Battery and range issues

[TheLex]

The realization that the MY typically never comes close to its rated range came as a shocker to me. During the summer my consumption was over 340 Wh/mi. Now with cooler temps (but not freezing), I'm doing about right about my overall average of 260ish Wh/mi. And yes, speed does make a HUGE difference in consumption. On our recent trip down to SoCal over Thanksgiving my wife was driving 85-90 mph. Consumption was abysmal. I drove about 75-80 mph and it was still terrible. One thing I noticed is the Tesla nav will tell you where your next scheduled Supercharger will be. But I almost always end up having to charge up before I reach that originally planned SC. I had planned my route on ABRP, and NONE of the stations I had scheduled after entering in starting SOC, speed, etc., came to be. I always used way more electricity and had to stop for charging sooner than planned.

All that being stated, it really didn't make that big of a difference for us on that trip, since we were going down California I-5 and there are lots of SCs along the way. It would be a real PITA and a big concern if I were on some lonely highway and there weren't many chargers along the way.

 

[jcanoe]

The realization that the MY typically never comes close to its rated range came as a shocker to me. During the summer my consumption was over 340 Wh/mi. Now with cooler temps (but not freezing), I'm doing about right about my overall average of 260ish Wh/mi. And yes, speed does make a HUGE difference in consumption. On our recent trip down to SoCal over Thanksgiving my wife was driving 85-90 mph. Consumption was abysmal. I drove about 75-80 mph and it was still terrible. One thing I noticed is the Tesla nav will tell you where your next scheduled Supercharger will be. But I almost always end up having to charge up before I reach that originally planned SC. I had planned my route on ABRP, and NONE of the stations I had scheduled after entering in starting SOC, speed, etc., came to be. I always used way more electricity and had to stop for charging sooner than planned.

All that being stated, it really didn't make that big of a difference for us on that trip, since we were going down California I-5 and there are lots of SCs along the way. It would be a real PITA and a big concern if I were on some lonely highway and there weren't many chargers along the way.

Does your Model Y have a ceramic tint added to the windshield, other glass and a sunscreen for the glass roof? These things can make a significant improvement in reducing energy consumption for daytime driving in spring and summer as the Climate Control system does not have to work as hard to keep the passenger cabin at a comfortable temperature?

 

[boulder.dude]

The realization that the MY typically never comes close to its rated range came as a shocker to me. During the summer my consumption was over 340 Wh/mi. Now with cooler temps (but not freezing), I'm doing about right about my overall average of 260ish Wh/mi. And yes, speed does make a HUGE difference in consumption. On our recent trip down to SoCal over Thanksgiving my wife was driving 85-90 mph. Consumption was abysmal. I drove about 75-80 mph and it was still terrible. One thing I noticed is the Tesla nav will tell you where your next scheduled Supercharger will be. But I almost always end up having to charge up before I reach that originally planned SC. I had planned my route on ABRP, and NONE of the stations I had scheduled after entering in starting SOC, speed, etc., came to be. I always used way more electricity and had to stop for charging sooner than planned.

All that being stated, it really didn't make that big of a difference for us on that trip, since we were going down California I-5 and there are lots of SCs along the way. It would be a real PITA and a big concern if I were on some lonely highway and there weren't many chargers along the way.

SCs in “flyover country” (Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, etc.) are about 100 miles apart so you stop at every one of ‘em.

 

[exxxviii]

This is a handy consolidated reference for long-haul highway drivers. A few of the results look a little dodgy, but overall it is super easy to see cars alongside one another. InsideEVs does their highway test at 70 MPH. Car and Driver does a similar range test at 75 MPH. C&D is a little more controlled, so I trust their numbers better.

What's The Real World Highway Range Of Today's Electric Cars? We Test To Find Out

We take the most popular electric cars, fully charge them, and then drive them at 70 mph to find out just how far they will go. Which one goes the furthest?

insideevs.com

Given the cars compared above, I thought I would share a few of their numbers...

Bolt EV - EPA Range 256 - InsideEVs Range 226 - C&D Range 180
MYLR (old smaller battery) - EPA 316 - InsideEVs 276 - C&D 220

Highway driving essentially distills down to aerodynamics and tire contact rolling resistance. The Bolt has a small battery and is an aerodynamic pig compared to the Model Y. On the other hand, it is way lighter with much smaller tires, so its contact rolling resistance will be much lower.

The InsideEV and Car and Driver results above are remarkably consistent for these two cars. At 70 MPH, the cars get about 88% of their EPA range. And at 75 MPH, that drops to 70% of EPA range.

The lesson - if you are doing long hauls in an EV, and total trip time is important, drive the speed limit. That will radically improve range and lessen recharge time.

Edit: I have a 2022 MYLR and my daughter has a 2022 Bolt EV. The Bolt is a freakishly awesome car at less than 1/2 the cost of my Tesla.

 

[Rocky_H]

There is a weird quirk about EPA numbers on EVs. The EPA offers two different methods for calculating the range of an electric car. I find it insane that they do that at all, because you can get this kind of mismatch that is confusing. Apparently all other manufacturers choose one EPA method, but Tesla chooses the other. They are both technically legitimate methods, but that seems to be why in independent testing, most Tesla models don't meet their range ratings as closely as other EV brands do.

 

[Mjrotor]

Lucky you! I posted the picture in my original post so you can see for yourself - I'm not sure what there is to disagree with there. It exemplifies what I've experienced from Day 1.

Sorry I was not trying to disagree with what you wrote. I just wanted to state that I had a different experience with how miles could be driven before charging.

 

[exxxviii]

Lucky you! I posted the picture in my original post so you can see for yourself - I'm not sure what there is to disagree with there. It exemplifies what I've experienced from Day 1.

You might actually have something wrong with your car. Other testers get around 88% of EPA range on the MYLR at 70MPH continuous driving. And that ratio is consistent across other EVs as well. You should have achieved well more than 250 miles on your MYLR at slower speeds. Car and Driver got 220 miles at 75 MPH on their 2020 with its smaller battery.

 

[MDElectric]

Attached is a picture of where things were at on another recent 143 mile trip from the Cape up to a supercharger in NH. I left with 93% on the battery and arrived at the supercharger with 16% left. The entire route is quite flat, I drove my usual 65 MPG, encountered no traffic that caused a speed change below 50 or above 65, and as the picture shows it was a sunny 43F degree day. So, basically it took 79% of the battery's charge to drive 143 miles, which represents ~43% of the 330 miles I should get under the most ideal driving conditions (my conditions were pretty good aside from the chilly but not frigid temps).

My observation is that with my MY, between any two points, there is a "simple range" assuming you end your trip at 2nd point, and a "trip range" that includes preconditioning (and reduced range or increase in % battery used). My impression is that the Tesla navigation is optimized to minimize your trip time (and keep time at Superchargers to a minimum). If that NH Supercharger was relatively close to your final destination (and you have L2 charging there), you could have tried another nearby destination and Supercharged just enough to get you home. Bottom line is that (at least in winter) energy in battery is used for range and heat generation (cabin and battery). You can get incorrect measure of "simple range" if you don't account for what the car is doing relative to battery conditioning.

 

[FamilYLR]

Amazes me people purchase EV's not realizing you're not getting the range they say, juts like a gas car! Boggle my mind the lack of research on a major purchase....

 

[boulder.dude]

Amazes me people purchase EV's not realizing you're not getting the range they say, juts like a gas car! Boggle my mind the lack of research on a major purchase....

I’ve never seen “range” as a key advertised data point on an ICE car.

 

[exxxviii]

I’ve never seen “range” as a key advertised data point on an ICE car.

No, but MPG is. Its the ICE analog to EV range. There is a significant contingent of people who make their ICE shopping and purchasing decisions on MPG.

 

[UoMDeacon]

No, but MPG is. Its the ICE analog to EV range. There is a significant contingent of people who make their ICE shopping and purchasing decisions on MPG.

The thing that irks me is I don't remember people constantly posting/complaining on ICE car forums (though it's been a while since I've been on one) about how their CUV advertised for 30mpg is only getting 20mpg. I get that there needs to be some more public education about the fact that batteries are not as efficient in cold weather...but man...this question comes up so often that it should be a banner or something

 

[boulder.dude]

The thing that irks me is I don't remember people constantly posting/complaining on ICE car forums (though it's been a while since I've been on one) about how their CUV advertised for 30mpg is only getting 20mpg. I get that there needs to be some more public education about the fact that batteries are not as efficient in cold weather...but man...this question comes up so often that it should be a banner or something

EV range vs. ICE mpg are psychologically totally different.

I suspect it is because range feels like more of a limit on one’s “freedom” and charging is inconvenient.

Most ICE drivers don’t monitor their mpg as it isn’t noticeable on a day-to-basis. And it doesn’t take a hit in cold weather.

 

[Pianewman]

boulder.dude: "Most ICE drivers don’t monitor their mpg as it isn’t noticeable on a day-to-basis. And it doesn’t take a hit in cold weather."

ICE engines indeed DO take a hit in cold weather. Most ICE drivers choose to ignore it, because their "range" drops from 425ish to 350ish. They don't even notice, and don't understand "range anxiety,"

 

[Forest88]

of course ICE owners do not care range. They can fill up in 5 minutes almost anywhere

 

[boulder.dude]

ICE engines indeed DO take a hit in cold weather. Most ICE drivers choose to ignore it, because their "range" drops from 425ish to 350ish. They don't even notice, and don't understand "range anxiety,"

Driving ICE cars for 25 years, I’ve never noticed them taking a hit in cold weather. But I believe you. I just never paid attention to that!

 

[jcanoe]

Driving ICE cars for 25 years, I’ve never noticed them taking a hit in cold weather. But I believe you. I just never paid attention to that!

Another factor is that in the US the EPA specifies the sale ~30 different blends of unleaded gasoline in summer and in winter by geographic region. Winter gas is oxygenated for reduced emissions; alas with poorer fuel economy (easily 10% lower fuel economy when using one of the winter blends.)

 

[imarogers]

We are extremely frustrated and upset. We just bought a '21 Model Y, with 6000 miles on it. We traded in our '23 Bolt EUV which consistently charged to 247 miles overnight. The Y does not. Sometimes 211, 213, 186, 240. The driven miles do not match the battery miles. One example is We charged overnight and charging said full at 213. We had a 158 miles trip we regularly made with the Bolt. After 50 miles with the Y, the battery miles were down to 129 (84 mile decrease for only driving 50 miles) and navigation said we did not have enough to make it to our destination, only 108 miles away. This was 50 miles on a straight, boring road. We set the cruise at 67, the inside temp set at 68' and the outside temp was 43'.
Why does it not consistently fully charge overnight to 240 miles available?
Why can I not expect to drive at least 200 miles before needing to charge?

We want to love this car, but so far when asked how we like it our answer is We Don't. We got a Tesla because of the infrastructure. We are newly retired and enjoy driving and sightseeing. But we have our doubts that we will be able to continue to do that.

 

[DB288]

Your experience with the Tesla Long Range Model Y is not unusual. First time Tesla owners, owners of other brands of EV, often have years, even decades, of experience driving internal combustion engine vehicles. It can be hard to change old habits. The practice of filling the fuel tank and driving the whole way without stopping may not work when driving an EV. With experience Tesla owners learn to use the Tesla Supercharger network as an important part of the Tesla ownership experience when taking road trips.

If you really want to push the Tesla Model Y to the limit of its range then charge to 100% before you leave. Precondition the passenger cabin and the battery pack for at least 30 minutes before you unplug, start driving. Your speed will have the greatest impact on the efficiency and range you achieve. Lowering your highway speed by 5 MPH will net you almost a 10% improvement; 10 MPH will provide almost a 20% improvement. You can limit use of the climate control and rely more on dressing warmly and using the heated seats and steering wheel (every person has their own tolerance for being cold, some shun the climate control heat in favor of maximizing efficiency.)

For everyone else, just drive the Tesla Model Y at your preferred highway speed. Use the Tesla Autopilot or Full Self Driving (if equipped) and don't worry about your driving efficiency. The Telsa Model Y's Navigation System will show you where and when you should stop and charge. Most Supercharger charging sessions are well under 30 minutes. It is good to take a break every couple of hours, safer too as you will be more alert while driving.

Experienced Tesla owners, other EV owners use tools such as A Better Route Planner (ABRP) to plan their trips. ABRP is available on the web and as a phone app. ABRP enables you to customize your preferences and driving variables including EV make and model, cruising speed and maximum speed, traffic, weather, route and payload. You can also tune ABRP to recommend either fewer (longer duration) or more frequent charging stops (shorter duration.)

You may find that you can leave home with just 80% or 90% state of charge and drive for 1 to 2 hours before stopping at a Supercharger for ~25 minutes. You can use this time however you wish. You can remain seated in the Tesla Model Y and run the climate control and watch Netflix etc. while the Tesla vehicle is Supercharging. Fastest Supercharging is achieved when you enter the Tesla Supercharger location where you plan to charge as the destination in the Tesla Navigation System. The Tesla Model Y will begin preconditioning (warming) the battery pack for optimal Supercharging starting about 30 miles from the Supercharger.

Experienced Tesla owners know that the fastest Supercharger session will be using a V3 Supercharger (up to 250kW charging), followed by a V2 Supercharger (up to 150kW). Reserve charging at an Urban Supercharger (up to 72kW) charging rate) for longer stops such as sit down meals. Optimal Supercharging will have you arrive with a fully preconditioned battery and a state of charge below 15%. Fastest Supercharging will mean never charging beyond 80% (even beyond 70%) when using a Supercharger as charging beyond 80% to ~90% or beyond takes much longer than it took to charge from 15% to 80%. Plan to stop at a Supercharger every 140 miles, perhaps stopping only once to use a Supercharger or at the most twice in 200 miles instead of attempting to drive straight through.

(You could not perform the same degree of fast charging in the Chevy Bolt. A recent review of the 2022 Chevy Bolt showed that a 60% charge at a DC Fast Charge station took almost 1 hour to complete. On a trip those long charging sessions would be a buzz kill.)

i honestly appreciate your effort and enthusiasm…

but “dressing more warmly…” made me chuckle…

 

[DB288]

As a relatively new owner with <3,000 miles on my 2022 long range MY (Austin, TX build), I've been pretty unimpressed with the range I'm getting. Not that I have any solutions here, but just to commiserate, I bought the long range model in hopes of getting to Boston without having to charge, which is ~200 miles for me. Sadly, after charging up to ~95% I still need to stop at a supercharger when I'm about ~150 miles into my trip because the battery will be at ~15% SOC at that point. The route has some hills and I'm generally doing 65 MPH and never more than 70 (trying my best to maximize range without going too slow).

Attached is a picture of where things were at on another recent 143 mile trip from the Cape up to a supercharger in NH. I left with 93% on the battery and arrived at the supercharger with 16% left. The entire route is quite flat, I drove my usual 65 MPG, encountered no traffic that caused a speed change below 50 or above 65, and as the picture shows it was a sunny 43F degree day. So, basically it took 79% of the battery's charge to drive 143 miles, which represents ~43% of the 330 miles I should get under the most ideal driving conditions (my conditions were pretty good aside from the chilly but not frigid temps).

I've run the battery diagnostics and have a little over ~3% degradation already, which seems fairly typical at this point (I mostly charge at home to 80% SOC each night, but 25% of the total charging I've done has been on superchargers because of these trips).

To add insult to injury, it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to make it 200 miles to Boston without charging, but my neighbor with a Chevy Bolt makes that trip routinely and has NEVER had to stop and charge before reaching his destination.

All things considered, I'm incredibly disappointed given that the primary reason I went with the Tesla was for the range, and it simply can't deliver on its promise. Alternatively, I can get a car that actually delivers on the range I need for half the price and almost zero wait (I waited 7.5 months for my MY!).

everyone writes: range…range…range

but it’s not about range…i don’t even know the range of my ICE…

it’s about charging infrastructure …

if we had ubiquitous 10 min charging there would be no issues…

if the trip is > 100 miles one way…it’s a little anxiety producing…

not to mention my MYLR is my fun “science project”…but to my spouse this whole charging thing is just a big distraction when we travel to meet family or friends