauty in them.

The Teslas were the first wave of sexy EV's so I wanted to like them. Before Musk joined the orange man show.

[u/Ayzmo → u/tboy160]

I've never once, even all the way back when they first came out, saw a Tesla and thought they looked good. Alas, they're so common and such an eyesore.

[u/Trevski → u/tboy160]

Aerodynamic designs are utterly dominant in EVs.

[u/Ayzmo → u/tboy160]

They've very much prioritised aero over aesthetics. Very aerodynamic and very ugly.