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And that, in a nutshell, is why the challenge hasn't been met already. Finding a 400 mile route that's got the required profile isn't easy. Is there a web app out there that can profile a driving route for elevation changes and total climb/descent numbers, taking into account topography as well as the elevation difference between two points?
Then there's the three or four or five days you'd have to devote to a successful attempt: a day to get in position and recharge to Range mode; a full day or so for the attempt, with some rest stops; recharge; return to base. It's not a trivial undertaking.
Well if no one has done it by next year, it would be possible between Wagga Wagga NSW Australia and Renmark South Australia. In fact the 400 mile mark would come up just about the Victoria \ South Australian border. I would get a tow truck to follow me from about Mildura.
This is called the Hay plain and is the flattest straightest length of road in the country.
Wagga Wagga NSW to Renmark SA - Google Maps
So this could be my excuse to upgrade to the 85Kwh battery.:wink:
This is called the Hay plain and is the flattest straightest length of road in the country.
Wagga Wagga NSW to Renmark SA - Google Maps
So this could be my excuse to upgrade to the 85Kwh battery.:wink:
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
mlascano
S Sig #722
Try this http://www.jurassictest.ch/GR/. Discussed on these threads: Elevation Change vs. Range and Range and cost calculator
... boringest ...
I speak from experience. But I thought the Nullarbor won the prize.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
I hope not. I want to try a slooow trip to Humboldt and I'm not a Jockey ;>
rolosrevenge
Dr. EVS
I honestly would do Thanksgiving Point, UT to Caldwell ID, It's nearly all down hill and 400 miles. I once drove it with my 1990 Ford Ranger pulling a UHaul trailer at 55 mph. I made Provo to Boise on a single tank of gas with about 31 mpg (I was moving from Provo to Seattle). The best highway I'd ever done on flat ground at 55 mph without pulling a trailer was about 26 mpg. I was really amazed. After that though, all the rest of the way I did about 20 mpg because of going up and down mountains. But that stretch is 400 miles, between some decent sized cities and nearly all downhill. That'd be where I'd try.
Norbert
TSLA will win
strider
Active Member
There aren't any real "rules" that I know of but the statement was made in the context of SF to LA. My assumption is that Tesla would use it as a marketing thing and would like it to be "real world-ish" as in a trip from one place to another. I used quotes because driving 400 miles at 30mph isn't very real world but you get my point.
Trouble with that route is that it's all on interstate highways, so you'd need to drive at least 45 mph. That's probably too fast to make 400 miles.
Most of the energy used on turning has to do with the toe-out-on-turns alignment angle. TOOT is required because when the vehicle is turning, the two front wheels' turning circles have different radii. Now if cars were made the way wagons were made, there wouldn't be a problem because the front axle would rotate creating a perfect turning radius at any point. However, doing it that way uses a lot of space and lifts the body up really high. Steering geometry that changes with the angle of the wheels in respect to the centerline of the car as the vehicle turns would work too--but it's mechanically very complex and failure prone to do so. So what we have is a system of linkages that minimize the scrubbing when turning while being mechanically simple and robust.
If the wheels turned parallel to each other, then the amount of scrubbing would increase the further the steering wheel was turned. TOOT provides an additional point of zero scrub.
With TOOT there are two points of minimum scrubbing: Straight ahead and at some point during the turn. Every other position scrubs, just not as much. So presumably, if you knew what the angle was you could drive on a track with exactly that radius and have virtually no additional resistance. (You can also fake it out by using a banked track--at the right superelevation and speed you never need to turn the steering wheel.)
The correct angle of the TOOT varies with the wheelbase of the car. It's adjusted by different length steering arms, so the more adventurous could machine some steering arms of various lengths and experiment. Should a manufacturer get this wrong--and some have--tire life in the city can be very short.
Babylonfive
Power12
Note also that if you drive slow enough to get 400, it'll take a lot longer than you think.
400mi @ 20mi/hr = 20 hours -- ouch
400mi @ 20mi/hr = 20 hours -- ouch
There's no requirement to do the drive all in one day. With the reported high level of "vampire load," though, you'd probably can't let the car sit overnight. Even still, I don't think you'll need to do this drive @20mph; should be achievable @35mph, or 11.4 hours.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
A good discussion of these factors is at Roadster Efficiency and Range. This was written for the Roadster at the end of 2008, but all of the concepts apply to the Model S. The S has more parasitic loads than the R and it has better aerodynamics. These two differences will tend to push the curve to the right. Other factors that will probably make the 400 mile goal a reality are a downhill run and a tailwind. Both of these will also push the curve to the right. Finally the curve has a fairly broad minimum. Put all of this together, and the 400 goal is probably quite doable at a 45 mph speed which would let you legally drive on an interstate. Driving on the interstate will also help because you can avoid stop and go losses. 400miles @ 45mph makes for a very pleasant 9 hour day of driving. :biggrin:
A tailwind is probably one of the biggest factors for the success of this challenge. I once flew a hot air balloon, drifting at wind speed only, from Colorado to Kansas, covering 160 miles in 3 hours. I did it by climbing to 17,500 feet where the jet stream blew me at 70 mph to Kansas. :wink: Whoever does this, I recommend watching the weather. For my long distance balloon flight, I watched the weather for several weeks before my flight, waiting for the best forecast winds.
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