Is it possible for a Tesla Model X Long Range to beat Lucid Air’s estimated EPA range of 517 mi? James Klafehn was not even aware of that range in October 2019, but he thought he could get very close to that number when towing his electric SUV. You will no doubt scratch your head with it: the Model X has already proven that it loses range when dragging. The secret here is the T-Rex camper Klafehn developed with a battery pack of 85 kWh.
In other words, when its Model X was towed, it did not have “only” 100 kWh available: it had 185 kWh. That was what he was ready to test in the video above. Klafehn was also excited to set the records TeslaFi.com, a website that records how far people can go with their Teslas. According to his calculations, he thought he could reach a range of 515 mi at a speed of 60 mph.
The bad news is that the test day was mainly windy, which makes aerodynamic worries even higher when towing. At best, Klafehn believes he could have hit a Lucid Air as well.
In ideal conditions, 60 ° F to 80ºF, 55 mph to 60 mph, no rain, no snow (apparently), little wind, flat, on the highway, I could have done 500 mi to 550 mi with my 100 kWh Model X Long Range and the 85 kWh T-Rex Camper. I find that pretty amazing. That’s easy enough to get to a campsite and load up on an RV site overnight. And absolutely enough to secure and continue with your journey. ”
That said, the results were not as good as Klafehn expected, but enough for him to perform pretty well on TeslaFi.com. When you consider that he towed a 2,260 lb camper (without food and supplies), that’s even more impressive.
“Millions of people are dragging and the reach is a big problem for them. My trailer would not only limit the losses by dragging: it would expand the range. ”
Unfortunately, testing with the T-Rex camper may have to wait a while.
“I will no longer do tests with a Tesla until the Cybertruck comes out. I have no plans to own another Tesla until then. And that is only if they improve their quality and customer service. However, I want to try it on the RAV4 Prime. I just need to find a place to tap HV. ”
Perhaps other EV manufacturers will suit Klafehn’s needs as well. What about Lucid’s SUV?
Source: James Klafehn
