Tesla's recent announcement of a 100 kWh battery option for the Model S and X naturally raises the question of how much is too much. Tesla says that the Model S P100D will accelerate 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, making it the quickest production sedan in the world. The new pack also increases range to an estimated 315 miles.
SA Contributor Max Greve came at the question of whether the pack makes economic sense from a very interesting perspective. He points out that while a Model S might last 400,000 miles (a possibly generous estimate), the battery pack might last 2.1 million miles. This leaves the pack with substantial residual value which he considers wasted.
Greve's calculations are sound, but his assumptions are open to question.
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