Range concern

[dbsb3233]

But ranges are not so important for longer trips. It's all about the charging speed, the availability of chargers, and the reliability of the chargers.

I'd say it's both, because longer range allows you to go further on that first leg where charging time doesn't matter (L2 overnight). And gives you a longer rope to go where there may not be as good of charger coverage. And as much lost time in the "churn" getting on/off highways. Each additional charge costs churn time.

But your point about charging speed is also a good one. Equally as important to get back on the highway quicker as it is to avoid needing to get off the highway so often to begin with.

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[Polymon]

We have a 2019 Leaf Plus SL. Before that a Chevy Bolt. We live in North Georgia mountains and we are literally two hours from anywhere. Atlanta, Ashville, Chattanooga are all at least two hours away at posted speed limits. We predominately put about sixty miles a day on the car and then charge every couple of days at home. I have always charged to 100% battery when we charge at home. So far I have not noticed any degradation of battery capacity. When we do drive to one of the afore mentioned cities for whatever reason, usually 2-3 times a month, we usually have plenty of range and that is on the 68kwh battery of the Leaf. On those times that we do a lot of running around I will DCFC before heading home. You will learn real quick where the DCFC's are in the area you drive to and which ones are usually available. I have never had to wait to charge my vehicle, even in Atlanta where EV's are quite popular. To be frank, don't sweat the charging so much. Learn your area, charger locations, and know how much kwh it takes you to get home from point X that you frequent. For road trips...just plan your route. We drove to Orlando from North Georgia and back in our Leaf charging four times each way....about every 180 miles. This was along the I-75 corridor. Never had any problem finding or using a charger. Charges were usually about 45-60 minutes. We took advantage of those charges to eat lunch, take bathroom breaks, walk the dogs, stretch, and did a little shopping on the way and back. It was a pleasant non-tiring trip.

A little tip if you have a gap in your charger locations. Campgrounds have a shitload of 30 and 50 amp outlets. IF you find yourself in a bind you can easily pull into a campground and with an adapter use a 50 amp outlet to level two charge for a couple of hours. Have a picnic and take a walk to enjoy the sunshine. You don't have to be in a hurry to go everywhere. I have used a campground on I-85 several times on the way to Destin, FL. They not only let me charge, but did not charge me for it either. Met some very nice campground hosts and actually sat and had a few beers and some nice conversations about EV's and RV's with them. Now, we are retired, and not really in a hurry to get anywhere as long as we can do it before dark. My days of taking trips where I drive 12 hours straight and arrive exhausted, tired, cramping, and cross eyed are over. We find we actually enjoy the scenery a lot more with the EV.

So stop sweating the range and reduce your anxiety level.

That's a great tip about using campgrounds as a recharge location.
What type of adapter do I need for that?
I ask as my Mach-e will be my first EV and because at my son's house the previous owner set up an RV pad. So I may be able to recharge at his place when I visit.

 

[Prashantsukhs]

We have a 2019 Leaf Plus SL. Before that a Chevy Bolt. We live in North Georgia mountains and we are literally two hours from anywhere. Atlanta, Ashville, Chattanooga are all at least two hours away at posted speed limits. We predominately put about sixty miles a day on the car and then charge every couple of days at home. I have always charged to 100% battery when we charge at home. So far I have not noticed any degradation of battery capacity. When we do drive to one of the afore mentioned cities for whatever reason, usually 2-3 times a month, we usually have plenty of range and that is on the 68kwh battery of the Leaf. On those times that we do a lot of running around I will DCFC before heading home. You will learn real quick where the DCFC's are in the area you drive to and which ones are usually available. I have never had to wait to charge my vehicle, even in Atlanta where EV's are quite popular. To be frank, don't sweat the charging so much. Learn your area, charger locations, and know how much kwh it takes you to get home from point X that you frequent. For road trips...just plan your route. We drove to Orlando from North Georgia and back in our Leaf charging four times each way....about every 180 miles. This was along the I-75 corridor. Never had any problem finding or using a charger. Charges were usually about 45-60 minutes. We took advantage of those charges to eat lunch, take bathroom breaks, walk the dogs, stretch, and did a little shopping on the way and back. It was a pleasant non-tiring trip.

A little tip if you have a gap in your charger locations. Campgrounds have a shitload of 30 and 50 amp outlets. IF you find yourself in a bind you can easily pull into a campground and with an adapter use a 50 amp outlet to level two charge for a couple of hours. Have a picnic and take a walk to enjoy the sunshine. You don't have to be in a hurry to go everywhere. I have used a campground on I-85 several times on the way to Destin, FL. They not only let me charge, but did not charge me for it either. Met some very nice campground hosts and actually sat and had a few beers and some nice conversations about EV's and RV's with them. Now, we are retired, and not really in a hurry to get anywhere as long as we can do it before dark. My days of taking trips where I drive 12 hours straight and arrive exhausted, tired, cramping, and cross eyed are over. We find we actually enjoy the scenery a lot more with the EV.

So stop sweating the range and reduce your anxiety level.

My anxiety is not in general about range but about what you are getting what you are paying for. We dont want to spend 50k and end up getting a car with range below promised as it’s just launched and we don’t know if we are getting what has been promised. You can’t return it once bought.

 

[agoldman]

I went hard at times and a half was city driving and the regen really helped. Letting off the gas and coasting at all the right times will make a big difference for everyone.

coasting as in turning off One Pedal Driving?

My bigger concern about range is more to do with the shaky Electrify America system, which currently seems hopelessly broken from what I can gather.

 

[Ma9573]

My anxiety is not in general about range but about what you are getting what you are paying for. We dont want to spend 50k and end up getting a car with range below promised as it’s just launched and we don’t know if we are getting what has been promised. You can’t return it once bought.

Since you're in Florida, you probably won't see the extreme efficiency losses from cold weather. During the summer months you'll lose a bit due to the 90+ degree heat, but in the end it's going to be how you drive the car. I'm encouraged by some of the range examples posted on this site and in the official reviews where the drivers weren't just "pushing the car to its limits" so to speak.

 

[trutolife27]

coasting as in turning off One Pedal Driving?

My bigger concern about range is more to do with the shaky Electrify America system, which currently seems hopelessly broken from what I can gather.

coasting letting one petal kick in at the right time and not having to press the brake yourself. Think of it as riding a bike.

 

[ARK]

coasting letting one petal kick in at the right time and not having to press the brake yourself. Think of it as riding a bike.

How do you coast with one pedal driving, is pressing the accelator very mildly with one pedal driving on allowing you to neither accelerate nor regen?

 

[Blinkin]

My anxiety is not in general about range but about what you are getting what you are paying for. We dont want to spend 50k and end up getting a car with range below promised as it’s just launched and we don’t know if we are getting what has been promised. You can’t return it once bought.

Read about how Teslas real world range compares to their EPA ranges. If your criteria for buying any EV is "will it get its EPA range @ a steady 75mph on the highway" then you WILL be disappointed (in some cases severely) with just about every EV on the market. And if you think of an EPA range as something "promised" to you rather than as a standardized comparison tool, then I can only say that you don't really understand EPA range estimates.

 

[trutolife27]

How do you coast with one pedal driving, is pressing the accelator very mildly with one pedal driving on allowing you to neither accelerate nor regen?

I think I'm wording this wrong for you. When you let off the gas in an ice car you coast right? Well, same in a Bev but the Bev regen kicks in and slows you down itself without you needing to apply the break. It's a slow and mild braking that seems like coasting to a stop uphill in a ice and the weight of the car stopped your movement.

There are some really good tesla drivers out there in city limits that get great range because of how precise they are with regen braking.
When my wife was driving she keep letting off too early or too late and either had to get back in the gas to move up or hit the brake before hitting the car in front.

 

[JamieGeek]

I think I'm wording this wrong for you. When you let off the gas in an ice car you coast right? Well, same in a Bev but the Bev regen kicks in and slows you down itself without you needing to apply the break. It's a slow and mild braking that seems like coasting to a stop uphill in a ice and the weight of the car stopped your movement.

There are some really good tesla drivers out there in city limits that get great range because of how precise they are with regen braking.
When my wife was driving she keep letting off too early or too late and either had to get back in the gas to move up or hit the brake before hitting the car in front.

It does take some practice at 1-P so you're not jarring the passengers.

 

[Ma9573]

I think I'm wording this wrong for you. When you let off the gas in an ice car you coast right? Well, same in a Bev but the Bev regen kicks in and slows you down itself without you needing to apply the break. It's a slow and mild braking that seems like coasting to a stop uphill in a ice and the weight of the car stopped your movement.

There are some really good tesla drivers out there in city limits that get great range because of how precise they are with regen braking.
When my wife was driving she keep letting off too early or too late and either had to get back in the gas to move up or hit the brake before hitting the car in front.

How easy is it to find the setting to turn off one pedal driving? I can already see my wife getting frustrated with all the new tech in the Mach E ?

If she has to drive without me I'll probably have to turn off one pedal for her before she starts her trip. If I'm out of town I shudder to think of trying to guide her through the menu over the phone lol

 

[Blinkin]

How easy is it to find the setting to turn off one pedal driving?

It's a simple toggle on the main driving mode screen. It's like 2 total clicks or whatever you call them on a touchscreen. FWIW most reviewers have said 1-pedal is very intuitive and people get used to it in minutes.

 

[dbsb3233]

My anxiety is not in general about range but about what you are getting what you are paying for. We dont want to spend 50k and end up getting a car with range below promised as it’s just launched and we don’t know if we are getting what has been promised. You can’t return it once bought.

That's a valid concern, one that many of us share. When I first started considering a BEV, I saw "300 miles!" and thought "Oh that's plenty, no problem". But as I learned more, I realized "300 miles" doesn't mean you can realistically travel 300 miles on a road trip between refuels (like I can in my Escape). It means something quite different.

My Escape has a 15 gallon gas tank. I get about 25 MPG on the highway. That's 375 miles of "range". But realistically I can get 300 miles per leg because I'm not driving it down to the fumes. Most people leave about 20% in the tank as a safety buffer.

In the Mach-E, that "range" is rated at 300 miles (RWD ER). But like the Escape's 375, that's using 0-100% of the fuel. Most people will leave a safety buffer of 10% in the Mach-E, so subtract that. AWD loses another 10%, so subtract that if you have that trim (as I do).

But then there's factors that affect BEVs far more than ICE vehicles:

If it's cold out and you're using cabin heat to keep it a comfortable 70-72F, that can use up anywhere from 10-30% of that battery (depending on how cold it is).

If you're driving high speed (highway), that has big impact too. How much is yet to be nailed down, but for rough estimates, subtract 10% at 65 MPH and 20% at 75 MPH. Although if you're talking about city driving at slower speeds and use of regen for lots of stopping, it's probably about right, or maybe even add 5-10%. (But for most people, that's of little help because they need range on road trips far more than close to home where they just charge overnight).

And lastly, when DCFC charging during a road trip, we'll usually only "fill-up" to no more than 80% (since it slows down so much), so subtract yet another 20% for those subsequent legs (beyond the 1st leg where you charged to 100% at home).

Add it all up, and that "300 mile range" on a road can fall to as far as 120 miles (AWD, 75 MPH, 30F outside, leg #2+ where you only start at 80% SOC).

I'm not worried about the Mach-E not meeting EPA range. It's more about realizing how the EPA# really only represents the most perfect scenario, and how dramatically most real-world conditions vary from that.

 

[dbsb3233]

How easy is it to find the setting to turn off one pedal driving? I can already see my wife getting frustrated with all the new tech in the Mach E ?

If she has to drive without me I'll probably have to turn off one pedal for her before she starts her trip. If I'm out of town I shudder to think of trying to guide her through the menu over the phone lol

Easy setting. And I assume it's part of the "driver profiles". Each driver gets to set up their own profile and preferences. It detects who the driver is when they get in (via fob or phone) and automatically switches to their profile settings.

 

[Ma9573]

It's a simple toggle on the main driving mode screen. It's like 2 total clicks or whatever you call them on a touchscreen. FWIW most reviewers have said 1-pedal is very intuitive and people get used to it in minutes.

That's good to hear - the easier the better. Thanks!

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