Range at 80 mph?

[RSpanner]

I know, use percentage...but..just wondering, after watching the year old range test by Tom Moloughney who says 300 miles at 70.
I know he kept the speed at exactly 70 but in real world driving, with have to pass a truck, etc,etc, it is almost impossible to keep an exact speed. On the interstate highways out West ( I am in Oregon ) 70 puts you in the slow "truck" lane. So, just wondering..real world miles on a 2021 Model 3 AWD LR at, say 80..might be..240? Experience?

 

[bruce4000]

Use the Better Route Planner app and you can tell it whatever speed you want (and temperature), and get a good idea.

 

[KenC]

aka ABRP

 

[Lindenwood]

I just did 1800 miles in my 5-day-old M3P mostly between New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. For the most part both ABRP and the Tesla computer made accurate arrival estimates to within about 2% (ABRP when I set it to use real-time data for its predictions). Generally speaking I was getting something like 230 miles of range, though typically stopping every hundred miles or so. With 18” Aero wheels (with covers) I’d expect that to be perhaps 250.

 

[RSpanner]

thanks Lindenwood, I was thinking about 250 myself....

 

[Jeremy3292]

All the details you could possible need are here:

EV Efficiency and Range Calculator

Electric vehicle efficiency and range calculator supporting many cars including Tesla, Lucid, Aptera, and more.

www.motormatchup.com

 

[Apprunner]

All the details you could possible need are here:

EV Efficiency and Range Calculator

Electric vehicle efficiency and range calculator supporting many cars including Tesla, Lucid, Aptera, and more.

www.motormatchup.com

Great website. I recently did a roadtrip where my average speed on highway was between 80-85mph. Of course I did hit the 90+ mph passing cars and slowed down when necessary but my avg wh/mi was 327. 80mph would most likely give 250 miles with 100% battery if the car was new.

 

[vinh92117@gmai]

Is there a specific speed limit that gives the "best" distance / mileage?

 

[cwerdna]

Is there a specific speed limit that gives the "best" distance / mileage?

Yes, very low speeds.

Model S Efficiency and Range was written for the S but it applies to all EVs with the sweet spot and curve being slightly different for each car. Roadster Efficiency and Range | Blog | Tesla Motors is a copy of the Roadster blog entry but with working images.

The calculator page in post 6 from playing briefly with the sliders says the optimum speed for range for the default vehicle there is 20 mph.

 

[Lindenwood]

Is there a specific speed limit that gives the "best" distance / mileage?

From what I read and experienced, the most efficient way to travel is at high speeds, recharging from about 10-50% often. As an example, charging from 10 to 50% is about 12 minutes every ~100 miles. At 75 mph you stop every hour and 20 minutes, for 12 minutes at a time.

Going 300 miles, this gets you to your destination in about 4.5 hours, with two comfort breaks. Yes, in our previous vehicle, my wife and I might make this trip with only one comfort stop, arriving maybe 15 minutes sooner. But honestly while I have certainly done the “pee in a bottle and don’t stop until the tank runs out” thing, I found my recent trip quite pleasant with the additional stops breaking up the monotony and “forcing” me to stretch my legs more often.

Alternatively, you could also slowly cruise along at maybe 50mph to actually hit your 330 miles of range (to reach your destination with ~10% remaining as safe overhead), and get there in 6 hours with no comfort breaks.

*edit*

ABRP will allow you to adjust between “fewer, but longer stops” to “quickest arrival” to “more frequent but shorter stops.” More frequent stops really only add time when you have to go out of your way to reach the chargers, and because of additional timing overhead (it assumes 5 minutes extra for the highway ramps and surface street traffic when you are neither on the highway nor actually charging). The key to remember is charging to full at a supercharger wastes a lot of time compared to charging up to 50-60% and moving on.

 

[Apprunner]

From what I read and experienced, the most efficient way to travel is at high speeds, recharging from about 10-50% often. As an example, charging from 10 to 50% is about 12 minutes every ~100 miles. At 75 mph you stop every hour and 20 minutes, for 12 minutes at a time.

Going 300 miles, this gets you to your destination in about 4.5 hours, with two comfort breaks. Yes, in our previous vehicle, my wife and I might make this trip with only one comfort stop, arriving maybe 15 minutes sooner. But honestly while I have certainly done the “pee in a bottle and don’t stop until the tank runs out” thing, I found my recent trip quite pleasant with the additional stops breaking up the monotony and “forcing” me to stretch my legs more often.

Alternatively, you could also slowly cruise along at maybe 50mph to actually hit your 330 miles of range (to reach your destination with ~10% remaining as safe overhead), and get there in 6 hours with no comfort breaks.

*edit*

ABRP will allow you to adjust between “fewer, but longer stops” to “quickest arrival” to “more frequent but shorter stops.” More frequent stops really only add time when you have to go out of your way to reach the chargers, and because of additional timing overhead (it assumes 5 minutes extra for the highway ramps and surface street traffic when you are neither on the highway nor actually charging). The key to remember is charging to full at a supercharger wastes a lot of time compared to charging up to 50-60% and moving on.

Lots of times, I try to do the 10-60% but go to 70% simply because my food or coffee isn't ready in time. .

 

[Lindenwood]

Lots of times, I try to do the 10-60% but go to 70% simply because my food or coffee isn't ready in time. .

Haha yeah I am still getting used to those stops. Sometimes I wish I had a few minutes longer (and have to remember to just slide the charge limit over to get a few extra KW while I wait) and other times I am ready to go with a few minutes left.

Of course, an extra 10% also allows for a few good pulls in the M3P with that nice hot Supercharged battery, so I subconsciously don’t mind letting her take a few extra electrons .

 

[vinh92117@gmai]

The key to remember is charging to full at a supercharger wastes a lot of time compared to charging up to 50-60% and moving on.

That's a good to know. I wonder if giving the car a transmission would've made it more efficient on the freeway.

I know they're different, but gas powered engines have proved to be more efficient with a transmission vs direct power to the wheels. Applying the same mechanics, the tesla battery is just a different power source. Different size gears make it less work for the power source to move the car at different speeds. Was always curious on the potential of a transmission on a tesla.

 

[AAKEE]

I be think this was issued by abetterrouteplanner.

Divide the useble battery capacity in Wh with the comsumption and get range.

Seems to be very close to the values I see at ”normal” temperatures.

 

[Lindenwood]

That's a good to know. I wonder if giving the car a transmission would've made it more efficient on the freeway.

I know they're different, but gas powered engines have proved to be more efficient with a transmission vs direct power to the wheels. Applying the same mechanics, the tesla battery is just a different power source. Different size gears make it less work for the power source to move the car at different speeds. Was always curious on the potential of a transmission on a tesla.

It is far less about motor speed and much more about aerodynamics. My RAV4 had an 8-speed transmission and it’s 2.5L I4 was touted as the first engine to exceed 40% thermal efficiency. Still, while it would happily see 40+mpg on a 45mph road, efficiency dropped to around 28-30mpg at 80mph. That is a >25% reduction, which is about what we are seeing with our electric vehicles in maximum EPA range versus high-speed highway range.

 

[vinh92117@gmai]

Very true with aerodynamics. My GFs Jeep has a lot of wind resistance on the freeway at higher speeds. There are many other components that could help with a cars efficiency and a transmission was always one in the back of my mind

 

[Lindenwood]

Plus—and while this graph is admittedly reflective of generic decades-old motor technology, it still stands to illustrate the point—motors are not actually more energy efficient (mechanical power produced per unit electrical power applied) at lower speeds. As an example, the 2-speed transmission found in the larger rear motor of the Porsche Taycan is about holding higher mechanical power output to higher RPM, rather than efficiency at higher speeds.

 

[SourJellybeans]

On the interstate highways out West ( I am in Oregon ) 70 puts you in the slow "truck" lane.

If you're driving 80 mph in Oregon, where the highest speed limit is 65 (excepting I-84 near Idaho), you are driving too fast. That's 23% faster than the speed limit, which some people do drive, and which some trucks aren't even able to drive, in which case, you may be driving 20mph over their speed. If you're driving from Portland to Eugene, that only saves you 18.9 minutes. Is that worth the increased risk of an accident or severity of injury? You have a comfortable car, take it easy and enjoy the ride and lack of headaches having to deal with an accident or life-changing injury.

FWIW, I basically drive the speed limit everywhere I go, as a habit of driving small, low-visibility sports cars for the decade or so prior to getting my Model 3. I'm not sure I can think of any situation where my life would be appreciably better having arrived a few minutes earlier.

 

[STS-134]

If you're driving 80 mph in Oregon, where the highest speed limit is 65 (excepting I-84 near Idaho), you are driving too fast. That's 23% faster than the speed limit, which some people do drive, and which some trucks aren't even able to drive, in which case, you may be driving 20mph over their speed. If you're driving from Portland to Eugene, that only saves you 18.9 minutes. Is that worth the increased risk of an accident or severity of injury? You have a comfortable car, take it easy and enjoy the ride and lack of headaches having to deal with an accident or life-changing injury.

FWIW, I basically drive the speed limit everywhere I go, as a habit of driving small, low-visibility sports cars for the decade or so prior to getting my Model 3. I'm not sure I can think of any situation where my life would be appreciably better having arrived a few minutes earlier.

The risk of being in an accident is minimized by driving whatever speed everyone else is going. If you are doing 65 and everyone else is doing 80, your chance of being involved in a collision is much higher than if you were driving with everyone else. Every time you pass a vehicle or a vehicle passes you, there is a chance of a collision. You should minimize these events to minimize the chances of being involved in a collision. The higher the differential speed, the more likely there is to be a collision. It's the slow pokes that go 55 mph on the freeway when everyone is doing 70+ that not only are in a high chance of being involved in a collision themselves but also cause a very dangerous situation for everyone else especially if they're not in the slow lane. Of course, if everyone else is doing 65 and you're the one doing 80, that's not so good either.

Note that the risk is lowest at slightly greater than the average speed; this is probably because you have better visibility of what's around you if you are the one doing the passing, but not at too great a speed. The deviation on the top graph is in mph and on the bottom it is in km/h. You don't want to exceed the average speed by more than about 5-7 mph but if everyone else is doing 10 over the speed limit, you may need to do 15 over to get there. And it's the slow pokes doing -20 to -30 mph compared with everyone else that are at the greatest risk of a collision. Also, note that these are log plots so if everyone else is averaging 75 and you're doing 65, you'd still be at a roughly 4x chance of being involved in a collision than if you were going the average speed.

 

[Apprunner]

If you're driving 80 mph in Oregon, where the highest speed limit is 65 (excepting I-84 near Idaho), you are driving too fast. That's 23% faster than the speed limit, which some people do drive, and which some trucks aren't even able to drive, in which case, you may be driving 20mph over their speed. If you're driving from Portland to Eugene, that only saves you 18.9 minutes. Is that worth the increased risk of an accident or severity of injury? You have a comfortable car, take it easy and enjoy the ride and lack of headaches having to deal with an accident or life-changing injury.

FWIW, I basically drive the speed limit everywhere I go, as a habit of driving small, low-visibility sports cars for the decade or so prior to getting my Model 3. I'm not sure I can think of any situation where my life would be appreciably better having arrived a few minutes earlier.

Depends on where you live. 65mph is the speed limit in so-cal but flow of traffic is appreciably faster than the limit. A cop won't ever pull you over for going 80mph here...and in fact, that is typically their cruising speed. I would say 65mph is actually more dangerous here than just going 75mph in the middle as people freak out and rage at you going the speed limit.