Tesla Model S Verified as Longest-Range Electric Vehicle, at 265 Miles

by | Jun 22, 2012

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Tesla Motors’ Model S has received a rated range of 265 miles and a combined efficiency of 89 miles-per-gallon equivalent from the EPA, establishing the luxury sports sedan as the electric vehicle with the longest battery range on the market.

Tesla Motors will today begin delivering its first Model S sedans, which start at $49,900 after applying the $7,500 federal tax credit.

The range and efficiency ratings were issued for the high-end version of the Model S, which is outfitted with an 85 kWh battery pack. Tesla also is producing two other versions of the Model S equipped with 40 kWh and 60 kWh battery packs.

The Model S sedan was rated 88 MPGe in the city and 90 MPGe on the highway, for a combined rating of 89 MPGe. MPGe is the distance the car can travel on the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. The measurement compares the energy in one gallon of gas to an equivalent 33.7 kWh of electrical energy stored in a battery pack.

The efficiency rating of Tesla’s Model S is lower than rivals Mitsubishi ‘i’ at 112 MPGe, the Ford Focus Electric at 105 MPGe and the Nissan Leaf at 99 MPGe.

However, the Model S sedan’s battery still has a far longer range than other EVs on the market. For example, the Ford Focus EV has an EPA range rating of 76 miles and the Nissan Leaf has a range of 73 miles.

Tesla Motors said the Model S sedan with the 85 kWh battery has a range of 320 miles using the 2-cycle EPA test procedure, which incorporates a blend of highway and city driving cycles. The EPA used its new five-cycle test for the Model S, which adds a cold driving cycle that requires heater use, a hot weather cycle with air conditioning operation and high-speed cycle with rapid accelerations.

Photo by Tesla Motors

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