Can a Tesla Model S Go 400 Miles On a Single Charge?

Getting 400 miles out of one tank of gas or diesel is not a big deal; most hybrids can easily get into the 500-mile range and diesel SUVs with 20- to 30-gallon tanks can hit 600-700 miles between fill-ups. But for electric vehicles, the 400-mile range frontier is a big deal.

Tesla has long been the production EV range champ, with a dual-motor Tesla Model S, equipped with a 100-kW-hr battery, capable of driving 335 miles on a single charge. Last week, Tesla released an updated version of the Model S that promises 370 miles of range. But is that really the limit?

We had the exclusive opportunity to drive this updated Tesla Model S from the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, to the company’s design center in Hawthorne, California—a trip that normally requires a stop at a charging station somewhere in between. Yet, after 359 miles of nonstop driving, our intrepid team pulled into Tesla Design with 11 percent charge left on the battery, and a stated range of 41 miles. So is 400 miles actually possible? And just how do you drive that long without stopping for a break? Watch the video above to find out.

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Find Out Why the Ram Heavy Duty Is the Ultimate Luxury Hauler

Purists may bristle at the idea, but today’s truck customers are looking for technology and creature comforts in addition to hauling capability. This is even true in the workhorse heavy duty segment. Ram has taken note and delivered a thoroughly luxurious HD for the 2019 model year. Check out the video for eight reasons why the Ram Heavy Duty is well suited for modern truck buyers.

Peek inside the cabin, and you may be surprised to see it is as posh as the interior of the Ram 1500 that won the 2019 MotorTrend Truck of the Year award. Different trims boast special design details, including unique stitching and real wood accents. On Laramie and Longhorn trucks, you’ll find 100 percent leather seats. Being a pickup, function is key, and you could argue the cabin is more skillfully laid out than those of rivals. You can store a laptop in the multiconfigurable center console, and a 12.0-inch touchscreen is available. Rear-seat passengers will likely forget they’re in a pickup, thanks to the gobs of legroom and the available ultra-luxurious reclining seats.

Any good heavy-duty truck will have excellent towing capability. As we noted in our recent First Test, the diesel Ram HD towed effortlessly up the rigorous California Grapevine climb. The gas-powered model offers 17,580 pounds on the 2500 and 18,210 pounds on the 3500, but step up to the diesel 3500 dually, and you’re looking at a maximum of 35,100 pounds. This capability puts it ahead of the game until the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD arrives this summer with a maximum 35,500 pounds. Payload is also impressive on the Ram HD, topping out at 7,680 pounds with the gas-powered 3500.

Does Ram have what it takes to go against Ford and Chevrolet in this increasingly competitive segment? We think the answer is yes, thanks to its impeccable interior, impressive towing capability, and max 1,000 lb-ft of torque.

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Flash Meet: We Invite Subscribers to Check Out the Nissan R390 at MT HQ

7 Ways the 2018 Honda Civic Type R is a FWD Performance Star

Living with our long-term 2018 Honda Civic Type R every day, we tend to forget just how special it is. The car manages to put 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque through its front tires and somehow remains an incongruously friendly commuter or road tripper capable of returning up to 35 mpg.

Here’s a short list of its front-wheel-drive production car performance bona fides.

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‘Ring Record

The Civic Type R holds the front-wheel-drive lap record at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit (7:43.8).

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FWD Winner

In our testing, it also holds the FWD lap record at Laguna Seca (1:44.22), as well as Streets of Willow (1:25.07).

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Figure-Eight Master

The Civic Type R holds the FWD lap record on our figure-eight test (24.3 sec).

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Stop!

The Civic Type R’s 99-foot stop from 60 mph is the shortest for front-wheel-drive cars we’ve tested.

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So Grippy

Capable of 1.01 g in lateral acceleration, the Civic Type R is the grippiest front driver MT has tested.

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How Quick?

At 5.4 seconds to 60 mph, the Civic Type R is the quickest FWD car on our clock.

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With a Quarter-Mile Time of…

Its 13.7-second quarter-mile E.T. and 105.9-mph trap speed are also tops for front-wheel-drive cars we’ve tested.

Until something else comes along to knock the mighty Civic Type R off this throne, it is the best-performing front-drive car there is … or ever was.

More on our long-term Civic Type R here:

• Arrival
• Update 1: Commuter Duty
• Update 2: Type R IRL
• Update 3: J. Loh Approved, Mostly
• Update 4: A Pilot’s Take
• Update 5: Finally Taking It on the Road

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