Battery Pack Size Larger Than We Thought?

[AlanSubie4Life]

The SOC at the top of the screen never dipped below 0% but stayed at zero while I drove another ~15mi or so after it actually hit 0% SOC. The reason I know I was at -4% SOC upon arrival at SC is because the on-screen GPS showed that I would arrive at the SC with -4% SOC, and then my SOC hit 0% approximately 15min from the SC destination.

I charged 81kWh when I arrived at -4% SOC and brought my SOC to about 85%. That means my total battery pack is at least 81kWh.

Ok that makes more sense. You were extremely close to shutting down the vehicle, using most of your buffer.

The 81kWh doesn’t let you conclude anything about your pack size, as people stated above.

Just look at the screen or use the methods for that. You cannot accurately determine it from a charging event.

Your pack is likely around 81kWh (unrelated).

 

[THEbuz]

Ok that makes more sense. You were extremely close to shutting down the vehicle, using most of your buffer.

The 81kWh doesn’t let you conclude anything about your pack size, as people stated above.

Just look at the screen or use the methods for that. You cannot accurately determine it from a charging event.

Your pack is likely around 81kWh (unrelated).

That doesn’t make any sense. Explain that again, please…???? If I charge 81kWh, then my pack should be at least (Approx.) that large. I know there is some energy loss in the charge, but that should be minimal. I’m not following how that is not a safe conclusion.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

That doesn’t make any sense. Explain that again, please…???? If I charge 81kWh, then my pack should be at least (Approx.) that large. I know there is some energy loss in the charge, but that should be minimal. I’m not following how that is not a safe conclusion.

Tons of energy loss on the charge and specifically as was said earlier, conditioning the battery when supercharging takes an enormous amount of energy.

You can’t measure pack capacity by looking at what you add to the pack.

 

[LoneStarEve]

When I input my ultimate destination into the GPS, it directed me to drive 2hrs the wrong way due to SC locations. On the normal route to my destination (when driving an ICE vehicle) the first SC along that route is 254mi from my home. Despite the GPS, I thought I could make it 254mi in my Model Y (LR/AWD) rated at 321mi, but that ended up not being the case. I arrived at an RV park along my route just 45mi before the first SC location with just 3% SOC. I charged up to 15% at 7kW, which took over an hour. We left the RV park @ 15% SOC and arrived at the SC with -4% SOC.

A MYLR will typically do ~275 miles to a 100% charge at 70mph with no headwind and moderate temperatures. The rates range assumes you are averaging about 55mph or something like that, certainly not 70mph.

Assuming you left on 100% temperature, wind or elevation gain must not have been in your favor if you had to do 60mph to cover 254 miles and still end up in 0%…

I’m curious where you are to have to cover 250 miles to get to a SC in your direct route to your destination, I’m presuming you’re not going between two metropolitan areas along major interstates unless you’re somewhere extremely remote? Even in Texas all major routes are covered with less spacing between SC’s than that…

 

[THEbuz]

A MYLR will typically do ~275 miles to a 100% charge at 70mph with no headwind and moderate temperatures. The rates range assumes you are averaging about 55mph or something like that, certainly not 70mph.

Assuming you left on 100% temperature, wind or elevation gain must not have been in your favor if you had to do 60mph to cover 254 miles and still end up in 0%…

I’m curious where you are to have to cover 250 miles to get to a SC in your direct route to your destination, I’m presuming you’re not going between two metropolitan areas along major interstates unless you’re somewhere extremely remote? Even in Texas all major routes are covered with less spacing between SC’s than that…

I live in the Treasure Valley near Boise, Idaho where there is one SC location (Boise). The next closest SC is 1hr westward on the Oregon border in Ontario, OR. The next closest SC is 2hrs east of Boise in Twin Falls, ID.

For the quickest route to CA, everyone always takes US-95 south to Winnemucca (where the next closest SC location is) and connect to I-80 east.

 

[LoneStarEve]

I live in the Treasure Valley near Boise, Idaho where there is one SC location (Boise). The next closest SC is 1hr westward on the Oregon border in Ontario, OR. The next closest SC is 2hrs east of Boise in Twin Falls, ID.

For the quickest route to CA, everyone always takes US-95 south to Winnemucca (where the next closest SC location is) and connect to I-80 east.

Gotcha.
I remember passing through from Salt Lake to Denver and stopping at Winnemucca…Not a lot of options… I assume your major route south is Elko?

 

[Rocky_H]

I assume your major route south is Elko?

Elko isn't really on the way to anywhere from Boise and is still very difficult to get to going South. I've done it exactly once just to see if I could, and that had some nervous factor sitting in my garage at 100%, and the car's navigation projecting -2% at arrival.

Either you're going Southwest toward Reno/California, in which case you need to do that terrible 250 mile gap to Winnemucca, or you're going Southeast, which means you would generally just head all along the interstate to SLC. Or if you are actually trying to go straight down to Las Vegas, that would be Twin Falls, Wells, Ely, etc. and that still doesn't go through Elko and is too tough with nothing in Ely yet. Tesla drivers from here going to Las Vegas still usually just take the longer route through SLC anyway since it has Supercharger coverage.

That's why this U.S. 95 route has been so annoying. We really only have two real paths South out of Boise, and that's one of them.

 

[tangible1]

Elko isn't really on the way to anywhere from Boise and is still very difficult to get to going South. I've done it exactly once just to see if I could, and that had some nervous factor sitting in my garage at 100%, and the car's navigation projecting -2% at arrival.

Either you're going Southwest toward Reno/California, in which case you need to do that terrible 250 mile gap to Winnemucca, or you're going Southeast, which means you would generally just head all along the interstate to SLC. Or if you are actually trying to go straight down to Las Vegas, that would be Twin Falls, Wells, Ely, etc. and that still doesn't go through Elko and is too tough with nothing in Ely yet. Tesla drivers from here going to Las Vegas still usually just take the longer route through SLC anyway since it has Supercharger coverage.

That's why this U.S. 95 route has been so annoying. We really only have two real paths South out of Boise, and that's one of them.

Time to invest in building your own charger station, or talking a business on the route into it?

 

[Watts_Up]

I live in the Treasure Valley near Boise, Idaho where there is one SC location (Boise). The next closest SC is 1hr westward on the Oregon border in Ontario, OR. The next closest SC is 2hrs east of Boise in Twin Falls, ID.

For the quickest route to CA, everyone always takes US-95 south to Winnemucca (where the next closest SC location is) and connect to I-80 east.

If you had a CCS or a CHAdeMO adapter, on US-95 between Boise and Wiiemucca,
using Shell Recharge, you could have stopped at McDermit, NV (180 miles) or Orovada, NV.
This is way more shorter than making a detour using the Tesla SC in Twin Fall.

Note: I always try to plan getting an arrival SoC to be around 25%, because pre-heating cannot be activated below 20%.
Since the MY LR range is 330 miles, a 90% to 25% gives 250 miles of range.

 

[Retired in AZ]

If you had a CCS or a CHAdeMO adapter, on US-95 between Boise and Wiiemucca,
using Shell Recharge, you could have stopped at McDermit, NV (180 miles) or Orovada, NV.
This is way more shorter than making a detour using the Tesla SC in Twin Fall.

Note: I always try to plan getting an arrival SoC to be around 25%, because pre-heating cannot be activated below 20%.
Since the MY LR range is 330 miles, a 90% to 25% gives 250 miles of range.

Remember that CCS-1 high speed DC charging is available, but useful only on cars equipped with the right charging computer. M3/Y cars have this computer only if they were built in or after October, 2021, I believe (correct this if I'm not).

But how do you FIND a CCS-1 charger? Tesla won't tell you. There is an app called A Better Route Planner that will. Another one - PlugShare - also will tell you, along with J1772 locations. Your drive down in Idaho is very likely to pass some of these locations. Many are in car dealer's premises, and they generally will allow you to charge for a small fee. CCS-1 stations at places like ChargePoint, Electrify America an EV-GO run websites that can help you find a station nearby. And I've found that the co$t of CCS-1 charging can be LESS than a Tesla Supercharger. If you're like me, and want the flexibility so you won't get stuck, try some of these options. Tesla is now selling CCS-1 adapters to certain owners and beginning to offer CCS-1 retrofit adapters for others.

Hope this helps!

 

[THEbuz]

Gotcha.
I remember passing through from Salt Lake to Denver and stopping at Winnemucca…Not a lot of options… I assume your major route south is Elko?

From Boise? Nope. Boise through Jordan Valley, OR; Winnemucca; through Reno and over Donner Pass.

 

[THEbuz]

If you had a CCS or a CHAdeMO adapter, on US-95 between Boise and Wiiemucca,
using Shell Recharge, you could have stopped at McDermit, NV (180 miles) or Orovada, NV.
This is way more shorter than making a detour using the Tesla SC in Twin Fall.

Note: I always try to plan getting an arrival SoC to be around 25%, because pre-heating cannot be activated below 20%.
Since the MY LR range is 330 miles, a 90% to 25% gives 250 miles of range.

Yep. Didn’t have either adapter, though. I only had the adapter included with the TESLA Mobile Connector, so instead I charged up using my NEMA 14-50 plug at the RV park adjacent to the Shell in Oravada, NV. I was not about to drive 2hrs in the wrong direction (to Twin Falls) in order to get to CA.

Thanks for sharing about pre-heating below 20%. I wasn’t aware of that.

 

[Watts_Up]

Yep. Didn’t have either adapter, though. I only had the adapter included with the TESLA Mobile Connector, so instead I charged up using my NEMA 14-50 plug at the RV park adjacent to the Shell in Oravada, NV. I was not about to drive 2hrs in the wrong direction (to Twin Falls) in order to get to CA.

Thanks for sharing about pre-heating below 20%. I wasn’t aware of that.

Tesla plan to have a Supercharger at McDermit, targeted now for Q2 2023.

Note: In areas with limited charging options, I would be very cautious,
if I could not arrive to a charging location with at least 40% because I often experienced
detours from road constructions or accidents, or because unexpected strong wind or bad weather.
I even carry a spare tire, extra food and drink, and blankets. Country side driving far from major highways is still an adventure.

 

[Audiotronics]

One thing people tend to forget is that there is about 1-2kwh loss during charging due to heat build up in the wires and also through resistance/ohms law. it’s less than 99% of the energy that makes into the battery.

 

[YW555]

Anyone else noticed that in Service Mode the battery SOC % is different than what the standard UI shows?

 

[THEbuz]

Anyone else noticed that in Service Mode the battery SOC % is different than what the standard UI shows?

Doesn't surprise me. TESLA keeps ~3kWh reserve on the Model Y (not sure about other models), so it would stand to reason that the "more accurate" SOC would be displayed for technicians when in SERVICE mode but less so for users.