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Model 3 (not so!) Long range
- Thread starter Mdubs
- Start date
I have a LR, and found that taking the average of any given journey (with air con on) and travelling at about 78 mph, I automatically tend to write off a little bit more than quarter of the displayed 340 miles. So in reality out of a 340 charge, I only expect about 240 miles.
Tiger
Active Member
I recommend using the Energy display to estimate range. Whenever you have a consumption near/over 270Wh/mi, look at the estimated immediate/last few miles estimate. If this estimate goes below your remaining journey, hypermile (when following a larger vehicle, you can see the average consumption going below 240Wh/mi). The sooner you start hypermiling the more of a difference it can make to your overall trip. For me, stopping for a few minute charging would be a greater nuisance than lowering speed and following some large vehicle. Hypermiling can also be used to reach a desired charging point for example near planned shopping or similar.
When you're 30 or so miles into a long journey you can usually figure out where the graph is going. (Destination percentage increasing or decreasing) Thats the time to reduce (or increase) speed for the rest of the journey. A small change early on can make all the difference if you're trying to make a specific charger.
ACarneiro
Active Member
Personally, I prefer a charging stop. That sounds boring to tears!
Out of interest, how close do you have to be to the car in front to be able to notice the difference?
AndrewGR
Member
This works if you are tailgate close behind a truck. But so close you can’t see ahead so I think it is really dangerous. I guess if you are prepared to rely on TACC to stop you if the truck slams on the anchors you might be ok. But would you want to rely on TACC to stop you when needed given how often it does it when you don’t want it to?Personally, I prefer a charging stop. That sounds boring to tears!
Out of interest, how close do you have to be to the car in front to be able to notice the difference?
MrBadger
Badger out
Mythbusters tested it - I can not remember the results other than it was pretty scary/dangerous at the distances they were talking about. They got it down to a couple of feet but it was a controlled environment.
[edit]random google - these may be the results Mythbusters: drafting 10 feet behind a big rig will improve mileage 39 percent
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SpareHeadOne
Member
This.
I used to do 40,000 miles/year with my job for a lot of years and while it's true that - particularly in a strong winds - you can get some fairly good help punching a hole in the air (you feel it when you pull out to pass), but you do have to be at distances that I really don't feel safe travelling at.
Firstly you can't see past the vehicle so you have to rely on your reactions much more if it tries to stop suddenly, but even a bad car should be able to stop a lot quicker than a 40T truck, so maybe not that bad in reality.
Secondly - and more important - stuff falls off trucks all of the time. Heavy, sharp, dangerous stuff that can badly damage your vehicle before you even realise it's coming, or worse come through the windscreen and injure you or your passengers.
I can't say how many times I've seen a truck lose a tyre now, but they invariably disintegrate in spectacular fashion and shower the immediate area with hefty lumps of steel-reinforced rubber - I've lost radiator grilles, headlamps and in one case a wing and a wheel+tyre (see attached pictures).
Trucks are blooming dangerous things to be around on the motorway, keep your distance, guys.
Attachments
Tiger
Active Member
Personally, I prefer a charging stop. That sounds boring to tears!
Out of interest, how close do you have to be to the car in front to be able to notice the difference?
It depends on the vehicle size in front of you, but just look at the draft behind a boat and you get the picture. Very close there might even be more turbulence than draft. You can adjust it and look at the instant Energy usage. Ofcourse any unnecessary acceleration/regen will show a sharp change.
Following a large vehicle is rather safe, they do not stop very quickly on a highway. If the traffic speed is under 50miles/hour you do not really benefit from following another vehicle so at higher speeds I would consider it more reliable to follow.
The boring part, to make it more interesting you can start with a slower one and seek (wait/stalk) for faster cars to follow
Makes you feel like a sharpshooter out on a mission 
Mattallica
Member
Slow down = more range. We "regularly" drive from Beds to Girona Spain. No problem with range matching bladder capacity
^ This is my logic. Unless I'm on a work commute from North England to South Wales, I will rarely go further than 150miles without a stop. If I did, I'd be getting cramp or my legs would start to ache, not to mention various biological functions needing to happen (eat/drink/wee).
Tiger
Active Member
It might also depend on what car you are driving, but yeah effect is significant and as the drag grows with respect to square of velocity the assistance is more remarkable with velocity. If your range estimator says you will arrive at negative percentage, you can hypermile (various techniques) it to a significant plus value if you have enough range left.
For me driving slower than the traffic is rarely an option as it makes me hazardously sleepy.
MrBadger
Badger out
The big take away from the Mythbusters attempt was how dangerous it is to tailgate / draft. @SpareHeadOne even had the battle scars to prove. More than just risk of collision going on.
Drag grows with the cube of velocity.
The world cycling speed record is 183 MPH, achieved in the wake of a vehicle, so get enough of a tow in a vehicle with an inherently efficient powertrain and it’s anyone’s guess just how far you will be able to go.
AndrewGR
Member
No! Drag grows with the square of velocity. It’s power that grows with the cube of velocity.
Likewise, my ageing body needs a "Comfort Break" at about 2.5 hours, so will within the range of a M3.
Years ago the young version of me drove from Wesel, FRG to Munich nonstop.... Google maps suggests 7 hours and 670km.... Mercedes E200 with optional large tank! I must have been nuts.
Tiger
Active Member
It is a very cute idea to charge during comport breaks, but I mainly need the range for two way trips to places where there is no destination charging.
I do a lot of short trips between 4 and 10 miles. I haven’t noticed the w/ml but it usually costs 8-20 miles of battery..
As it happens, did a 140 mile round trip today at 233 watts/mile and used 145 miles of battery.
My experience also, but be happy: the short trips cost you 10X less per mile in fuel than a comparable ICE....
A BMW M3 averages, according to various magazines, 26.3 mpg. So that is £6.75 per gallon or £0.28 per mile.
The Tesla M3 needs, based on domestic charging at £0.15/kwh, costs about £0.02 per mile.
Happy days... cost and range are interlinked with happiness!
SpareHeadOne
Member
Slight misunderstanding caused by me, but I was actually in lane 3 passing another can in lane 2 that was passing a lorry in lane 1, it took out both front tyres on the guy in lane 2 according to the highway guys I talked to while changing my wheel a bit later.
Basically the tyre exploded and threw debris across the other two lanes, no-one had time to react (or indeed anywhere to go). Really, we were quite lucky that our cars both managed to keep rolling and there wasn't a massive accident.
Had it been a tyre at the back of the truck and I was following closely then I don't think my car would have been drivable and I would have been lucky to avoid hospital I think.
