Tesla Model S Long Range Plus Reaches 402-Mile Milestone

Elon Musk has proven time and again that he is not one to be trifled with. He is definitely not one to take things sitting down when it involves the reputation of one of his most prized products. So when he said earlier this year that the EPA made an error when it tested its Model S Long Range Plus, the company set out to prove him right. The result is the new but not so new Model S Long Range Plus, not actually boasting of an EPA-rated 402-mile range.

The Long Range Plus version of the Model S that Tesla revealed a few months ago only rated 391 miles. Musk, however, claims that the car could have reached a 400-mile mark if the EPA didn't make a mistake during its testing process. Of course, that was neither proven true nor false but that may now be moot since the car has indeed reached and even slightly exceeded that goal.

There might have been some truth to Musk's claims since the announcement says the changes that made these possible were already in place earlier this year. Those changes were born from the company's experience in manufacturing the Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles and will soon even carry over to the Model X.

Those changes include all the weight savings and efficiency increases Tesla could squeeze out of parts, like using lighter materials and replacing the mechanical oil pump with an electric one. The regenerative brakes have also been tweaked to work at a lower speed to send more energy back to the battery.

This range bump should be available to all Model S Long Range Plus EVs purchased since February but owners should not they should also be using Tesla's new 8.5-inch "Tempest" Aero wheels and custom tires. Those still planning to buy such a car, however, might be happy to know that Tesla also chopped $5,000 off the retail price just recently.