Driving Tips to Maximize Range
You can maximize your driving range using
the same driving habits you use to conserve
fuel in a gasoline-powered vehicle. In addition
to driving habits, energy consumption
depends on environmental conditions (such
as exceptionally cold or hot weather and
driving on roads with steep hills). To achieve
maximum range:
• Slow down your driving and avoid
frequent and rapid acceleration. Consider
) and Speed Assist (see
) to assist in controlling your
acceleration and speed.
• If safe to do so, modulate the accelerator
pedal instead of using the brake pedal
when gradually slowing down. Whenever
Model S is moving and you are not
pressing the accelerator pedal,
regenerative braking slows down Model S
and feeds surplus energy back to the
Battery (see
).
• Set Stopping Mode to
HOLD
to gain the
benefit of regenerative braking at low
driving speeds (see
).
• Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures (see
), ensure tire alignment is
within specification, and tires are rotated
when needed. Rotating tires will reduce
uneven tread wear, increasing your
vehicle's efficiency (see
).
• Lighten your load by removing any
unnecessary cargo.
• Fully raise all windows.
• Limit the use of resources such as
heating, lights, and air conditioning. Using
seat heaters to keep warm is more
efficient than heating the cabin using
climate controls.
• Precondition the vehicle while it is
plugged in to ensure the cabin is at a
comfortable temperature and windows
are defrosted (if needed) before your
drive. Use the mobile app to precondition
your vehicle by touching
Climate
>
Turn
On Climate
and customizing your
preferences (see
).
• Features such as Sentry Mode, Headlights
After Exit, and Cabin Overheat Protection
can impact range. Disable features that
are not needed.
• To prevent an excessive amount of energy
consumption while the vehicle is idle,
keep the vehicle plugged in when not in
use.
• Minimize the use of DC chargers (such as
superchargers) for optimal Battery health.
The power meter on the instrument panel and
the Energy app (see
) provides feedback on energy usage.
With this feedback, you can become familiar
with how driving habits and environmental
conditions impact how much energy Model S
is using.
Factors Affecting Energy
Consumption
Several factors can affect your vehicle's rate
of energy consumption, including:
• Uphill travel: Driving uphill requires more
energy and depletes range at a faster
rate. However, driving downhill allows
your vehicle to regain a portion of its
expended energy through regenerative
• Customized settings: Energy is consumed
by accessories like lights, heating and
cooling, media player, Sentry Mode, etc.
• Short trips: It takes energy to bring the
cabin and Battery to a specified
temperature when starting the vehicle.
You may see a higher average
consumption when the vehicle is used for
very short trips while climate controls are
enabled.
• Temperature and weather conditions: In
colder weather, precondition the vehicle
before driving (see
Getting Maximum Range
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MODEL S OWNER'S MANUAL