How to improve the Guess-O-Meter

[phil]

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[Doug&Julie]

I've always liked the Bolt's GOM...by having three numbers, the gauge itself tells the uneducated driver "your range is dependent on things". And the fairly wide range helps said driver understand it's not an exact science. ..or at least it's a constantly changing science. I think that's smart.

But the Mach-E would need a bigger IP to do something like that...

 

[Johnny B]

The suggestion to use mi/kWH along with battery capacity and SOC is no different than resetting your driving history at the start of each trip and using the GOM. The difference is the GOM will update dynamically over the course of the trip, but you'll have to do periodic calculations using the current mi/kWH battery method as your trip progresses. Maybe doing math problems in your head while driving has an advantage of honing your mental agility ?, but I don't see a point to such an exercise.

The fact is that neither methods can ever give you a precise remaining range since it is impossible to predict driving conditions in the future. Over the long term, not resetting the GOM each trip should provide a more reliable figure since it's partially based on the history of how you interact with the accelerator and brake pedals and past performance. Resetting your driving history when your driving routine changes, like from a daily commute in traffic to a long road trip, might provide a better guestimate.

 

[capnhowdy21]

But they do. Your Crosstrek has an estimated range display (usually 13% optimistic), mine genrally gives a ~500 mile range when filled. It is just that the consequence of not paying attention can be mitigated by a 1-5 mile walk carrying a fuel can.

Not on the default settings it doesn’t, my 2016 Camaro never did. I think it’s just weird. Like last people do not pay attention to it. Maybe more cars in the last 5 years have added it. But in most peoples cars I only see the fuel, not left over range. Again I understand this is cause it’s easier to fuel up in ice, I just wonder if we’ll get to to same point in EV.

 

[capnhowdy21]

Most modern cars do tell you range to empty, but it’s usually something you have to navigate to in order to see.

True because most people just intuit when they need to fill up. Again this is because of the prevalence and ease of gassing up. I’m curious when/if we will reach the same point in ev.

 

[Ravensfan1996]

Was going to post the same thing.

How about this: Add a sticker (suggested elsewhere so I can't take credit for it, however):

Also needs to say, please dont post on the forum or facebook what my range is so low…..

 

[phil]

True because most people just intuit when they need to fill up.

If by "intuit" you mean "read the gas gauge", then you are exactly right!

 

[capnhowdy21]

If by "intuit" you mean "read the gas gauge", then you are exactly right!

Correct, I mean intuit if they can make it to the next station or not.

 

[e-pony]

On my Bolt there is a bar on the left very prominently that at the bottom has your low end range and at the top your high end range and currently where you are trending in between those points. That is much more informative. With my Mach E the damned battery can't be trusted to even tell me how much is left. Park it and start it ten minutes later and suddenly it's 3 or 5% lower or 2% higher. It's become a bit of a laugh.

This

 

[EasyPass]

At the end of the day, how far you can go in your EV based on a given battery charge level, has a lot to do with how you drive the car, along with temperature, and other driving conditions.

Not very much unlike an ICE vehicle, in actuality, in terms of how far you can go.

The main differences between the two right now, anyway, are the lack of a comprehensive public charging infrastructure and the extra time it take to "top up". Increasing BEV range possibilities and faster charging will contribute to less of a difference in the future, I suspect.

 

[intoMME]

I typically drive about 50 miles per day and recharge to 90% overnight. I needed to take a longer drive a couple of days ago, so I charged to 100%. It was a nice day in Southern CA, so you would think the GOM would guestimate the 215 miles that the car is rated at...but it told me 190 miles. I drove 100 miles to my destination, and to be safe, I charged at Electrify America while I ate a quick meal. EA took around 30 minutes or less to charge the car to 100%. I had registered the car for EA before, and as soon as I plugged in, it recognized the car and started charging with my free account credits. Pretty cool. When I walked back to the car, it had just hit 100% charge and the charger told me I had 9 minutes courtesy standby time before it started charging me for leaving it on there. GOM read 212 miles, just 3 miles short of the published range on my AWD standard battery Select model. I think that the car needs to go on longer drives in order for the GOM to get an idea of how far it can go. Unless you are driving really far and fear that you will run out of range before you can make it to a charger, don't sweat it. Just recharge at home every night and start the day with a 90% full battery. My two cents (or 1.9 cents, depending on the temperature outside).

 

[intoMME]

I think it would be more useful if it updated its guess in real-time. In winter, it assumes I’m going to use the heat. But sometimes I don’t. If I have the heat off, show me the range with the heat off. When I turn the heat on, drop the range to reflect that. A lot of EV and PHEV GOMs work that way.

Yes, my daughter has a Leaf, and the GOM changes when you change the drive mode, take off e-pedal, climate control, etc.

 

[alexgorod]

I'm very happy with GOM - it shows pretty much the same distance I would calculate based on my average consumption of 1.5 miles/% during winter driving. I hope to get closer to 2 miles/% with warmer weather.

 

[ThomF]

Anyone who has been on this forum for more than a week has encountered the question of "what happened to my range?!" and "why am I not getting xx miles?" and "I think I have the wrong battery".

For some people on this forum the Mach-E was their first BEV and others are hardened veterans. However by now many have had their cars for a few months with some celebrating a year. So clearly everyone is an expert and can answer the following:

How would you redesign the Guess-O-Meter? What would you change so that people aren't constantly asking these questions?

• Should it just display the EPA range at 100% no matter what? This obviously would lead to "what happened to my battery? It said I could go more miles!"
• Do all EV customers need to be given a math lesson before getting the car?
• Should there be no range displayed and only battery percentage?

What is your proposal to fix the problem?

I'm happy with the current 'guess-o-meter' function. But yes, it would be nice to provide a cheat-sheet for folks to easily see where the 'loss' of mileage was occurring. Perhaps Ford could add a screen option that would display the various components affecting the calculated available range, similar to what is provided following a trip.

However, what I would like is a better estimate of the charging times. Perhaps it's only way off for us that are relying upon a 120 volt charger. (Yeah, I know I'm a neanderthal. An electrician is stopping over on Wednesday evening to give me a quote to upgrade my garage.)

I know that even at 120-v, my e-stang will recover at least 2.5 miles an hour. I limit charges to 12 hours a night during the weekdays (because of time-of-use pricing [I'm also a tightwad]), so I recover a minimum of 30 miles overnight. This typically is adequate, since I work from home and my normal excursions are modest. But the charging estimate is always way off, causing the vehicle to give me an alert when I get home to the effect that it needs to charge outside of the scheduled hours. If I plug it in, it will immediately start to recharge, even though I know that it will get back to 90 percent (the target I've established) overnight.

So, I use the app to stop charging, and then need to remember to restart the charge cycle when my time-of-use rates go down. It happens enough that it's a bother.

Perhaps, as a minimum, Ford should display an option on the screen when that "need to recharge outside of scheduled hours" comes up. "OK" or "Don't charge out-side of schedule."

Thom

 

[ripperAZ]

It should appear as a little slot machine with three numbers and then you tap the icon and it spins.
The obligatory warning about gamblers anonymous appears as it spins
Then it reveals A number that doesn’t take into account the activity of your right foot or the environment you’re driving in anyway

Start your wagering

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