2020 Tesla Model S Owner’s Manual
The 2020 Tesla Model S is a big step forward in the world of electric luxury and performance. It combines cutting-edge technology, beautiful design, and great driving qualities in a way that has never been done before. With its smooth, aerodynamic form, the Model S gets people’s attention and shows how efficient cars can be. Underneath its stylish exterior is a high-tech electric engine that gives it thrilling acceleration and a long range, bringing in a new era of environmentally friendly driving. Inside, the Model S has a sleek, futuristic cabin with a big touchscreen infotainment system and a first-of-its-kind semi-autonomous driving system. As a sign of how committed Tesla is to new ideas, the 2020 Model S changes the way people think about electric cars by bringing together luxury and concern for the environment in a way that works well.
Getting Maximum Range
Factors Affecting Energy Consumption
While driving:
- Elevated driving speed.
- Environmental conditions such as cold or hot weather and wind.
- Using climate controls to heat or cool the cabin.
- Uphill travel: Driving uphill requires more energy and depletes range at a faster rate. However, driving downhill allows your vehicle to regain a portion of its expended energy through regenerative braking (see Regenerative Braking on page 67).
- Short trips or stop-and-go traffic: It takes energy to bring the cabin and Battery to a specified temperature when starting the vehicle. You may see a higher average consumption when the vehicle is used for very short trips or in heavy traffic.
- Heavy cargo load.
- Windows rolled down.
- Wheels and tires not maintained.
- Customized settings or third-party accessories (roof or trunk racks, third-party wheels).
While parked and not plugged in to a charger: - Preconditioning the cabin or using climate controls.
- Summon.
- Vehicle infotainment and climate controls system.
- Sentry mode.
- Tesla or third-party mobile app requests.
Tips to Maximize Range
You can maximize your driving range using the same driving habits you use to conserve fuel in a gasoline-powered vehicle. To achieve maximum range:
- Slow down your driving and avoid frequent and rapid acceleration. Consider using Chill Mode (touch Controls > Pedals & Steering > Acceleration) and Speed Assist (see Speed Assist on page 126) to assist in controlling your acceleration and speed.
- If safe to do so, modulate the accelerator pedal instead of using the brake pedal when gradually slowing down. Whenever Model S is moving and you are not pressing the accelerator pedal, regenerative braking slows down Model S and feeds surplus energy back to the Battery (see Regenerative Braking on page 67).
- Limit the use of resources such as heating and air conditioning. Using seat and steering yoke heaters (if equipped) to keep warm is more efficient than heating the cabin using climate controls.
- With your vehicle plugged in, use the mobile app to precondition your vehicle to ensure the cabin is at a comfortable temperature and windows are defrosted (if needed) before your drive by touching Climate > Turn On Climate and customizing your preferences (see Mobile App on page 172).
- Touch SCHEDULE, available on both the charging and climate control screens, to set a time when you want your vehicle to be ready to drive (see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled Departure on page 184).
- Ensure the wheels are aligned to specification, the tires are kept at the recommended inflation pressures (see Tire Care and Maintenance on page 188), and are rotated when needed (see Maintenance Schedule on page 186).
- Lighten your load by removing any unnecessary cargo.
- Fully raise all windows.
- Features such as Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection can impact range. Disable features that are not needed.
- To prevent an excessive amount of energy consumption while the vehicle is idle, keep the vehicle plugged in when not in use.
- Minimize the use of DC chargers (such as Superchargers) for optimal Battery health.
It is normal for estimated range to decrease slightly over the first few months before leveling off. Over time, you may see a gradual, but natural, decrease in range at full charge – this depends on factors such as Supercharging regularly or the mileage and age of the Battery. Your Model S will inform you in the unlikely event a hardware issue is causing excessive Battery or range degradation.
Range Assurance
The driving range displayed in Model S is based on estimated remaining attery energy and EPA-rated consumption. It does not account for your personal driving patterns or external conditions. The displayed range on the instrument panel may decrease faster than the actual distance driven.
Model S helps protect you against running out of energy. Your vehicle continuously monitors its energy level and proximity to known charging locations.
Touch Chargers in the Navigation search bar to toggle between types of chargers, including Superchargers and destination charging sites.
When you are at risk of driving beyond the range of known charging locations, the touchscreen displays a message giving you the opportunity to display a list of charging locations that are within range. When you select a charging location from the list, Model S provides navigation instructions and the turn-by-turn direction list displays the predicted amount of energy that will remain when you arrive at the charging destination.
Trip Planner routes you through Supercharger locations to minimize the amount of time you spend charging and driving. To enable, touch Settings > Navigation > Trip Planner (see Trip Planner on page 147).
Rear View Camera
Camera Location
Model S is equipped with a rear view camera located above the rear license plate.
Whenever you shift into Reverse, the touchscreen displays the view from the camera. Lines show your driving path based on the position of the steering yoke. These lines adjust as you move the steering yoke.
Model S also displays images from the side cameras. To view these images, simply swipe when the view from the rear view camera is displayed.
NOTE: Visual feedback from the parking sensors also appear on the instrument panel (see Park Assist on page 70).
To display the view from the rearview cameras at any time, open the app launcher and touch the Camera app. You can also touch the Camera icon in the Controls window.
WARNING: Never depend on the cameras to inform you if the area behind you is free of objects and/or people. The cameras may not detect objects or barriers that can potentially cause damage or injury. In addition, several external factors can reduce the performance of the cameras, including a dirty or obstructed lens. Therefore, depending on the cameras to determine if Model S is approaching an obstruction can result in damage to the vehicle and/or objects, and can potentially cause serious injury. Always inspect the area with your own eyes. When reversing, perform shoulder checks and use all mirrors. Use the cameras for guidance purposes only. It is not intended to replace your own direct visual checks and is not a substitute for careful driving.
Cleaning a Camera
To ensure a clear picture, the camera lens must be clean and free of obstructions. Remove any build-up of dirt or debris by spraying water onto the camera lens with a spray bottle or pressure washer.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to remove dirt or debris by wiping an exposed lens with your hands or a cloth. This debris can damage the surface of the lens when rubbed against it during wiping.
CAUTION: Do not use chemical-based or abrasive cleaners. Doing so can damage the surface of the lens.
About Dashcam
NOTE: Dashcam is a BETA feature.
In addition to supporting Autopilot features, the cameras can record and store video footage of the surrounding roadway on a USB flash drive. This can be convenient in situations where you want a video recording of a particular incident, such as a collision. You can pause, resume, or save video recordings directly from your vehicle’s touchscreen.
NOTE: Dashcam only works when Model S is powered on (see Starting and Powering Off on page 51). Dashcam does not record video when your vehicle is powered off.
Using Dashcam
Dashcam requires the use of a properly formatted USB flash drive to store and retrieve footage (see USB Flash Drive Requirements for Videos and Recording on page 163). Once a properly formatted USB flash drive has been inserted into one of your vehicle’s front USB ports, a Dashcam icon appears in Controls. Touch the Dashcam icon to control Dashcam:
- RECORDING. Touch the Dashcam icon, when Dashcam is paused, to start recording video on the flash drive.
- PAUSED. Press and hold the Dashcam icon, when recording, to pause recording. Ensure that Dashcam is paused before removing the flash drive to avoid losing camera footage.
- SAVED
NOTE: Dashcam automatically begins recording when you insert a properly configured USB flash drive into one of the front USB ports.
Retrieving Footage
NOTE: Dashcam Viewer may not be available at delivery.
If equipped, you can review Dashcam and Sentry Mode video recordings on your vehicle’s touchscreen when Model S is in Park. Touch the Dashcam icon on the touchscreen’s status bar and select Launch Viewer. Each video, organized by location and timestamp, provides a thumbnail of all video clips. For additional filtering, touch the Dashcam or Sentry tabs. Touch a thumbnail to view the corresponding video footage from each camera. Pause, rewind, fast forward, and delete video footage as needed.
You can retrieve video footage from the USB flash drive by removing the flash drive from the USB port and using a personal computer or other device to access the files. Navigate to the TeslaCam folder.
The TeslaCam folder contains three sub-folders:
- Recent Clips: The footage in Recent Clips continuously loops in 60-minute cycles whenever the cameras are activated. Therefore, footage is overwritten every hour unless you save it. When an event is recorded, one video is recorded for each of the front, rear, left, and right cameras.
- Saved Clips: Contains all recordings that you have manually saved using Dashcam.
- Sentry Clips: Contains the last 10 minutes of footage from all Sentry Mode events that have triggered an Alert or Alarm state. The footage from each event is labelled with a unique timestamp. NOTE: As the USB flash drive runs out of available space, the oldest footage in Sentry Clips is deleted to make room for new footage. Once deleted, you are unable to retrieve them. When the flash drive is full, Sentry Mode and Dashcam can no longer save video footage. To prevent the flash drive from getting full, you must regularly move saved videos to another device, and delete them from the flash drive.
FAQ
A: The starting price of the 2020 Tesla Model S Long Range was approximately $74,990.
A: The 2020 Model S was available in several trim levels, including Long Range and Performance.
A: The Model S Long Range offered an estimated range of up to 370 miles on a single charge.
A: The Model S Performance trim could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in as fast as 2.4 seconds.
A: Yes, the 2020 Model S came equipped with Tesla’s advanced Autopilot system, offering a range of semi-autonomous driving features.
A: The battery capacity varied by trim, with the Long Range model having a larger battery capacity compared to the Performance model.
A: Yes, the Model S was compatible with Tesla Supercharger stations, allowing for rapid charging during long trips.
A: The Model S included features like a large central touchscreen infotainment system, over-the-air software updates, and advanced driver-assistance systems.
A: The 2020 Model S continued Tesla’s sleek and minimalist design language, showcasing potential updates to its exterior and interior aesthetics.
A: The Model S may have offered an optional panoramic sunroof, enhancing the open-air driving experience.
A: The 2020 Model S came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control.
A: The Model S was known for its impressive handling, responsive steering, and exhilarating acceleration, delivering an engaging electric driving experience.
A: The 2020 Model S typically came with a limited warranty of 4 years or 50,000 miles, along with an 8-year warranty for the battery and drivetrain.
A: Yes, Tesla offered various optional upgrades and packages for the 2020 Model S, such as Full Self-Driving, premium interior options, and more, which could impact the final price of the vehicle.
Useful Link
2021 Tesla Model S User Manual
2022 Tesla Model S Owner’s Manual