Tesla exaggerated EV range so much that drivers thought cars were broken

Technology@kbin.social – 0 points – 1 years ago

Tesla exaggerated EV range so much that drivers thought cars were broken

Inundated with complaints, Tesla created "Diversion Team" to cancel appointments.

This is really the EPAs fault for real world numbers.

Real world driving conditions especially on highways where people want to get the stated range have higher speeds than what the test tests.

If you want the EPA number to match real world speeds make the test run at real world speeds.

If you want the population to know EVs run worse in the cold, have a cold weather test be part of the test and require reporting the number. It'd showcase how good the cars heating system is and help people make a decision.

The EPA probably wanted auto manufacturers to be able to report higher numbers and incorrectly chose a lower speed. WLPT numbers are even worse for being wrong (but if I recall, the wrong is more consistent)

"Tesla years ago began exaggerating its vehicles' potential driving distance—by rigging their range-estimating software," The company decided about a decade ago, for marketing purposes, to write algorithms for its range meter that would show drivers 'rosy' projections for the distance it could travel on a full battery, according to a person familiar with an early design of the software for its in-dash readouts."

Once the battery fell below 50 percent, "the algorithm would show drivers more realistic projections for their remaining driving range."

This has nothing to do with the EPA, and everything to do with the car's battery management software.

That's only what part of the article is about.

My comment was very specific

Despite the fact the EPA is mentioned in the article; stating their actions into testing EVs and enforcing mileage estimates, the article is about Tesla inflating their battery estimates in the car’s battery management software and providing misleading numbers to their customers in real time.

Just because it provides some insight into the inner workings of EPA testing of EV’s, the EPA didn’t decide to SETUP an algorithm and give false information to Tesla drivers. Tesla did, and it looks like it’s possible by direct involvement of Elon Musk.

Okay so my comment was about the EPA stuff and SK stuff NOT tesla fudging the numbers.

Is that hard to understand?

The article also talks about that.

I've had a Hyundai EV for the past year or so. The range it tells me is the range it gets unless I'm driving a route with major elevation changes, and I rely on that fact constantly to plan my trip and my charge stops. As far as I'm concerned, accurate range estimation is core EV functionality. Genuinely disgusting anti-consumer behavior out of Tesla.

You have to plan your trips like that?

The tesla navigation systems just plans it for you and takes that all into account. Unless you're excessively speeding it's almost always within 1% or 2% (over or under), and that takes elevation, speed limits above optimal efficiency, heating, cooling, I believe even ambient temperature into account.

I've never ever had to think about it.

Now, if I didn't use the trip planner and relied solely on the displayed KM I'd never trust it, because there are so many variables to take into account. The car can legitimately get the EPA rated range in the EPA test conditions, but those conditions aren't every day driving conditions. I would never trust if it says 400km that I'd be able to do 390km trip. There's too many things to consider and the software does it all automatically.

The whole making more exaggerated numbers at full vs 50% is sketchy if true, but people really should be using % vs km. Km are always going to have problems. And people should be using the trip planner for any lengthy trip.

Isn't the epa responsible for publishing and testing the numbers?

In the article they talk about range estimates done by car itself. So you are driving and thinking you have 50 miles, while actually only 30 miles left.

Not a Tesla fanboy but just noting EV range in general can be quite hard to predict - there's a huge drop off in efficiency at higher speeds, so driving through town I may get 350 mi range on my 300 mi rated EV6, but on the freeway at 75+ mph, I probably get less than 250.

Not surprised Tesla exaggerates their range though. YMMV.

Some people would probably complain if they had a 100mile trip up a mountain pass and it took more than 100 miles of energy.

At least when you plan a route the % indicator takes that into account vs a plain estimation.

My best trip once going up a pass was around 70km of the reading staying within 1 or 2km the entire time when going down it.

But ya there's so many variables. But if they were fudging calculations that'd be bad.