Increase range on GT for long trips

[moparguy]

Did you confirm that E-Heat was actually turned off? It will be on even when AC is on, especially if you select "Auto". It is possible the resistance heater was used at some point during that recorded trip, maybe just at the beginning if the car was colder than the set temperature.

27% is much higher than I have seen when using AC only, so there is probably something else going on.

E-Heat doesn't work in my car, after 2 trillion updates, it worked for two days then stopped, so not enabled, AC consume lots of energy, I am sure if you have yours set at 69 degrees and fan on 4, you will see similar consumption on highway rides.

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[moparguy]

Depends on the speed you were going. If you were going 40mph, you won't use much power for the motor, so the A/C will use a higher percentage. At highway speeds for me, I've never seen the A/C use go much above 5%.

80mph, checked it once after this post and got about 23% consumption next time.
It's been cold since then in San Diego so haven't used AC in few days.

 

[mkhuffman]

80mph, checked it once after this post and got about 23% consumption next time.
It's been cold since then in San Diego so haven't used AC in few days.

That is way off what I see, and I set my cruise to 80 every time I travel.

 

[Regulus7]

Wow, guess that's why I didn't get the PE. My premium ER RWD '23 gets 3.5 regularly at 67 (my favorite cruise control setting) and 4.0 closer to 63 and 3.3 closer to 70, most driving around 70degrees so far.

Warmer weather, helps for sure.

I get 3.5 to 3.7 regularly in my GT now that it’s warmer at 67-70mph avg speeds and 3.3 at 72-75mph. In winter it was like 0.3-0.5 worse but I still managed almost always to get 3 or 3.1.

I wonder if with future software updates if efficiency can be improved as aerodynamics and weight obviously can’t!

 

[Mach-Lee]

I wonder if with future software updates if efficiency can be improved as aerodynamics and weight obviously can’t!

I don't think so, the powertrain software is about as efficient as it can be. Not much more can be done there, I believe it is about as optimized as it's going to get. The way you drive will be a much bigger factor.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I don't think this is true if you account for the turbulant air and complexities of following on a modern american freeway.

But I don't have the data.

I really want to know what the energy consumption is behind different vehicles. My intuition is you're better off at 70mph with one bar distance cruise control, than 65 with noone cutting the air for you.

Doing 60 behind a commercial truck that clearly has logging on and a mandate to hit that speed... you see the miles flash by and she's sipping battery. Trucks do *not* seem to like hangers on, though. I think they don't mind when it's another truck. Maybe I'm making it up, but they'll slow down more, hit their flashers, all kinds of things.

I think I can do a measurement accurately enough with a road test and the ODB2 monitor, because I think it'll be sensitive enough, with like 5 minute periods behind different vehicles. Using the ford power app is probably not good enouh. Maybe someday I'll have a free afternoon and get 'er done.

I like the game of finding good vehicles to follow, because I get bored easily. Right now, I tend to go slow in the right lane until someone starts passing at about the speed I want, then I grab their tail. It takes some practice to estimate the speed difference of a passing car, though. I look for cars that also have cruise control on, otherwise, they might not be predictable.

If you're doing close following, there are some additional tricks that can help.

Look for vehicles that have minimal slope of the rear of the vehicle. Tractor trailers, vans, box trucks, etc. Avoid vehicles with a sloped back (sedans, fastbacks, etc).

Find a train of three to four vehicles and put yourself into the second-to-last position. Every vehicle in the train receives a benefit from the drag reduction (including the lead vehicle), but the second-to-last vehicle sees the most benefit. That benefit decreases for trains that are longer than about four or five vehicles. If the train is five or more vehicles long, you can take any of the central spaces to gain approximately the same benefit.

Look for vehicles with similar or lower ground clearance. Vehicles with higher clearance will not produce the lower pressures you want; a lot of air will be injected into the space your vehicle is in and you'll see less improvement.

Similarly, avoid vehicles that have too low a rear compared with your vehicle nose.

There's a ton of modeling and research on the topic of vehicle "platooning" and its impact on the effective drag experienced by various vehicles in the "platoon."

 

[mkhuffman]

If you're doing close following, there are some additional tricks that can help.

Look for vehicles that have minimal slope of the rear of the vehicle. Tractor trailers, vans, box trucks, etc. Avoid vehicles with a sloped back (sedans, fastbacks, etc).

Find a train of three to four vehicles and put yourself into the second-to-last position. Every vehicle in the train receives a benefit from the drag reduction (including the lead vehicle), but the second-to-last vehicle sees the most benefit. That benefit decreases for trains that are longer than about four or five vehicles. If the train is five or more vehicles long, you can take any of the central spaces to gain approximately the same benefit.

Look for vehicles with similar or lower ground clearance. Vehicles with higher clearance will not produce the lower pressures you want; a lot of air will be injected into the space your vehicle is in and you'll see less improvement.

Similarly, avoid vehicles that have too low a rear compared with your vehicle nose.

There's a ton of modeling and research on the topic of vehicle "platooning" and its impact on the effective drag experienced by various vehicles in the "platoon."

So I hate following people because they either go too slow or too fast. But I found some cars going around the same speed as me coming home last week, and over 140 miles it improved efficiency by about 13%. And that was just following other cars, and a Suburban for a little while. Pretty impressive what a difference it makes.

 

[azerik]

I was actually on my way to go test drive a GT and maybe pull a lateral trade. Then remembered the 40'ish mile range loss and realized there wasn't a way to make that up when going uphill 7500ft.

Grrr damn it I almost did it again, and still might for a '22 GT/PE for $49 with 18k on it.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Grrr damn it I almost did it again, and still might for a '22 GT/PE for $49 with 18k on it.

Doooooo Eeeeeet! Magneride is soooooo nice. And $49 is a no-brainer unless it’s wrecked (or did you mean $49K? Still a pretty good deal).

 

[eastern refugee]

I have a 23 GT and I drive from Bakersfield up the mountain and down to Burbank. Roughly 100 miles in total. I go from roughly 300 feet above sea level to 4400 and then back down to less than 300 in Burbank. At 78 mph and heat at 115 here in Bako and 100 in Burbank during the day with the air on level 3 I get roughly 2.8. I do have aftermarket wheels which are roughly 4 lbs lighter than factory.

On the way home when the temperature drops to roughly 80 I am at 3.0-3.4.

I hate following anyone because they are going to slow or have zero concept on how to drive up a hill. There is ALWAYS construction/accidents and I am not sure how bumper to bumper traffic effects the car. I do know that to the lower right there is a status bar. if it is blue then you are burning electricity. if it is green it is going back to the battery. I assume if is zero then no harm no foul.

I had previously a 2021 FE and my GT by far gets better mileage per kilowatt. My wife has a 2021 premium AWD extended battery and I get better than her as well.

A friend has a 23 PE and his sucks wind....not even close to mine. i keep trying to help him but nothing so far is working. Glad i never spent the extra $7,000.

 

[azerik]

I think a lot of the PE's range is the tire. I have no desireee to keep the p-zeros' and franky not a big fan of the PE wheel. Yes i actually like the fact my MME looks EXACTLY like a Matchbox car should. I have a Prem AWD Er with GT wheels. Around town in 110 I'm getting 2.7'ish. Not sure I could deal with much less than 2.4 going uphill to Flagstaff. Currently I get 2.7 on that set up going from Phoenix to Flagstaff (it's a 7500ft climb 169 miles, broken up into 3 phases. The first from Chandler to Camp Verde I keep it under 68. This was previously because of the tire vibration I had. Then I'd climb to 72'ish till MM 300~307 which is a terrible climb where I'd drop to 65. Then 309 to 333 @ 75. Little heat, little AC use.)

The GTPE is $49k. I think my prem 'value' is probably $12k under what I paid in January this year.. I'd probably swap the wheels (or tires) and swaybars if possible. BUT that PE is sitting on pre 3.5.2 Sync. Not sure I want to start the sync battle again.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

azerik said:
I was actually on my way to go test drive a GT and maybe pull a lateral trade. Then remembered the 40'ish mile range loss and realized there wasn't a way to make that up when going uphill 7500ft.

Grrr damn it I almost did it again, and still might for a '22 GT/PE for $49 with 18k on it.

Do it!

You can make it up the mountain. If you're really feeling constrained, stop in Sedona at the EA DCFC and then take the switchbacks up.

 

[azerik]

Do it!

You can make it up the mountain. If you're really feeling constrained, stop in Sedona at the EA DCFC and then take the switchbacks up.

Those switchback with the tourists walking in the street to Slide Rock ? lol How many points are they now as I've been out of the Carmageddon leader boards for a while haha.
But yes I am still seriously thinking bout it as it's a 02/22 build. i know I can make it up the mountain but as it is I leave my house and get to my cabin with 60'ish miles of range left, nonestop, not stopping at Anthem for a 10 min dcfc session anymore.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Those switchback with the tourists walking in the street to Slide Rock ? lol How many points are they now as I've been out of the Carmageddon leader boards for a while haha.
But yes I am still seriously thinking bout it as it's a 02/22 build. i know I can make it up the mountain but as it is I leave my house and get to my cabin with 60'ish miles of range left, nonestop, not stopping at Anthem for a 10 min dcfc session anymore.

Inflation. They're worth so many points now! It's just as crowded as it's always been (though the traffic cops are a little more diligent). But once you get to the switchbacks it's pretty clear.

 

[azerik]

Boo They'd give me $31k for my car. I can't take a $20k hit after 6 months and sleep at night.

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