A Norwegian YouTuber has completely drained the battery of a Tesla Model 3. The experience is interesting, even if it does not really allow us to draw any conclusions about the most affordable cars from the brand of electric vehicles.
A study claims that the Tesla Model 3 is the electric car that consumes the least energy. A YouTuber by the name of Bjørn Nyland has taken it into his head to measure the true autonomy of the rear-wheel-drive model, the brand’s cheapest car, which runs on an LFP battery and whose price starts at €53,490. Experts predict that LFP batteries should be the most widely used in electric cars within a few years. They are less expensive and withstand more charge cycles than Lithium-ion batteries.
The motorist challenged himself to drive a Model 3 until the vehicle came to a stop. The idea is on the one hand measure the real autonomy of one of the most accessible models, with the Model Y, from the American manufacturer, and on the other hand to show how difficult it is to calculate the real capacity of an LFP battery. As he points out, the power available from such a battery remains almost constant for a very long time, then drops suddenly, when switched off.
He manages to drive an additional 56 kilometers on the reserve of the Model 3
LFP batteries store less energy than their Lithium-ion equivalent, yes, but this is compensated by the fact that they withstand more charge cycles. They are more durable, therefore more profitable. Charging them fully leads to less wear, and this is also recommended, a car running with an LFP accumulator enjoying less autonomy than with Li-ion. The Model 3 SR, for example, has a theoretical autonomy of 491 kmwhile the all-wheel drive can last up to 602 km.
In his video, Mr. Nyland drives on a road in the suburbs of Oslo in cool but not freezing weather conditions at an average speed of 100 km/h until the Model 3’s battery reaches 0% autonomy. Even at this point, the car manages to drive with full headlights, heating and a good reserve of power. He shoots 56 additional kilometers of the Tesla, then must pull over to the side. Can we conclude that all Model 3s have what drive nearly 50 kilometers after 0% ? Our friendly YouTubeur does not risk advancing such a hypothesis. His vehicle is almost new, therefore poorly calibrated, and the chemical composition of the batteries varies from one vehicle to another depending on the Gigafactory in which it was built and the period in which it was manufactured. If you own a Tesla Model 3, and it is well tuned, it is in any case reassuring to know that you will not run out of fuel immediately after reaching 0%.