Tesla has lowered range estimates for some of its electric cars.
First spotted by Electrek, the automaker’s website now lists a 310-mile range for the Model Y Long Range, compared to 330 miles before. Tesla now lists a 285-mile range for the Model Y Performance; it had previously quoted a 303-mile range for this model.
Tesla hadn’t yet provided a reason for these changes via either the company’s social-media channels or its consumer site at the time of writing. it’s unclear if the lower range also comes with a drop in the Model Y’s impressive efficiency, or whether the size of the battery pack has changed. At the time of the Model Y’s introduction, it actually achieved better city efficiency than the Tesla Model 3, which was at that time the most efficient EV on the market.
2023 Tesla Model Y – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
There are also new, lower range estimates for the Plaid performance models. The Model S Plaid is now listed as having a 359-mile range, but it was 396 miles before. The Model X Plaid was range estimate was 333 miles, but is now 326 miles.
For the Model S Plaid in particular, that’s a big drop from what Tesla previously discussed. It originally claimed a 412-mile range for the Model S Plaid, but it’s never been rated at more than 405 miles. Tesla also never delivered the 520+ mile Plaid+ that was supposedly in the works, as CEO Elon Musk claimed “the Plaid is just so good.”
Tesla Model S Plaid Track Package sets 7:25.231 Nürburgring lap time
It’s also unclear whether or not the lowered range estimates are a response to allegations that Tesla had been suppressing range complaints from owners. A 2023 report from Reuters alleged that Tesla equipped cars with range-estimating algorithms that were overly optimistic, and gave owners the runaround when they complained that their cars were falling short of those range estimates.
Alternatively, this may have to do with California’s durability requirements—proposing that EVs maintain 80% of their certified range for 15 years or 150,000 miles—although Teslas seem to be doing well in that regard. In its 2022 Impact Report, Tesla claimed that the Model S and X go 88% of their original range at 200,000 miles.