Range anxiety after two days of driving

[MidwestElectric]

I'm assuming you're not worried about your range at the moment as much as the health of the battery?

First there is the point made by @CaGuy that the initial miles/kWh can throw off the range estimate. This can be easily underestimated. For example, I got a Chevy Bolt a few months ago. I've never gotten less than 3.4 miles/kWh and usually get significantly more. Yet my "Lifetime", which started somewhere below 2 miles/kWh, is still only at 3.1 miles/kWh. Consequently, the range estimate for a full battery is 209 miles, which is more than my lifetime efficiency would suggest (204 miles), but far below the 230-250 miles that I actually get in mostly Freeway driving.

The second point made by just about everyone, is the cold. The will take a toll on efficiency, and it will be compounded if you're blasting the heater.

Should be an easy way to test. Plug it in and charge it. Then precondition the MME and take it out for a drive without the heater. Bring it back, charge it, and then check the efficiency numbers (I'm assuming you can do this).

BTW, how does the RWD handle in the snow and ice?

Rear wheel drive works just fine. Some of the four wheel drive confidence is unwarranted. If the weather sucks and driving carelessly, no winter tires or four wheel drive shall bail me out.

Currently charging at home with 110V/Ford mobile charger. Awaiting 220v install in a couple of weeks. Charged a bit at work - we have 2 EATON free chargers if no one is charging, and today being the weekend, got lucky!

Preconditioning works from home. Stopped at gym on the way back and was freezing again. Maybe solar panel glass roof can help in future with climate control when parked.

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[generaltso]

The GOM feels a bit conservative, the mileage that it displays seems like the 'for sure you can get this far' mileage but in reality you can get a bit more. If you set the destination in the navigation and it's within your displayed range circle then you can make it there no problem.

In terms of “not getting stranded”, that approach seems much better than the alternative.

 

[sockmeister]

Somebody posted this image. I am really anxious about my upcoming purchase. The used posted it was -10 degree outside. I understand temperature affects range but How low can range be at 91% charge. ? This is not good!!!!

Everyone needs to calm down ? the range estimator is far from correct on a newly delivered car. Remember, it learns from whatever history it has - and if that history is sitting idling for a month, occasionally being turned on for diagnostics or testing, well, guess what - the range estimate is going to appear really low.

In reality, I'd expect a 300 mile range to drop by around 30% at -10 F. A bit more if it's highway driving, possibly as much as half.

This is the norm for all electric cars right now, Teslas included.

 

[CarboFE]

What sort of speeds...and does your actual experience back up that estimate? Extended battery, right?

A range of speeds. around town to some highway. The battery percentage to remaining miles math always seemed to be in the 150 - 160 total miles range.

FE, so extended range AWD.

 

[mr_raider]

If you haven't already done so, delete the EV driving history. You should get a range boost doing that, if the dealer didn't do it for you.

It really works and should be standard for everyone that gets the car new.

Technically he won't get range boost. He'll get an estimation of range boost. His range is his range.

 

[DBC]

You don't have to do that; just looking at the mi/kwh during the trip is good enough; just multiply by 88kwh to get the true range on the trip.

Yes. This is what I was getting at -- using one trip to calculate the efficiency and then multiply that by 88 kWh. Waiting until the battery has settled down usually gives a more accurate estimate.

 

[DBC]

Technically he won't get range boost. He'll get an estimation of range boost. His range is his range.

Yes but his question is about anxiety over range not range. ? More accurately and perhaps more seriously, the issue is the range estimation, not necessarily the range. His assumption is that these are equal, which we know is not necessarily the case.

 

[BadgerGreg]

This is one of the reasons that first deliveries of MMEs in January/February is going to cause some negative chatter. Dead-of-winter conditions are not ideal for ANY BEV, especially in the middle of an arctic blast. Fortunately we don't usually have more than 2-3 weeks per year of this type of cold (at least in SE Michigan). Had the initial deliveries been in the early fall (as was originally planned before COVID), this wouldn't be the thing new owners would be obsessing about.

 

[Blinkin]

This is one of the reasons that first deliveries of MMEs in January/February is going to cause some negative chatter. Dead-of-winter conditions are not ideal for ANY BEV, especially in the middle of an arctic blast. Fortunately we don't usually have more than 2-3 weeks per year of this type of cold (at least in SE Michigan). Had the initial deliveries been in the early fall (as was originally planned before COVID), this wouldn't be the thing new owners would be obsessing about.

I'm looking at it from the optimistic position. For anyone getting their car in this time window, it's all uphill from here. You'll literally not see worse performance than these few weeks of exceptional cold.

 

[JoseLuisDeLaCruz]

Anxiety Justified? California route one, rear wheel drive, EPA 305 miles. I am a very ‘light footed’ driver. Have not pressed the brake once and over 50 miles of driving.

BTW, regenerative braking better than any discs (gave up 2016 Jag for this)

Wow that sucks! Thats what happens when they decide to not put heat pump! Lmfao! Ford dropped the ball!

 

[JoseLuisDeLaCruz]

Somebody posted this image. I am really anxious about my upcoming purchase. The used posted it was -10 degree outside. I understand temperature affects range but How low can range be at 91% charge. ? This is not good!!!!

This is the reason why I am getting the Model Y with heat pump!

 

[agoldman]

The heater is only a small part of the problem in temps that low anyway. The real problem is physics.

No, the real problem is why anyone would willingly live in a place that is minus anything. Pack up and start driving south till you find a suitable place to live..

hey, and by the way, ICE cars don't do so well in the sub freezing temps either.

 

[wareagle1440]

Do you preheat the car, while plugged in, before you drive?

In that kind of cold it won’t matter. It will still drain that battery just to maintain.

This is the reason why I am getting the Model Y with heat pump!

heat pump won’t help you in -10 degrees. From my understanding it doesn’t function that well in that kind of cold.

 

[JoseLuisDeLaCruz]

This is one of the reasons that first deliveries of MMEs in January/February is going to cause some negative chatter. Dead-of-winter conditions are not ideal for ANY BEV, especially in the middle of an arctic blast. Fortunately we don't usually have more than 2-3 weeks per year of this type of cold (at least in SE Michigan). Had the initial deliveries been in the early fall (as was originally planned before COVID), this wouldn't be the thing new owners would be obsessing about.

I think its a blessing to get the numbers when the weather is bad because at least you know instead of getting a surprise when temperatures drop and u notice how low the range is in the car. This is why they needed a heat pump!

 

[timbop]

Driving in -1 to -9 (Minnesota) yesterday and seeing pretty identical range estimates. 161 miles at 100%. I expected a hit, but that is pretty dramatic. Use case for MME is generally just around town with a diesel Grand Cherokee for the long hauls, so will just have to learn to live with it.

what mi/kwh were you getting?

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