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.
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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.
Elon Musk took to Twitter earlier in the day to confirm that all examples of the Model S Long Range Plus built since January have the aforementioned improvements.
Note: Pre-2020 Tesla Model S vehicles pictured
All Model S cars made since late Jan have 402 mile range. This is just making it official.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2020