Here's my 2p worth on Max Range driving.
Long-term average (and, indeed, the WLTP figure, being as it is combined-cycle) is useful for fuel cost calculation. Its a pity that the published standard EV tests don't include a max-range constant-70MPH motorway test.
Forget about running-average for all max-range journeys. The only figures that matter are from long journeys at motorway speed. For the rest, if you aren't driving max range in the day, and if you have off road parking / charging, then you leave home with max range every day, just put use the heater etc. as normal.
here's
a table of max range at various speed / models. Looking at it just now I think the figures are hugely optimistic, but they are apparently based on real world data. I have both M3LR and MS LR and whilst the figure for MS is correct for ideal weather, their figure for M3LR is about the same but IME I can't get the M3LR anything like as far as the MSLR (and ABRP agrees with me ..)
I reckon you should get 240-250 real world motorway miles in M3LR and 300 in MS LR Raven. But that is 100% down to 0% so unrealistic for most journeys. I keep circa 20% for contingency, which I'm happy to eat into when i am approaching destination. If there is charging at destination (including a Supercharger stop) I only need to reach it, I don't need spare, so if I have been driving carefully I can speed up once I can see that Destination is easily reachable. Shortest journey time is drive-faster and charge-longer (up to about 90 MPH), provided destination has Rapid DC charging above 100kW (so if you are paired that's bad luck). Each stop is at least 5 minutes to get off-highway and rejoin-highway, so driving slower to avoid one final stop before reaching final destination (where a charger is available) is usually shorter-journey.
I don't think that heating the cabin matters much. When driving bumper-to-bumper the heating is definitely significant, but at 70 MPH on motorway heating is a small portion of battery usage (i.e. more or less the same amount of kW, regardless of speed, so at speed the kW for propulsion far exceeds kW for heating). If range is critical then turning off Climate helps, but first of all slow down. Draft a truck if available (even doing that at a safe distance saves fuel). Put destination into SatNav and use the Energy TRIP GRAPH to see what the predicted %age on arrival is. In rain slowing down only helps with the aerodynamic aspect, the tyres still have to push all the water out of the way mile after mile. My closest-ever-call was in summer thunderstorm with torrential rain, that added 20% to consumption even though I had slowed right down (same for ICE of course). Do not assume that there i a buffer below 0% - indeed, some people have run out showing low single digit %age
For individual long journey when possible I will charge to 100% shortly before departure, which will also help warm battery in Winter, giving me max regen sooner (if temperature 5C - 10C a cold battery may well take 30 minutes driving to get battery warm enough for full regen; bigger batteries are worse for this; if you are on a motorway, not braking, the impact may be small, but for journeys where you have to use friction brakes it will make a difference). Also pre-heat / cool cabin on shore-power before departure.
If departure is
So then basically I have 100% - 20% to reach destination, allowing for my contingency (detour / "
can you just pick up XXX from so-and-so's"). If 250 miles total, that is a max 80% / 190 miles for that "leg"; if the weather is cold / foul then knock 10% off that, so 170 miles for a Winter leg. If doing drive-supercharge-drive-supercharge then best not to charge above 70% (provided next Supercharger is reachable) as charging slows above that. 20%-70% is only 125 miles. Maybe on Content with nicely spaces Superchargers I would be happy to do 70%-10%, and of course I would charge to more than 70% if next Supercharger would not otherwise be reachable). Bigger battery favours this
. Personally I charge to 70% even if I don't need it to reach next Supercharger, in order to have "more" at the next stop, and then if next stop is paired / slow stall the impact is less. Supercharging above 70% is slower, and above 90% is very slow
Most of my max-range journeys in the UK are achievable with one supercharger stop. When I have a choice of Superchargers I chose the one closest to destination (but avoiding any 2-stall, and maybe 4-stall, sites as most likely to be paired / occupied). The nearer to the destination the more likely that I have already been held up in traffic / roadworks, which will have improved range, so I can then more accurately estimate fuel requirement to destination. I still want my 20% contingency prediction on arrival, but if I have already been held up in traffic I may well arrive at that Supercharger with 10% more than I had expected, so 10% less to add
Bigger battery means:
more journeys accomplished without topping up.
Go further before needing to charge
For one-charging stop charge less to complete journey
Bigger battery typically charges faster than smaller ones - more miles-per-minute (bit less clear than it used to be ... M3 charges faster than MS in ideal situations)
For business journeys I aim to charge on return leg, so that my arrival time at Client is not impacted by having to charge on outbound leg (where I might be paired, or have a slow stall)
I find
A Better Route Planner is pretty accurate for my journeys; you can adjust the "wH/mile" or just add 10%, if you find that your driving style / average is different. You can set temperature and wind speed, and also "foul weather", to compare Winter / Summer. You could also compare with some other brand
I have a journey today that ABRP says needs < 10 minutes Supercharger. I tried it with an iPace ... that would be well over an hours charging
