SR+ range from Los Angeles to San Diego

[kotoko24]

Hello,

Anyone here has experience driving from LA to San Diego with a M3 Standard Range Plus (SR+)? What was your experience? Was the actual range enough for the long commute? Should I charge to 100% before I head out or refrain from using AP and heater/air conditioning?

I recently got my SR+, but I am wondering if it is enough for my monthly commute to SD.

Thanks,

 

[David_Cary]

124 miles by Google.
So round trip would depend entirely on where you were going on either side. But generally you do not want to plan on using 100% of range. I am getting ready to do 297 miles in an LR. You can do it but don't go 80 mph - at least not the whole way.

Yes - absolutely charge to 100%.
AP is not a significant energy user. Honestly neither is a/c.

I am guessing there are 15 superchargers between LA and SD. (I just checked - pretty close)

So you would just supercharge. My personal supercharger history and pattern is a 5-10 min stop and I live in NC. Is this an issue for you? would you normally spend that time getting gas more than once a month? Of course you would. Would you be better off with an LR for that commute - absolutely.

Might you have some trips you can make it - yes. Winter time - probably not.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Hello,

Anyone here has experience driving from LA to San Diego with a M3 Standard Range Plus (SR+)? What was your experience? Was the actual range enough for the long commute? Should I charge to 100% before I head out or refrain from using AP and heater/air conditioning?

I recently got my SR+, but I am wondering if it is enough for my monthly commute to SD.

Thanks,

There was a video of a user posted here who got about 250Wh/mi traveling at 78mph nearly the whole way in an SR+ with minimal traffic.

This was at 6000 feet (lower aero loss), but it was no traffic, so at those same typical freeway speeds on the LA to San Diego drive I think 260Wh/mi is a reasonable guess, since perhaps those factors roughly cancel.

I don’t have an SR, so this is a guess based on video evidence.

Note this consumption will come down a LOT at lower speeds. At 70mph you’ll be about 225Wh/mi and 60mph you might be below 200Wh/mi. (The ~180Wh/mi @78mph aero losses scale with the square of speed.)

But anyway, prevailing freeway speeds, not in rush hour, not drafting much, 260Wh/mi is a reasonable guess.

This will give you 215Wh/rmi /(260Wh/mi) *240 rmi = 198 miles of range. Might even get 205 miles.

This is all in good weather, no heat, etc.

So definitely for a smooth sailing drive at the prevailing speeds, don’t expect more than 200 miles.

Note that the Superchargers that are on route can be busy, so would be relatively slow; personally I wouldn’t want to use any San Diego Supercharger. It’s a huge waste of time; something you really want to use for road trips only - unless you are planning to stop anyway. If you are stopping, you would not have to stop for long assuming the stop goes smoothly - here is the issue with that, though...

Here is the current status in San Diego, and it is not rush hour yet, so you will almost certainly be limited to 72kW (even for the 150kW chargers), and sometimes you will have to wait:

If you can reliably make use of destination charging in San Diego, it would not be a problem. Far preferable to a Supercharger, if it is extremely convenient.

Basically it depends on your exact situation, but destination charging options are likely to increase over time. The Supercharging options likely will improve with time as well, of course. But the increase in stations has to keep pace with EV adoption!

 

[davewill]

Honestly, it's hard to judge based on the info you give. There could be a swing of 60+ miles in the round trip depending on exactly where in each city you are going. I would think that you'd probably need to charge to comfortably make the round trip in most cases, though.

For once a month trip, sure go ahead and charge to 100%, it'll give you more flexibility, but I'd rather make a Supercharger stop than go into super hypermile mode, myself.

 

[P85_DA]

This is easy commute in SR just charge 90% and make stop at San Clemente on way home under 15min and get a Starbucks

 

[jjrandorin]

Honestly, it's hard to judge based on the info you give. There could be a swing of 60+ miles in the round trip depending on exactly where in each city you are going. I would think that you'd probably need to charge to comfortably make the round trip in most cases, though.

For once a month trip, sure go ahead and charge to 100%, it'll give you more flexibility, but I'd rather make a Supercharger stop than go into super hypermile mode, myself.

+1 on the quoted part, as anyone down here in this general southern california area knows, those are LARGE areas. It depends on where exactly you are going. People from out of state think "los angeles to san diego" (and OP could actually be going city of "los angeles" to city of "san diego", but its just as likely the OP is going from, say Beverly Hills to Rancho Santa Fe, or Carson to Oceanside. Both of those could be called "los angeles" to "san diego", especially if one was speaking to someone who lived out of state.

OP if you are talking about round trip, I would think in an SR you want to plan for a supercharger stop "somewhere" for 15-20 minutes or so, if you are not (or can not) charge at your destination.

You wont have any problems getting TO san diego if thats the question.

 

[rickdogg82]

This is easy commute in SR just charge 90% and make stop at San Clemente on way home under 15min and get a Starbucks

This. It is easier on/off going South so you could toy with stopping on the way to SD. I'd avoid the small, crowded San Juan Capistrano supercharger although it is next to great Mexican food options. Maybe mix it up a bit.