Fears regarding the Tesla Model S’ one-charge range don’t only concern the more eco-minded drivers who are set to achieve the maximum range out of it, because those with a faster driving style who also happen to like racing the classic quarter mile also have to be catered for.
Now, the crew over at DragTimes wanted to know how many 400-meter drag races can be performed with a full battery and good weather conditions.
They decided to go about doing this by calculating just how much energy is used up for each run and how much energy the regenerative braking puts back into the battery. The result is simple: once you pay the high asking price for the car, the rest of the ownership experience should actually significantly undercut that of a regular car with comparable performance, at least in terms of fuel/energy costs.
It was calculated that the Model S uses about 1.1 kWh of power for one quarter-mile dash, which it completes in 12.4 seconds at 111.3 mph (178 km/h). However, it is worth noting that if the brake energy recoup system is set to its maximum setting, the deceleration motion alone will be enough to put back 0.6 kWh into the battery. This means that if you have patience to coast after each run, the overall cost is just 0.5 kWh. In addition, a total of around 170 such runs could be done on one charge.
They even did math, taking into account electricity rates from the state of Florida – each race costs a mere 6 cents US.
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References: Autoblog.com
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