The 2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has
just landed and is rated at 402 miles (647 km) of range by the EPA. A host of
updates have been made to the company’s flagship sedan to improve its range
with weight reduction one of the key areas. Tesla says several of the lessons
it learned from the engineering, design and manufacturing of the Model 3 and
Model Y have been carried to the Model S.
Nonetheless, we do know the updated Model
3 comes with the company’s standardized seats, while lighter materials have
been used in the battery pack and drive units. Elsewhere, 2020 Model S Long
Range Plus models come with Tesla’s latest aero wheels that reduce aerodynamic
drag and are paired with a custom tire engineered to reduce rolling resistance.
The new wheels and tires result in a 2 per cent improvement to overall range.
Gone is the mechanical oil pump of older
Model S vehicles and in its place sits an electric oil pump that optimizes
lubrication independent of vehicle speed to reduce friction. Tesla has also
improved the gearbox in its permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motors
shared with the Model 3 and Model Y, again improving range by 2 per cent.
Another key update made by Tesla involves
the car’s regenerative braking system which now works at a lower speed and
deceleration rate, allowing more energy to be sent back to the battery pack.
The sum of all these updates provides the Model S Long Range Plus with 20 per
cent greater range than the 2019 models.
