Range with 1 person vs 3 persons (Roadtrip)

[Jeff Hudson]

Since tripping efficiency is what this thread is all about I thought I'd provide the link to an older TMC thread that dealt with wind. I had this working in my Model S before I traded it back to Tesla. I managed to get this website working for my present day Model 3 and I find it really useful when traveling at highway speeds on a road trip. As time goes on and more Tesla Supercharger locations are added the problem of driving against a headwind becomes less impactful. Nevertheless you might find it useful if you are able to get it working. As I recall the directions needed to be followed exactly. Somewhere I have a saved Word document with some notes that helped me to get it working. Read through the thread link below and give it a try. I wish Tesla would implement something like this but as I already stated as more Supercharger locations come online this sort of information will not be needed.

Tesla Winds and Elevation Web Browser App

 

[DigAdrenaline]

@Zoomit I definitely agree with the wind playing a huge part. On a big road trip recently, we had headwinds and my range kept dropping no matter how I drove. It was a bit scary as the Tesla route planner seemed to be way off no matter what. It's definitely something Tesla should take into account in the future. They do a great job taking elevation and speed into account, winds would make it all nearly perfect.

Also pushing through snow on the road makes a very big difference, in my experience, bigger than wind. Worst of all is accumulating snow with a bad wind. Then you're facing the Tesla Killing trio (TM). Pushing through snow (also mud, rain puddles, etc), Wind, and Cold. My MS100d was seeing 200KM (120 miles) of range from fully charged.

There are two other things that can have a huge range impact. If you're towing a trailer or if you have a roof rack. But most people don't, so it's less of a problem.

Weight has never made a noticeable difference for me.

 

[Johnny Vector]

Well sometimes wind is from the back, so that helps .. can't be unlucky all the time. If I am not mistaken the majority of time thw wind is from west to east (rotation of the earth)

In mid-latidudes (about 30° to 60° (North or South)) that's true, although there are various places where other effects dominate. E.g. along shorelines, if the rotation-caused wind is not strong then the temperature difference between land and sea results in winds that tend to blow toward the sea in the morning when the sea is warmer, and toward the land in the evening when the land is warmer. This is why adding wind farms near the shoreline in California would be a good way to mitigate the early evening peak in net electricity usage (the "duck curve"), when solar generation is down but A/C load is still high.

Here's an article about prevailing winds that looks pretty good.

 

[Hugh-SG]

The question of passenger or cargo weight impact on range comes up in different forms fairly frequently. It’s a reasonable question if you’re not familiar with the physics.

(snip, snip, snip for brevity)

The moral of the story is don’t worry about weight on long-distance trips, worry about the winds.

I concurr! This is the best answer I've seen to this question in a long time. Thank you for your insightful analysis.

I had a first hand experience with adverse Head Wind effects ...!

Back in May of 2019, piloting my Model-X from Ritzville, WA to Cle Elum, WA on a hot 26'c day with a nice still 20+ MPH head wind.

When the "in car" Tesla Navigator told me I would get into Cle Elem with 20% left in the battery, I hit the road.

Well, I should have had AVRP Classic run the calculations before departing.

I noticed the fall off in charge remaining on arrival was getting worse and worse as the drive progressed.

I was just dropping below 20% SoC when I by passed the Ellensberg TSC due to the long line up there for its x5 TSCs at the junction of I-90 and I-84.

Shortly there after, I was warned SoC too low for Sentry Mode and too low for AC.

So ended up lowering the driver side window to get some heat relief, even though it would induce a drag penalty.

I got into Cle Elum at 06% remaining and enjoyed a nice long charge back up 90% for the next leg to Burlington.

Moral of the story, always run your trip thru ABRP before you go and enter the predicted worse of the weather.

Again, thank you for great analysis.

Cheers! Hugh-SG

 

[Nakk]

The car considers the last 30 miles or so you've driven when calculating the charge remaining at destination. It updates that estimate as you drive.

Interesting, I've never seen that anywhere. Do you have a reference for that? I'd really like to research that.

 

[GtiMart]

The energy graph does that averaging that animorph is talking about. The energy/percentage indicator on the main screen does NOT.

 

[DigAdrenaline]

The energy graph does that averaging that animorph is talking about. The energy/percentage indicator on the main screen does NOT.

and learning that Energy graph is a must if you travel long distances. It’s fantasticly accurate and very helpful.

 

[artnalex]

Update...........

We ended up taking the Honda Pilot as my wife and oldest son were not happy about the 3 charges needed to arrive at our hotel in Scottsdale. Then we would travel next day to Sedona (2 hours away), which required we supercharge again while in Sedona, and then get back to Scottsdale with only 15% battery remaining, which would require us to charge again before getting to hotel. Then, need to charge at least another 3-4 more times before getting home (2 days later). A total of at least 8-9 charges (roughly 25-30 mins stops each time).

I knew all this when I bought my Tesla, so I am OK with it. I love my Tesla Y.

My wife, on the other hand, was happy we were able to make it all the way to Scottsdale on one tank of gas, refuel again in Sedona, and one more time before arriving at home in La Verne. (Usually 10 minutes per stop).

 

[2020]

Interesting and informative thread. I am assuming a gas powered vehicle will also have negligible hit on mileage with weight vs wind resistance.

 

[Zoomit]

Interesting and informative thread. I am assuming a gas powered vehicle will also have negligible hit on mileage with weight vs wind resistance.

Fundamentally, yes. The means of propulsion don’t affect the nature of the resistive forces.

 

[Johnny Vector]

One way to reduce the number of stops to charge is to find a hotel with chargers. I see over a dozen in Scottsdale listed on PlugShare. I also count 10 L2 chargers in Sedona, but they're mostly at hotels, rather than restaurants and shopping places. Now we need AZ to install L2 chargers in the parking lots at the places like Red Rock Crossing and Slide Rock so you can charge while you play in the water.

 

[maximizese]

Update...........

We ended up taking the Honda Pilot as my wife and oldest son were not happy about the 3 charges needed to arrive at our hotel in Scottsdale. Then we would travel next day to Sedona (2 hours away), which required we supercharge again while in Sedona, and then get back to Scottsdale with only 15% battery remaining, which would require us to charge again before getting to hotel. Then, need to charge at least another 3-4 more times before getting home (2 days later). A total of at least 8-9 charges (roughly 25-30 mins stops each time).

I knew all this when I bought my Tesla, so I am OK with it. I love my Tesla Y.

My wife, on the other hand, was happy we were able to make it all the way to Scottsdale on one tank of gas, refuel again in Sedona, and one more time before arriving at home in La Verne. (Usually 10 minutes per stop).

Bummer that your family doesn't embrace the road-tripping spirit, but it's important to keep family happy especially on a long trip. I've got a 700 mile range VW Golf TDI, but I prefer to take our old Model S 85 for road-trips based on its comfort (quiet, far fewer vibrations, & internet connectivity) and lower carbon footprint. I'm fortunate to enjoy free Supercharging and even though stopping to charge every 1.5 - 2.5 hours may seem like a huge inconvenience, we find that we're much better rested when we get to our destination compared to driving a straight 400 miles in the TDI. Besides, we have to stop to eat and take a bathroom break. The TDI can go a straight 700 miles on a tank, but our biological tanks (bladder and what have you) can't seem to make it past 300 miles.

 

[artnalex]

Bummer that your family doesn't embrace the road-tripping spirit,....

they love road-tripping, especially my wife. They just prefer doing it in gas-powered vehicles...for now. The Tesla is still new to them (4 months old), so they need to get used to the more frequent stops.

 

[Daks]

Glad you had a good trip, we are doing the same thing. One gas, one EV until ranges increase and charging opportunities are better.