The First
There was always going to be a first electric vehicle (EV) to break the 400-mile mark, and it probably won’t surprise many people to learn that it was Tesla. The EV company has continued to innovate and improve upon its design, with the latest Model S giving customers more miles than ever before. The Model S Long Range Plus was given an official EPA-rated range of 402 miles. That represents an almost 20% increase in driving range from the 2019 Model S 100D, which has the same battery pack design.
It Gets Better
Elon Musk had already made claims that Tesla had vehicles capable of reaching 400 miles earlier in the year. In April 2020, Musk had claimed the Environment Protection Agency had actually made a mistake when testing the Model S. The Tesla CEO explained that the EPA had left the keys inside and the car door open overnight before testing the Model S.
Musk estimated that mistake would have reduced the Model S battery life by 2%, meaning the car could travel even further. While the company continues to make improvements in its battery performance, Musk has also made promises to improve other aspects of their vehicle range. The Tesla CEO has also been looking at ways to improve both the handling and acceleration of the company’s electric vehicles.
Tesla has been at the forefront of the electric vehicle movement pretty much from the beginning. The electric car company’s Model S can now go further on a single charge than ever before, meaning cross-country adventures might be back on the menu.