Honestly, I really want to know *how* they're getting a 0.208 Cd. That's significantly better than a car of this general shape would normally get.
Note that most manufacturers BS about their drag coefficients - but at least thusfar, Teslas usually match their claims in testing.
Note that most manufacturers BS about their drag coefficients - but at least thusfar, Teslas usually match their claims in testing.
I wonder if this is all just a long slog of minor improvements, or whether they're implementing any of the long-proposed "cheats" for drag reduction, such as base bleed or suction to maintain flow attachment. I don't see any signs of that, but...
Either way, the claimed Cd is now 90% that of the claimed Cd for the Model 3. I suspect (whether from S not being as good as claimed, or 3 having since improved) that it's closer than that. But either way, it seems they're overcoming Model S's greater cross-sectional area.
What this means is that Plaid Model S should be a charging beast. Lets assume overall the same energy consumption, and cell tech / cooling that's merely "equivalent to" Model 3. With 17% more range, we get 17% greater usable capacity, which shifts the charging curve up 17%.
Of course, there could be other improvements that further adjust the charging curve; time will tell how the balance between Cd, A, Crr, and M play out vs. cell and pack improvements.
Note that we're not even talking about Plaid+, which will be an entirely different beast! :)
Note that we're not even talking about Plaid+, which will be an entirely different beast! :)
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