My new extended AWD Mach-E's range is significantly lower than the advertised range

[mkhuffman]

This morning it was 40 degrees. My GOM said I had 200 miles of range at 86%, for a 100% range guess of 230 miles.

In reality I drove 105 miles using 37% of the battery, half of it on the highway. That equates to roughly 3.1 mi/kwh - which would be an ACTUAL range of 273 miles.

Why are we still pretending that the guess-o-meter means anything?

It means something if you are driving in a way that is consistent with your diving history. Most of my miles are highway miles, which has a negative impact on the GOM. If I am driving around town, I can do much better than the GOM. But when I am traveling out of town, the GOM is very accurate. In general, my GOM is accurate when I need it to be.

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[timbop]

It means something if you are driving in a way that is consistent with your diving history. Most of my miles are highway miles, which has a negative impact on the GOM. If I am driving around town, I can do much better than the GOM. But when I am traveling out of town, the GOM is very accurate. In general, my GOM is accurate when I need it to be.

I've been driving in town since mid october. That kind of low speed driving would have an even higher efficiency.

Look, sometimes the GOM's guess is accurate and sometimes it's not. Yes, if you do everything exactly the same way in the same circumstances then the estimates are often close. If those conditions don't hold, then it is basically a random number.

Newbies need to understand that a projection beforehand is NOT the same as the actual history afterward.

 

[mkhuffman]

I've been driving in town since mid october. That kind of low speed driving would have an even higher efficiency.

Look, sometimes the GOM's guess is accurate and sometimes it's not. Yes, if you do everything exactly the same way in the same circumstances then the estimates are often close. If those conditions don't hold, then it is basically a random number.

Newbies need to understand that a projection beforehand is NOT the same as the actual history afterward.

The GOM with the navigation estimate at destination does a pretty good job of predicting the charge at destination. The biggest problem I have is it assumes I will be driving the speed limit, and like most people, I do not drive the speed limit. So I can watch the charge at destination decrease as I am driving. But that is good, because I can control my speed and control E-Heat to ensure I make it.

I had to go pick up my son the day before Thanksgiving because his car died. After I got him and arrived at the DCFC, I was around 10% remaining. I knew I needed about 80% charge to get home, so I stopped it at 79%, set the cruise control on 80 and hit the road. When I first left it said I would have 10% remaining when I got home, but it was steadily declining. Eventually I had to slow down to around 70 when it said I would arrive at 1% charge. I actually arrived with around 2% charge remaining. My son was worried, but I was totally good with it. I never once worried we would make it.

All along the way I was also looking at the GOM and miles to destination. When I got home, I had about 10 mile left on the GOM.

The point is, the GOM works when you need it.

 

[stevec73]

Last night, 28 degrees Fahrenheit, 9.8-mile trip home from Target, staying off the highway, 5.2 mi/kWh. Used climate control (auto, 68 degrees) only a couple of times for a minute or so to defrost the windows.

 

[JohnnyForensic]

Interior climate control is SO MUCH of this equation, I think. I was driving with a cold start in 24ºF weather and running a bunch of in town errands, but there are long stretches of 60 mph highway to get there. Without climate turned on, I can do those trips with 3.1 or 3.2 efficiency. If I turn on the climate control to 68º, that drops to about 2.3-2.5. Exterior temp does count for warming the batteries to be sure, but I think interior climate control has a much bigger affect on the actual electrons used than anyone would like.

 

[TTort]

I have just exchanged my standard AWD for an extended AWD, however I have noticed that the current vehicles range is significantly lower than the advertised range and in fact according to the trip computer the average usage is between 1.8 and 2.5 kwh when the standard vehicle was giving me up to 3.3 kwh, why is this so much lower, when I am not doing anything different to before. Your comments would be appreciated.

Since the temp dipped below below 50 hear in the SF bay area, my wife has been blasting the e-heat. Since then, the mileage has taken a huge hit.

 

[stackcat]

When it was -20F a few days ago I got about 1.7/kWh, now it's been hovering around 0-20F. At this point I just blast the ass warmers and keep the defroster at 61F, been seeing 2.5-2.8/kWh.

 

[RickMachE]

It means something if you are driving in a way that is consistent with your diving history. Most of my miles are highway miles, which has a negative impact on the GOM. If I am driving around town, I can do much better than the GOM. But when I am traveling out of town, the GOM is very accurate. In general, my GOM is accurate when I need it to be.

I'm quite confused. I know that Musk's truck is going to be able to dive, but not seeing how it works with the Mach-E...

The GOM with the navigation estimate at destination does a pretty good job of predicting the charge at destination. The biggest problem I have is it assumes I will be driving the speed limit, and like most people, I do not drive the speed limit. So I can watch the charge at destination decrease as I am driving. But that is good, because I can control my speed and control E-Heat to ensure I make it.

I had to go pick up my son the day before Thanksgiving because his car died. After I got him and arrived at the DCFC, I was around 10% remaining. I knew I needed about 80% charge to get home, so I stopped it at 79%, set the cruise control on 80 and hit the road. When I first left it said I would have 10% remaining when I got home, but it was steadily declining. Eventually I had to slow down to around 70 when it said I would arrive at 1% charge. I actually arrived with around 2% charge remaining. My son was worried, but I was totally good with it. I never once worried we would make it.

All along the way I was also looking at the GOM and miles to destination. When I got home, I had about 10 mile left on the GOM.

The point is, the GOM works when you need it.

I too have done the math, then watched as my safety margin went down mile by mile. It's actually fun to slow down and see it stabilize, and even climb. But, then the child in my says "bulls&it" and steps on the accelerator. I have arrived home with 1, 2, 3% left more than a few times. Had one instance on the highway where I had to drastically slow down to make a charger, because I wasn't going to go 20 miles away from the route to DC charge, just headed for the next one. I was going 55 with the hazards on for 10 or so miles. Not a happy camper then.

 

[Graction]

Last night, 28 degrees Fahrenheit, 9.8-mile trip home from Target, staying off the highway, 5.2 mi/kWh. Used climate control (auto, 68 degrees) only a couple of times for a minute or so to defrost the windows.

Which model do you have? I don’t think there is any way you could get 5.2 mi/kWh at 28 degrees unless it was down hill the whole way.

I attempted it myself tonight in my GT. I drove 7.5 miles home from the train station, all local roads between 30 and 45mph. Temperature started at 35 and dropped to 28. I turned off HVAC and used no seat or steering wheel heat. Drove as conservatively as I could and got 3.5 mi/kWh.

 

[mkhuffman]

I'm quite confused. I know that Musk's truck is going to be able to dive, but not seeing how it works with the Mach-E...

Bwa ha ha! I owe you one.

So to your other point, I also have arrived at 2% and found the GOM very helpful to ensure I made it. People complain about it, but it has been very useful for me.

 

[mkhuffman]

Which model do you have? I don’t think there is any way you could get 5.2 mi/kWh at 28 degrees unless it was down hill the whole way.

I attempted it myself tonight in my GT. I drove 7.5 miles home from the train station, all local roads between 30 and 45mph. Temperature started at 35 and dropped to 28. I turned off HVAC and used no seat or steering wheel heat. Drove as conservatively as I could and got 3.5 mi/kWh.

Today I left my garage, 65 F inside, into 30 F outside and just used the climate control for a few seconds whenever the glass started to fog or my feet got cold (I take my shoes off when driving) and my efficiency was identical to my typical 140 mile drive in the middle of summer. Starting off with a warm battery and barely using E-Heat will make a HuGE difference in the winter.

 

[stevec73]

Which model do you have? I don’t think there is any way you could get 5.2 mi/kWh at 28 degrees unless it was down hill the whole way.

I attempted it myself tonight in my GT. I drove 7.5 miles home from the train station, all local roads between 30 and 45mph. Temperature started at 35 and dropped to 28. I turned off HVAC and used no seat or steering wheel heat. Drove as conservatively as I could and got 3.5 mi/kWh.

I have a 2021 California Route 1, which obviously helps.

 

[Hammered]

I've been driving in town since mid october. That kind of low speed driving would have an even higher efficiency.

Look, sometimes the GOM's guess is accurate and sometimes it's not. Yes, if you do everything exactly the same way in the same circumstances then the estimates are often close. If those conditions don't hold, then it is basically a random number.

Newbies need to understand that a projection beforehand is NOT the same as the actual history afterward.

Reviving the old thread looking for different info, but the GOM has been calibrated in that when it's colder, it expects that a moron may be operating the vehicle and be quite careless with the climate. As such, on top of the fact it's cold, it assumes the potential of the hvac to consume ~6kW / hr. If you ran high heat as some do, in 3 hours with the SR batt, that's 26% of the usable batt going strictly to the heating element. 6kW worth of heat is ~20k BTUs. A comparable ICE vehicle is capable of outputting 5-6x that amount from its heater core for 'free'.

I'm surprised we haven't seen 'cold climate' options available for EVs that would add a diesel heater similar to that used in RVs (granted a multifuel version that could use gas would be better). Those little heaters are VERY efficient in that it can turn 1 gallon of diesel into 115,000 BTUs of heat with only a 90% efficiency rating (likely able to be increased with a purpose built unit). It could also help warm up the battery as well further increasing range. That'd be a big deal in cold climates whereby zero percentage of the battery is going to heating, and the battery itself getting warmed up is increasing range to that of summer. Such a system would entirely eliminate the 'cold' issues of EVs while at the same time eliminating the need for a heat pump (as well as smoking heat pump equipped vehicles in performance terms).

The initial batt warming and 1hr worth of driving / climate usage would consume ~1/4 of a gallon, at the cost of $1. Combine it with a small 4 or 5g tank (sized for an average monthly usage to fill only once per month). The concept could even be taken a step further in making it an engine with an alternator attached powering the 12v system's pumps, blower motor, seat heaters, etc... It wouldn't be large enough to do anything with the HVB as it'd make it much more complicated, but it'd be a big deal in cold climates.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

Lol in my GT in 30 degree weather I'm lucky to see above 2.5mi/kWh..... Granted I don't drive like a grandma and always take the fastest route.

Yah! Go baby, go!

 

[Maquis]

Reviving the old thread looking for different info, but the GOM has been calibrated in that when it's colder, it expects that a moron may be operating the vehicle and be quite careless with the climate. As such, on top of the fact it's cold, it assumes the potential of the hvac to consume ~6kW / hr. If you ran high heat as some do, in 3 hours with the SR batt, that's 26% of the usable batt going strictly to the heating element. 6kW worth of heat is ~20k BTUs. A comparable ICE vehicle is capable of outputting 5-6x that amount from its heater core for 'free'.

I'm surprised we haven't seen 'cold climate' options available for EVs that would add a diesel heater similar to that used in RVs (granted a multifuel version that could use gas would be better). Those little heaters are VERY efficient in that it can turn 1 gallon of diesel into 115,000 BTUs of heat with only a 90% efficiency rating (likely able to be increased with a purpose built unit). It could also help warm up the battery as well further increasing range. That'd be a big deal in cold climates whereby zero percentage of the battery is going to heating, and the battery itself getting warmed up is increasing range to that of summer. Such a system would entirely eliminate the 'cold' issues of EVs while at the same time eliminating the need for a heat pump (as well as smoking heat pump equipped vehicles in performance terms).

The initial batt warming and 1hr worth of driving / climate usage would consume ~1/4 of a gallon, at the cost of $1. Combine it with a small 4 or 5g tank (sized for an average monthly usage to fill only once per month). The concept could even be taken a step further in making it an engine with an alternator attached powering the 12v system's pumps, blower motor, seat heaters, etc... It wouldn't be large enough to do anything with the HVB as it'd make it much more complicated, but it'd be a big deal in cold climates.

You’ve almost basically described a hybrid. Get one.

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