--- title: "The Range of Teslas Drops A Shocking Amount In Just 3 Years, Study Finds" description: "A new study has found that Teslas are not traveling nearly as far as they're supposed to on a full charge. " date: "2024-05-30" modified: "2024-05-30" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-range-drops-shocking-study" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric car ranges" - "EPA" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # The Range of Teslas Drops A Shocking Amount In Just 3 Years, Study Finds ![A new study has found that Teslas are not traveling nearly as far as they're supposed to on a full charge. ]() *\Image: Jeff Gritchen /MediaNews / Orange County Register via Getty / Futurism\* ## Range Anxiety Looking into data from nearly 13,000 electric cars, a new report has found that the batteries of Tesla vehicles degrade significantly in a matter of just three years. [Electric vehicle analytics startup Recurrent]() —which is not, we should mention, related to *Futurism*'s owner, Recurrent Ventures — found that Teslas, alongside the offerings of other major EV makers, never actually reach the ranges determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, even when they're brand new. After three years of ownership Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y achieved just 64 percent of their EPA-rated range, Recurrent found. Even at 0 miles, the cars settled at around just 70 percent. Put another way, as [*InsideEVs* helpfully calculates](), that means that a 2023 Model 3 with zero miles on it will only be able to drive 230 miles on a single charge when, per EPA estimates, it should be able to go 315 miles. While we're aware of the [well-documented shortcomings]() of EPA ratings — Recurrent's findings shouldn't exactly come as a surprise — it's nonetheless a worrying finding that could have considerable implications for the long-term ownership of EVs, including Teslas. It's particularly damning, considering Tesla has already been caught [faking battery range](). ## Rosy Numbers To determine how far a given electric vehicle is supposed to be able to travel on a fully-charged battery, the EPA puts cars through a battery of lab tests meant to simulate different driving conditions. As many in and [around the industry]() have pointed out, this simulation of road testing is likely to differ substantially from real-world figures — though in the case of Teslas, at the very least, the in-house numbers are still pretty damning. However, not everybody agrees with Recurrent's conclusion. Shortly after *InsideEVs* published its summary of the Recurrent study, former Tesla investor relations executive [Martin Viecha pointed out on X-formerly-Twitter]() that the EPA's numbers differ from the company's own. Although Tesla uses the EPA's range estimates in its marketing— which is, notably, the sticking point in a recent [class action lawsuit]() brought by irritated customers who allege false advertising — the company conducted other studies that show far better range retention, with its outputs showing that the battery only degrades about 20 percent after 150,000 miles. It's unclear why Tesla isn't using those in-house numbers if they would make the company look better and potentially shield it from lawsuits. Regardless, the numbers tell a damning story. To those at the startup that conducted the study, that's not on Tesla alone. "The basic EPA testing protocol gets it wrong for all EVs," Recurrent CEO [Scott Case explained in a white paper last year](), "as it is performed in a laboratory at room temperature without exceeding 60 mph and allows for manufacturer-determined adjustments." **More on Tesla:** [*Elon Musk Begs Tesla Shareholders to Vote for His $56 Billion Pay Package*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()