TTT
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Tom
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2021
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 201
- Reaction score
- 229
- Location
- SoCal
- Vehicles
- DMC-12, 75 Monza, 17 Volt, 22 MMe Prem. ordered
- Occupation
- Imagineer
I use a less formal technique that doesn't require you to keep a lot of records or preplan. What it can do is increase your confidence with the car and teach you how to drive it more effectively.
I think part of the problem is that the MMe doesn't seem to have a real time Mi/KWH meter so it's hard to get good feedback.
The way I tend to drive EVs is to put my destination into the GPS of choice, and it tells me a distance to get there. The look at the GOM and compare the two. Ut might tell you that you will arrive with an extra 55 miles of range, or that you will fall short by 7 miles - either way - THIS is the key metric you need.
If you believe you have more than enough range, well, have at it, drive however you like but still compare the GPS distance to Destination to your GOM and see if you are doing better, or worse than the GOM and your "difference" number gets better or worse.
This is where the value in this method comes in. If you aren't happy with the consumption you are getting, just lift your right foot about 1/16" of an inch, often you can lift up on the accelerator just a little and see a dramatic improvement in efficiency while only losing 1-2mph. Learn what driving a little more gently can do to your efficiency by driving this way for the next 15 minutes. Assuming traffic and terrain haven't changed dramatically check your "difference" again and you would see that you are trending a lot better.
Another variation is to check every 10 miles or so and see how much your situation improves or degrades every 10 miles. Once you have a feel for that you'll be better able to predict how you will end up.
What's nice about this method is that the GOM will adapt to your new consumption patterns as you drive and it turns into a more useful way of gauging how the drive is going.
When you realize how much your driving style affects range (for me it can be easily a 50% change between driving to get somewhere in a hurry vs just backing off a bit all the way to making it a game to see how efficient i can get if I'm in no hurry at all. Learning what works best for you is key, and getting the feedback to understand how your range is affected by your attitude becomes a good skill to have.
If you do like trying to get the most out of your charge, you might also consider keeping less junk in the car, taking the tire pressure up to a higher PSI, and compromising a bit on the heat or AC.
To drive in the most efficient manner, think like you did when you were a kid riding a bike and read the road that way. You already know that not pushing hard on an uphill saves you a lot of energy on a bike, it does in a car too. When going downhill do you need to keep pushing down, or can you just coast as you would on a bike?
Finally, the amount of energy you need on the freeway at 68mph is a LOT more than if you were going 64. you may want to get there faster, but sometimes slowing down enough that you don't need to stop to recharge on the way will get you there a lot faster than if you stop and have to charge up again.
I recently sold my Bolt, but on a bad day I might average 3.5 miles per KWH, but on a good day I could double that for long stretches of my drive. By comparing to my GOM I was comfortable on every drive that I understood what was going on, and what I could do about it.
If you keep an eye on the difference between the GOM and real world performance in real time, you'll save time, money, and wear on the battery.
I think part of the problem is that the MMe doesn't seem to have a real time Mi/KWH meter so it's hard to get good feedback.
The way I tend to drive EVs is to put my destination into the GPS of choice, and it tells me a distance to get there. The look at the GOM and compare the two. Ut might tell you that you will arrive with an extra 55 miles of range, or that you will fall short by 7 miles - either way - THIS is the key metric you need.
If you believe you have more than enough range, well, have at it, drive however you like but still compare the GPS distance to Destination to your GOM and see if you are doing better, or worse than the GOM and your "difference" number gets better or worse.
This is where the value in this method comes in. If you aren't happy with the consumption you are getting, just lift your right foot about 1/16" of an inch, often you can lift up on the accelerator just a little and see a dramatic improvement in efficiency while only losing 1-2mph. Learn what driving a little more gently can do to your efficiency by driving this way for the next 15 minutes. Assuming traffic and terrain haven't changed dramatically check your "difference" again and you would see that you are trending a lot better.
Another variation is to check every 10 miles or so and see how much your situation improves or degrades every 10 miles. Once you have a feel for that you'll be better able to predict how you will end up.
What's nice about this method is that the GOM will adapt to your new consumption patterns as you drive and it turns into a more useful way of gauging how the drive is going.
When you realize how much your driving style affects range (for me it can be easily a 50% change between driving to get somewhere in a hurry vs just backing off a bit all the way to making it a game to see how efficient i can get if I'm in no hurry at all. Learning what works best for you is key, and getting the feedback to understand how your range is affected by your attitude becomes a good skill to have.
If you do like trying to get the most out of your charge, you might also consider keeping less junk in the car, taking the tire pressure up to a higher PSI, and compromising a bit on the heat or AC.
To drive in the most efficient manner, think like you did when you were a kid riding a bike and read the road that way. You already know that not pushing hard on an uphill saves you a lot of energy on a bike, it does in a car too. When going downhill do you need to keep pushing down, or can you just coast as you would on a bike?
Finally, the amount of energy you need on the freeway at 68mph is a LOT more than if you were going 64. you may want to get there faster, but sometimes slowing down enough that you don't need to stop to recharge on the way will get you there a lot faster than if you stop and have to charge up again.
I recently sold my Bolt, but on a bad day I might average 3.5 miles per KWH, but on a good day I could double that for long stretches of my drive. By comparing to my GOM I was comfortable on every drive that I understood what was going on, and what I could do about it.
If you keep an eye on the difference between the GOM and real world performance in real time, you'll save time, money, and wear on the battery.
Sponsored
