Tesla has been innovating EVs since 2003. But with safety awards and reported fires in its history, how reliable are its engines?
Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, original CEO and CFO, respectively. In 2004, PayPal founder and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk funded more than $6.5 million into Tesla, marking the beginning of his long journey with the company. Tarpenning resigned in 2008, allowing Musk to take over as Tesla’s CEO.
In 2010, Tesla moved from San Carlos, Calif., choosing Palo Alto as the new Tesla HQ. Shortly after moving, Tesla took over a factory in Fremont, Calif. This factory was previously inhabited by General Motors and Toyota. So far, Tesla has created three “Gigafactories” in Nevada, Shanghai, and New York. Tesla plans on creating another Gigafactory in Germany and a “Terafactory” in Texas. The “Giga” and “Tera” in these factory names represent the scale of the products that Tesla plans to build there, being in the billions and trillions, respectively. Currently, Tesla’s products range from electric cars to solar panels to solar roofs and other similar products.
Nikola Tesla’s Influence
If Eberhard and Tarpenning founded the company and Musk is the CEO, then who’s the company named after? Born July 10, 1856 in Croatia (previously the Austrian Empire), Nikola Tesla was both an inventor and an engineer. Tesla’s claim to fame was inventing the alternating current (AC) power system as well as the induction motor. The massive benefits of AC over direct current (DC) are that it allows for longer distances of power transfer, higher voltage, it’s cheaper, and it takes a smaller gauge wire to transmit. It’s because of this AC power system that power is so readily available across the world. So, without it, Tesla Motors couldn’t power its charging stations, thus the idea of an electric car couldn’t exist in the capacity that we know it today.
Now, Tesla’s big contribution to the electric car is the induction motor. The induction motor is the most common motor used today and is found in anything from kitchen appliances to air conditioners to fans to automobiles. The basic concept of an induction motor is that power is achieved by changing magnetic fields as well as electromagnetic induction. Basically, there are two parts to an induction motor, the stator, and the rotor. When current passes through the stator, it causes a rotating magnetic field that then causes the rotor to move, which generates electricity.
Induction Motor: Powering the Tesla
The induction motor is what Tesla has been using to power its vehicles since the Roadster. The big draw of the induction motor in an electric car is that its speed is easily modulated and you can fix a single-speed transmission to it. Since speed is easily modulated, you get the maximum power instantly, which offers a huge advantage in performance. Also, there is not as much heat generated by the induction motor as there is from a combustion engine. Another huge benefit is the fact that an induction motor can generate electricity, which charges the batteries, leading to an even farther range.
To power its vehicles, Tesla uses a 70 lb., 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor, capable of hitting 14,000 RPMs. However, Tesla doesn’t always use just one motor, and in fact, they’re putting more and more in their vehicles as time goes on (for example, the Semi has four of them in it). Tesla started using dual-motors in the Model S in 2016 with the P85D — the “D” standing for dual-motor. Unlike regular AWD cars, the motors are not connected using mechanical linkage, and in fact, the two motors are not physically connected at all. This leads to a more efficient AWD system, as compared to the traditional AWD systems with mechanical linkage.
Tri-Motor Teslas
It didn’t take long for Tesla to get bored of the mere two motors and strap three motors on its vehicles. The automaker did this by putting one motor in the front and two in the back. Tesla uses Plaid to designate the tri-motor feature on its vehicles. Which is similar to their Ludicrous reference for the dual-motor vehicles.
Tesla adapted these references from Spaceballs, in which Plaid is the only speed faster than Ludicrous. The first tri-motor Teslas are expected to arrive at the end of 2021. The Plaid and Plaid+ trims will be offered, and as expected, the Plaid+ will be faster and more expensive.
Performance Data for All Tesla Models (excluding the Semi)
- 1x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor
- Max output: 288 hp
- Torque: 280 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 125 MPH
- 0-60 3.7 Seconds
Model S (Long Range)
- 2-3x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor(s)
- Max output: 557 hp
- Torque: 557 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 155 MPH
- 0-60 3.1 Seconds
Model X (Long Range)
- 2-3x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor(s)
- Max output: 532 hp
- Torque: 713 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 155 MPH
- 0-60 3.8 Seconds
Model 3 (AWD Long Range)
- 1-2x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor(s)
- Max output: 346 hp
- Torque: 376 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 145 MPH
- 0-60 4.2 Seconds
Model Y (Long Range)
- 1-2x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor(s)
- Max output: 384 hp
- Torque: 376 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 135 MPH
- 0-60 4.8 Seconds
Cybertruck (Tri-Motor)
- 1-3x 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor(s)
- Max output: 800 hp
- Torque: 1,000 lb-ft.
- Top Speed: 110 MPH
- 0-60 6.5 Seconds
What Batteries Power Tesla’s Motors?
It’s no secret that Tesla’s Achilles heel is its batteries. They constantly need bigger batteries to increase performance and, most importantly, range. The 85-kWh battery previously used in the Model S weighs around 1,200 lbs, so it begs the question: Where do you put a battery that big? Ingeniously, the battery forms the floor of the car.
Not only does this increase the rigidity of the cabin, making occupants safer, but there are many other advantages. First, the center of gravity is lower, which leads to better handling and lessens the chance of a rollover. Also, the weight is distributed much more evenly than a car with a combustion engine in the front, again improving handling. Since the battery is mounted below the car, you’d think it would make maintenance harder, right? Wrong, it only takes minutes for a mechanic to completely remove the massive battery pack.
Tesla’s battery weight is distributed much more evenly than a car with a combustion engine in front, improving handling.
Tesla’s batteries are complex. The 85-kWh battery that was once in the Model S was made up of 7,104 li-ion battery cells. They are structured as such: There are 16 modules, and each module is made up of six groups. In these six groups are 74 cells, all wired in parallel. So, that’s 7,104 cells!
Not only are these batteries complex and cumbersome, but they’re also expensive. They comprise an estimated 21-22% of the cost of the car, and Teslas aren’t cheap. However, Tesla owners can rest easy with the eight-year, 125,000-mile warranty on the battery. Reportedly, Tesla’s batteries depreciate about 5% of their capacity in the first 30,000 miles. After that, about 1% every 30,000 miles thereafter. Batteries are temperature-sensitive, meaning they like a certain range of temperature. To compensate for this, Tesla has implemented both cooling and heating for its batteries. To heat the battery, Tesla often uses the heat that the motor produces. However, they can also use external heaters.
Battery Sizes & Range Currently Offered in Teslas
Roadster (2010 Tesla Roadster 2.5 Base)
- Capacity: 53 kWh
- Range: 244 miles
- Capacity: 100 kWh
- Range:– Long Range: 412 miles– Plaid*: 390 miles– Plaid+*: 520+ miles
- Capacity: 100 kWh
- Range:– Long Range: 360 miles– Plaid: 340 miles
- Capacity: 75 kWh
- Range:– Standard Range Plus: 263 miles– Long Range: 353 miles– Performance: 315 miles
- Capacity: 75 kWh
- Range:– Standard Range Plus: 244 miles– Long Range: 326 miles– Performance: 303 miles
- Capacity: 200 kWh
- Range:– Single Motor: 250+ miles– Dual Motor: 300+ miles– Tri-Motor: 500+ miles
- Capacity: 500 kWh
- Range: 300 or 500 miles
Tesla’s Tabless Battery Cells
It’s a fact of life, things must change, and Tesla’s batteries are no exception. They’ve changed capacities several times, from 53 kWh to 85 kWh to 100 kWh to just about everything in between. However, what doesn’t change as often is the composition of Tesla’s batteries.
A huge benefit of an induction motor is that it can generate electricity, which charges the batteries, leading to an even farther range.
In late 2020, Tesla announced that the company was changing to tabless battery cells. Musk called this a “massive breakthrough,” referring to the fact that batteries can be made much bigger without the worry of performance degradation or overheating. The term tabless seems misleading because Tesla achieved this by adding more tabs, to increase throughput. These additional tabs minimize the bottleneck caused by traditional tabbed batteries.
Tesla: Safety Awards & Reported Fires
One thing that may worry potential owners when buying a Tesla is the handful of fires that have been reported in the news, mostly relating to the Model 3. It’s important to note that Musk addressed the issue, pointing out: “Over a million combustion engine car fires per year and thousands of deaths, but one Tesla car fire with no injuries gets the biggest headlines.” As mentioned with the tabless batteries, they reduce heat so, hopefully, the fires will stop with the new batteries.
It’s also important to note that in 2016, the Tesla Model X was the first-ever SUV to receive a perfect safety rating from the NHTSA. In another effort to thwart the fires, Tesla introduced Inconel battery contactors and a 1500A electronically controlled pyro-activated fuse, which was previously 1300A. Initially introduced on the Model S P90D, this fuse monitors the current and cuts the power with “extreme precision and certainty.”
Should I Buy a Tesla?
Founder Elon Musk stated his “evil plan” for Tesla Motors is as follows: “Build sports car. Use that money to build an affordable car. Use that money to build an even more affordable car. While doing above, also provide zero-emission electric power generation options.” It seems that Musk is following the simple business model that he started with his sports car, the Roadster, and used that money to make an affordable car, the Model 3. However, it should be known that the initial production of the Model 3 was ambitious — perhaps too ambitious.
Make no mistake, while the Tesla Model S is a sedan, it is no slouch when it comes to performance.
In 2018, Tesla started production on the Model 3, and in the first three months of production, there were 2,425 made in three months. That doesn’t sound so bad, right? Wrong again. Tesla projected it could produce 5,000 a week in January 2018, a goal the company wouldn’t attain until July 2018.
In addition to the fires, Tesla has faced controversy in the courtroom with companies like Fisker, Magna, Top Gear, former founder Eberhard, and even the state of Texas. However, this is unsurprising, because Tesla is a trailblazer for all EVs, so as with all trailblazing, things get rocky. But, if you’re considering buying a Tesla, don’t let those things put you off. You must determine if it’s the right car for you, and there’s no better place to make that determination than Vehicle History.
What Vehicles Has Tesla Produced?
The first-ever Tesla launched in 2008 with the help of Lotus and was named the Roadster. It had a 245 mile-range, which was unprecedented considering the best range of any other EV before it was about half that of the Roadster. Not only did the Roadster have an admirable range, but it was also fast. It went from 0-60 mph in four seconds and had a top speed of 125 mph. As you know performance doesn’t come cheap — and the Roadster was no exception with a price tag of $109,000.
Due to Lotus no longer making the bodies, Tesla could no longer make the Roadster, so they switched to the Model S. The Model S is the first premium all-electric sedan. Make no mistake, while the Model S is a sedan, it is no slouch when it comes to performance.
In its review, Motor Trend found that the 518 hp Model S went from 0-60 MPH in 2.28 seconds. Not only was it faster than the Roadster, but it was also significantly cheaper, starting at $76,000. Upon release, there were three different range options: 160, 230, or 300 miles.
The Model S was very successful, earning the 2013 Motor Trend “Car of the Year,” it was the first EV to ever win the award. In addition to the MotorTrend accolade, it held many additional honors. The Tesla Model S had the largest panoramic moonroof, the lowest drag coefficient, and the largest touchscreen (bigger than most laptops) on the market.
While Tesla still makes the Model S, the automaker realized the need to expand its lineup. Tesla started the expansion with the Model X in 2015 for those who wanted an electric SUV. The Model X brought standard AWD with it and started out at $89,000, but often cost more with options such as additional seats, extra motors, and driving aids.
It’s important to note that in 2016, the Tesla Model X was the first-ever SUV to receive a perfect safety rating from the NHTSA.
Tesla then realized it needed to appeal to more people with a cheaper car, so the company released the Model 3 in 2016. In contrast to the Roadster, the Model 3 had a different strategy — this strategy being high volume, low price. The strategy proved useful, and in Aug. 2018, the nearly $38,000 Model 3 was named the best-selling plug-in car, beating the Nissan Leaf. To expand even further, Tesla announced in 2017 that it was planning to make the Tesla Semi. Not just any semi-truck, but a semi that can go from 0-60 in 20 seconds and do it with an 80,000 lb. load. The last Tesla models to be unveiled were the Model Y and Cybertruck (whose launch was less than satisfactory) in 2019.
Photos: Tesla Motors; DepositPhotos
