Does a lower suspension save energy? Includes – Nextmove test with Tesla Model 3 [YouTube]

German car rental company Nextmove has tested the Tesla Model 3 RWD 74 kWh in two versions: with regular and sports suspension. It turned out that the version with the suspension lowered by 3,5 or 4 centimeters consumes several percent less energy. This allows it to achieve better results on a single charge.

The test was carried out on the highway at 150 km / h, with 19-degree air conditioning, heated seats in the first level and inflated tires to 3,1 bar.

After the first lap of 94 kilometers, the vehicles consumed on average:

• 227 Wh / km (22,7 kWh) in Tesla with normal suspension
• 217 Wh / km (21,7 kWh, -4,6 percent) for Tesla with lowered suspension.

Thus, at this speed, a car with normal suspension would have traveled 326 kilometers on battery, and a car with lowered suspension would have traveled 341 kilometers, thanks to an energy consumption of less than 5 percent.

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The second test involved Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD with sports suspension, Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD with factory suspension and Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD. The results were very similar:

• Tesla Model 3 LR RWD lowered suspension requires 211 Wh / km (21,1 kWh / 100 km),
• Tesla Model 3 LR RWD with factory suspension consumed 225 Wh / km (22,5 kWh / 100 km),
• Tesla Model 3 LR AWD consumes 233 Wh / km (23,3 kWh / 100 km).

The all-wheel-drive option was only here for testing purposes, but once again lowering the car turned out to reduce energy consumption – this time by 6,6 percent. It is no coincidence that car manufacturers use diffusers and flat surfaces in the chassis. All this so that the suspension elements of different shapes do not interfere with the air flow.

These measurements also led to a recommendation for owners of S and X models with air suspension: the higher the driving speed, the more profitable it will be to put the car in the lowest position.

You can watch the whole experiment here:

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