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The door handles are probably a deliberate choice to get the drag down as low as possible, without the expense of motorized handles like the S or motorized door
by CarVac 8y ago
The door handles are probably a deliberate choice to get the drag down as low as possible, without the expense of motorized handles like the S or motorized doors like the X.
No other cars on the road have drag coefficients as low as the Model 3 (or the Model S, for that matter). From what I've seen, Teslas are the only cars that have the B-pillar flush to the glass, and flush, cavity-less door handles. That plus the perfectly smooth underbody nose to tail is what gives the Teslas better range per battery capacity than other electrics.
- FireBeyond 8y ago> No other cars on the road have drag coefficients as low as the Model 3 (or the Model S, for that matter). The Model S is the fourth lowest at 0.24, tied with the Mercedes S class, behind the Model 3 at 0.23. But leading the pack are the Mercedes CLA (0.22) and the Volkswagen XL1 (0.19).
- CarVac 8y agoI say that the XL1 doesn't count. I didn't count the EV1 either, which had the same drag coefficient. But TIL about the CLA. Note: the CLA was tested at 0.30 drag coefficient by Car and Driver, though.
- FireBeyond 8y agoWhy wouldn't the XL1 count? It's got a production run, albeit limited. Car and Driver's numbers for Cd are higher for everyone, it seems (though certainly the CLA was notably higher). Then again the new A class is quoted at 0.22.
- CarVac 8y agoIt doesn't count because they were able to change the form factor as they liked, whereas the Model S is a normal-looking sedan with fully exposed wheels.
- FireBeyond 8y agoDo you also not count the Insight? "That's not fair, they were -trying- to make it aerodynamic!" doesn't really fly as an argument.
- FireBeyond 8y agoInterestingly, there were some questions about C-and-D's comparison between the CLA and the S: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mercedes-benz-cla-drag-coefficient-allegedly-bested-by-tesla-model-s-video-82362.html https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mercedes-benz-cla-drag-co... > The only Mercedes-Benz CLA model that actually is the aerodynamic benchmark for current production cars is the CLA 180 BlueEfficiency Edition, a variant of the small “four-door coupe” that will never be available in the US. > With an official drag coefficient of 0.22, it bests the Tesla Model S by two whole points. On the other hand, a European-spec Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 sports a Cd of 0.28, which is still two points more optimistic than what Car and Driver's aero test concluded. > Even so, what Don Sherman doesn't properly explain is that the US variant of the CLA 250 – the car they actually tested in the wind tunnel – doesn't sport the same aerodynamic mods as its European counterpart, such as active engine grille shutters, which make a tremendous difference in the car's drag coefficient at high speeds. In other words, the US-spec CLA 250 may very well sport a Cd of 0.30, could it not?
- CarVac 8y agoI wonder why they didn't include grille shutters and many of those other changes on the standard versions. (Yes, because it costs money. But the Teslas have all the aero optimizations on all versions.) I have seen grille shutters on C-classes in person since then...
- FireBeyond 8y agoThat I don't know, and would love to see!
- stephengillie 8y agoToyota Camry has a drag coefficient of 0.28.[∆] [∆]http://autotk.com/dimensions/toyota/camry/2016/ http://autotk.com/dimensions/toyota/camry/2016/
- brownbat 8y agoI wonder if the gains would be significant if the regs allowed side mirrors to be replaced with cameras and a screen or projection onto the side windows.
- greglindahl 8y agoIt would be a big gain in efficiency, and Tesla and a few other carmakers have been trying to talk regulators into allowing that for a few years now.