Would putting the 85kwh battery pack in a Model S 70D make it identical to an 85D?
Assuming that the software allowed for this change
Posted Nov 29, 2015, 8:57 PM UTC
07
Assuming that the software allowed for this change
Posted Nov 29, 2015, 8:57 PM UTC
Yes, I think so, only because you could go from 85 to 90 with a pack swap.
This is pure speculation, though. I know of nobody that has done this and I'm not sure Tesla would even allow it.
This guy upgraded his Model S 60kWh to an 85kWh: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089183_life-with-tesla-model-s-battery-upgrade-from-60-kwh-to-85-kwh
I'd forgotten about this article! That's great to hear that the 70D most likely shares the same parts as the 85D and would get the performance and other benefits. Now to wait and see if they allow a battery upgrade in the future a la Roadster.
Nice! I'd never heard of such a thing before. Tesla continues to be awesome!
Well, before you get too excited, this is the only reported case of someone upgrading their battery, and it happened two years ago. I doubt you're going to have much luck if you roll up in a 70D and ask to make it an 85D today. They'll probably just try to convince you to trade it in.
They probably still offer it but it is likely that they don't have enough takers. Only 5% bought the smallest battery. That's why they dumped that model. I imagine people doing 10-20k upgrades is even rarer than that considering the old 70s dont have the auto pilot sensors.
And you are unlikely to again. There is only 1 documented case of a battery upgrade in 100k vehicles and 3 years. What does that tell you about the upgrade path?