By ,
Published October 10, 2016
Tesla’s upcoming electric luxury sedan, the Model S, will have an EPA efficiency rating equivalent to 89 mpg and a range of 265 miles per charge, according to GreenCarReports.
Deliveries of the first $87,900 sedans are set to begin on Friday.
Tesla had previously promised that the car would go 300 miles per charge, but cites a change to the testing procedure as the reason for the lower official number. Nevertheless, the figure is more than triple that of its nearest competitor, the Coda, which has an EPA rated range of 88 miles.
The Model S achieves its long range with the use of the largest battery yet installed in a production electric car, an 85 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack that would take over two days to charge on a 110v household outlet, but just four to nine hours when using a 240v charger. Tesla is also building a network of public “superchargers” on interstate highways that can fill the pack half way in 30 minutes.
The Model S is being billed as a zero emissions competitor to cars like the BMW 5-Series, and features a hatchback design that can accommodate a pair of child-size rear facing jump seats in the cargo area making it a 7-passenger vehicle.
The 89 mpg-equivalent rating is calculated by comparing the amount of energy in a gallon of gasoline to that used in the form of electricity by the Model S. The highest mileage car rated so far is the smaller, less powerful Honda Fit EV, with a rating of 118 mpg-e.
While the first Tesla sedans going to customers are top of the line Signature editions loaded with options, a more basic $69,900 version will go on sale later this year. It will be followed by two shorter range models powered by 40 and 60 kWh battery packs with starting prices of $49,900 and $59,900, respectively.
Read: Tesla electric SUV to fly on "Falcon Wings"
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/tesla-electric-sedan-rated-at-89-mpg-e-with-265-mile-range