Yet another winter range anxiety question

[Mogambo]

2023 MME Premium AWD ER here. Range has (as expected) decreased by about 30% as winter has set in here in Wisconsin (temperature 20s-30s F, range down from about 280 miles to about 190 miles). Next week it’s going to be in the single digits and I’m driving to the airport, about 140 miles away, with my family and some luggage. Technically, I should have a range buffer of about 50 miles. I’d like to hear from some members of this forum who have direct experience with an estimate of how much more I should expect my range to decrease, given the really low temperatures and higher cabin weight. I’ll post my experience when I’ve had it.
Thanks!

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[SpongeBad]

2023 MME Premium AWD ER here. Range has (as expected) decreased by about 30% as winter has set in here in Wisconsin (temperature 20s-30s F, range down from about 280 miles to about 190 miles). Next week it’s going to be in the single digits and I’m driving to the airport, about 140 miles away, with my family and some luggage. Technically, I should have a range buffer of about 50 miles. I’d like to hear from some members of this forum who have direct experience with an estimate of how much more I should expect my range to decrease, given the really low temperatures and higher cabin weight. I’ll post my experience when I’ve had it.
Thanks!

It's -26C here right now (-14.8F), -40 with windchill (same in C and F - it's where they meet!). At 72% charge, the guess-o-meter on my car (ER AWD) expects to get 147km (about 91 miles). This works out to about 2.24km per kWh. In actual driving (mostly highway at these temps), I have been getting about 2.6 to 2.9km per kWh (1.6mi 1.8mi per kWh), so if I charged to 100% on a 91kWh usable battery, I'd expect about 236km to 263km of range (147 to 163 miles).

The temperature ranges will make a big difference, as will the wind. 20F is about -7C, while 1F is about -17C. In your 20F - 30F temperature range, I usually get around 4.3km per kWh (about 391km/242 miles of range). When it drops to -20C or below, I start getting ranges that are more in the 2.5km per kWh range, so about a 40% drop vs. temperatures that are close to freezing. For comparison's sake, in summer I was getting 5.5 - 5.9km per kWh, so it's about half what I get in best case scenarios.

Make sure you warm the car up before unplugging. It makes a huge difference, since it takes a lot less energy to keep the cabin (and battery) warm than it does to warm it in the first place. Save the battery for when you're on the road.

 

[Mogambo]

That’s excellent information, thank you very much!

 

[lemmyslender]

Just a thought, what are your plans for re-charging? You'll have to return home for the round trip, so will that leave you enough to make it to a charger?

If you are planning on parking, at 20-25%, will the cold affect the battery negatively at that charge level?

 

[Maquis]

I'll reinforce the fact that you should not underestimate the effect of wind, especially in cold, dense air. It can work in your favor or against you. It's one thing I always check before heading out for any significant distance.

 

[RedRocker]

definitely use the departure feature, it warms the battery + cabin when plugged in. Giving you more energy + not require the heater to warm-up the car using the battery. I'm assuming the 140miles is round trip or there is a charger at the airport for your sake. Always map out a charger, better safe than sorry. Speed/wind is another range killer, driving 75+ hurts unless you have a tail wind . Driving into the wind @75 = really bad.

 

[ctenidae]

Warming the car up after it's cold soaked int eh parking lot will take a LOT of juice - the recharging part of your plan may need more consideration than the 1-way range.

 

[Maquis]

I'd hit a charger as I get close to the airport. Get enough juice to arrive at the airport around 50%.

 

[alexgorod]

if I charged to 100% on a 91kWh usable battery, I'd expect about 236km to 263km of range (147 to 163 miles).

With the winter temperatures, the battery doesn't have the same ideal capacity as declared, so it's not 91 kWh anymore! Getting the car to precondition will warm up the battery and make it closer, but still not the same - my "68 kWh" reported 65 at 100% with preconditioning, and less than 60% without at 100% charge.

 

[Mogambo]

Just a thought, what are your plans for re-charging? You'll have to return home for the round trip, so will that leave you enough to make it to a charger?

If you are planning on parking, at 20-25%, will the cold affect the battery negatively at that charge level?

The plan is valet parking with recharging service.

 

[snowy_91]

I slow down a bit and pay attention to wind direction and speed. For the last half of this week we will not get above 0F.

 

[AKgrampy]

The plan is valet parking with recharging service.

You should be OK ; however, I would check as to when the recharging takes place. I would request recharge right away and not after it sits in the lot. The reason I say this is even with 100% charge and precondition you may be below 20% when you arrive. My understanding is the HVB will no longer maintain the LVB when under 20% SOC. No experience - just my understanding.

 

[Mogambo]

Yes makes sense.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Midwinter with 0° F, my GT-PE can still do a round trip to Syracuse (144 miles) without needing a charge…. As long as I keep the speed down.
Can I ask which airport you’re going to that has valet charging?

 

[Mogambo]

Midwinter with 0° F, my GT-PE can still do a round trip to Syracuse (144 miles) without needing a charge…. As long as I keep the speed down.
Can I ask which airport you’re going to that has valet charging?

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