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High Wh/mi in city driving

Rove

Member
Apr 17, 2016
47
8
Brooklyn
Got a question. What is your average Wh/mi driving in city stop and go traffic. Mine seems really high (mid 500's to high 500's). Just got the car 4 days ago and I'm curious. I'm not really stepping on it either.
 

TaoJones

Beyond Driven
Nov 10, 2014
3,064
2,857
The Americas
When a lot of time is spent in the car but not moving and then with the AC on, for example during a long conference call on the side of the road, Wh/mi will appear higher.
 

ptsagcy

Member
Nov 4, 2013
528
176
NJ
It's been really hot in NYC lately and the A/C takes a lot of power to initially cool the car down. On longer trips the Wh/Mi will come down as you drive. Two suggestions: pre-cool the car while it is plugged in, before you drive; and turn off the rear a/c if you don't have passengers in the third row. It doesn't affect the 2nd row.(There is a separate a/c unit for the third row)
 

Rove

Member
Apr 17, 2016
47
8
Brooklyn
It's been really hot in NYC lately and the A/C takes a lot of power to initially cool the car down. On longer trips the Wh/Mi will come down as you drive. Two suggestions: pre-cool the car while it is plugged in, before you drive; and turn off the rear a/c if you don't have passengers in the third row. It doesn't affect the 2nd row.(There is a separate a/c unit for the third row)
I'll give it a try. Thanks.
 

umeshunni

Member
Jan 4, 2016
401
161
San Francisco, CA
I did 3 drives within San Francisco this morning on city streets and here are my stats along with a comparison to 3 longer distance freeway drives later in the evening.

(note that SF is very hilly and we live in a valley within the city and need to drive over hills both ways)

3 miles @388.5 Wh/mi (home to car wash) downhill but with lots of stops and turns
2.3 miles @642.1 Wh/mi (car wash to home) uphill in relatively clear city traffic
5.6 miles @ 431.3 Wh/mi (home to waterfront) in bumper to bumper traffic

after that, we drove out to the suburbs on freeways
41.2 miles @ 326.7 Wh/mi
and then to Alameda for dinner, mostly on freeways:
25.1 miles @ 257.5 Wh/mi
Alameda to home (SF) on freeways, again mostly on freeways:
18.2 miles @ 338 Wh/mi
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Colby Boles

Rove

Member
Apr 17, 2016
47
8
Brooklyn
I did 3 drives within San Francisco this morning on city streets and here are my stats along with a comparison to 3 longer distance freeway drives later in the evening.

(note that SF is very hilly and we live in a valley within the city and need to drive over hills both ways)

3 miles @388.5 Wh/mi (home to car wash) downhill but with lots of stops and turns
2.3 miles @642.1 Wh/mi (car wash to home) uphill in relatively clear city traffic
5.6 miles @ 431.3 Wh/mi (home to waterfront) in bumper to bumper traffic

after that, we drove out to the suburbs on freeways
41.2 miles @ 326.7 Wh/mi
and then to Alameda for dinner, mostly on freeways:
25.1 miles @ 257.5 Wh/mi
Alameda to home (SF) on freeways, again mostly on freeways:
18.2 miles @ 338 Wh/mi

Thanks. In NY the roads are mostly flat but this helps. Looks like I need a bigger sample size.
 

Rove

Member
Apr 17, 2016
47
8
Brooklyn
so I think the culprit was the rear AC. I turned it off and my Wh/mile is much better. In a 15 mile drive today through the city, I ended up with around a 380 Wh/mi average.

Thanks for the help.
 

mf66

Member
Sep 3, 2013
41
12
Oak Park,il
I've been thinking the same thing. Live adjacent to chicago. City grid layout. Flat, flat, flat.

Commute is 8 miles. Most trips are 2-3 miles. Grocery store, dinner, etc. car does well on highway but my average is 420 wh/mile. A lot of that is city driving with AC on.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Rove

shadows

Member
Feb 20, 2014
27
6
Arizona
I have been noticing something strange, and a pattern that is almost consistent every single day. The wh/mile when I go from home to work (9 miles one way, and pretty flat) in the morning averages about 270, which is amazing every way I look at it. The same commute on the way back (hotter in the evenings over here) almost always, irrespective of the conditions, average closer to 400. My driving style is the same, not much traffic and takes the same amount of time each way. If the heat is the only explanation, I guess I get it, but I have tried without a/c, but it still is 400 or above!
 

joebob73

Member
Mar 19, 2015
75
101
Los Angeles Area
I have been noticing something strange, and a pattern that is almost consistent every single day. The wh/mile when I go from home to work (9 miles one way, and pretty flat) in the morning averages about 270, which is amazing every way I look at it. The same commute on the way back (hotter in the evenings over here) almost always, irrespective of the conditions, average closer to 400. My driving style is the same, not much traffic and takes the same amount of time each way. If the heat is the only explanation, I guess I get it, but I have tried without a/c, but it still is 400 or above!

I have observed this as well. In my case, there is a very slight decline going from home to work and when I return, it goes "uphill." This is a very slight elevation change and I did not notice it before when I drove a traditional ICE. But in my X, even subtle elevation changes have an effect.
 

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