When Tesla revealed the last year, reports suggested it would have a on an 80 kWh battery pack. Now we know why the sedan won’t have the larger 100 kWh battery pack available on Tesla’s Model S and X: it’s too small.
Tesla founder Elon Musk confirmed the revelation on Twitter in response to a question about whether the Model S P100D would carry anything larger than a 100 kWh battery. The wheelbase is too small, he said.
Musk revealed Tesla’s plans for a future semi-truck and pickup may facilitate a larger battery than 100 kWh. As , which first pointed out Musk’s remarks, noted, the smaller battery’s going to keep the Model 3 at a lower range than other Tesla vehicles: the Model S 100D has an estimated range of 335 miles, and the Model X 100D has up to 295 miles.
Musk 100 kWh might be the cap for Tesla’s vehicles, but the news confirms the Model 3 will likely have a range akin to competitors like the Chevy Bolt (238 miles).
There’s also Tesla would-be competitors, like Lucid, who in particular wants to have a car in production by 2018 that, if consumers option for it, and produce a claimed range of up to 400 miles.