Tesla was capable of making a 965 km range Model S a year ago, but didn't: Why?

Tesla could have made a 965 km range Moel S a year ago, but it didn't, said the automaker's CEO Elon Musk in a tweet, while replying to a post about the Lucid Air, which offers 837 km cruising range on a single charge. The Tesla CEO further explained why the EV maker didn't go for a longer range Model S.

Musk said that building a 965 km range Tesla Model S would have made the car worse, as it would have to carry a massive battery mass, which is not required. This additional weight would impact acceleration, handling and efficiency of the Model S adversely.

“We could’ve made a 600 mile Model S 12 months ago, but that would’ve made the product worse imo, as 99.9% of time you’d be carrying unneeded battery mass, which makes acceleration, handling & efficiency worse. Even our 400+ mile range car is more than almost anyone will use," Musk wrote in his tweet.

The longest range Lucid Air comes with an EPA combined range of 837 km on a fully charged battery, while the longest range of Tesla Model S offers an EPA combined range of 652 km on a single charge.

The Tesla CEO pointed out that to give the Model S more juice for a longer range means a bigger battery pack will be needed, which will eventually increase the weight of the vehicle. Also, this will increase the cost of the EV significantly. On a daily basis, commuting in and around the city, such a huge battery pack offering a 965 km range is not required. Such driving requirements can be fulfilled by the current 643 km range offered by Tesla Model S.

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