Tips on how I averaged~190 wh/mi for 17,000 miles (so far...)

[LakeHouseVolts]

 

[slowpoke]

I can be ultra efficient around town, but 2 years of driving on the Autostrada and Autobahn and I'm the guy that said, "Dang, cruise control stops at 90" when i'm following my 'rabbits' on the Interstate and have to resort to the old fashioned go pedal to keep up. Love my SR +, 5,000 miles in 2 months.

 

[Dr. J]

I can be ultra efficient around town, but 2 years of driving on the Autostrada and Autobahn and I'm the guy that said, "Dang, cruise control stops at 90" when i'm following my 'rabbits' on the Interstate and have to resort to the old fashioned go pedal to keep up. Love my SR +, 5,000 miles in 2 months.

...said the ironically named "slowpoke."

 

[navguy12]

I recently spoke with a friend about his efficiency experience with his M3 LR, so he was surprised to hear I was getting ~430-470 miles of range per charge consistently for the greater part of the 9 months I’ve owned my LR M3 RWD.

How?

1. Driving behavior

To jump right in, I commute 50 miles roundtrip a day, from Petersburg, Va. to Richmond, Va. for work. 87% of the driving consist solely of highway driving (43.5 of these miles are highway only!). Aside from family trips to North Carolina and southwestern Virginia, around 300-400 miles back and forth, the car hasn’t seen much deviation from the aforementioned daily commute.

2. Driving environment

For the forum members who are not familiar with the east coast and Virginia in general, the region is not flat by any stretch of imagination. The highways curve and vary relatively immensely in elevation for extended periods of driving up and down the Virginia I-95 corridor. Additionally, the average temperatures from October-April range between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit; which we know our batteries don’t like! It should be noted that I have rarely utilized the battery precondition settings and will discuss why I haven’t later on. I was still averaging about 205 wh/mi when battery regen was limited by upwards of 90%. Since 19APR19, I have seen a consistent ~160-170 wh/mi at 85-95 degree Fahrenheit for 250+ miles.

3. Vehicle and driving details

Of course, the aero wheels are on! On warmer days 80F+, the AC is set to 67F at a fan speed of 2. This is done religiously. YES I am comfortable as if I were sitting on a cloud. I am not overly heat-tolerant; in fact, I rather dislike the heat. In colder weather, the AC is set to 75F and the fan speed at 2. Here is the kicker ladies and gentlemen, I travel at an average speed/ range between 57-62MPH. Sure, I am "that" guy, but when EAP/AP/FSD (whatever we call it now...) is on, I do nothing but enjoy the ride the entire way.

4. Charging behavior

I continually cycle between 10%-70% SOC. Rarely do I do more, rarely do I do less. Every 2 weeks, on a Wednesday, I charge to 95% and run the battery down to about 10% for a full cycle to ensure battery longevity. More than 90% of my charging/fuel is free courtesy of BMW ChargePoint station, located conveniently next to my domicile. Of the 3,300 kW I have used to push my car 17,000 miles, 3,000 have been free according to ChargePoint data. I do have a 240V at home, but it rarely sees action. I do not keep the battery plugged in when its charged to the set SOC capacity, so I do notice vampirism. I am willing to change this habit if someone can present evidence of the benefits of such, beyond Tesla recommendation etc. I am not a SOC expert but have pieced this together over the last few months, from sources ranging from E-Tusk down to forum users just like you.

If I left anything out that you'd like to know, please feel free to comment and I will answer to the best of my abilities.

Very respectfully,
Creighton

View attachment 418838 View attachment 418839

All good stuff.

To confirm one detail, the energy used as noted on your lifetime odometer is only energy used while the vehicle is in motion.

Anytime the car is on but the wheels are not moving, that energy spend is not captured in that trip odometer reading.

 

[lonewolf313]

I recently spoke with a friend about his efficiency experience with his M3 LR, so he was surprised to hear I was getting ~430-470 miles of range per charge consistently for the greater part of the 9 months I’ve owned my LR M3 RWD.

How?

1. Driving behavior

To jump right in, I commute 50 miles roundtrip a day, from Petersburg, Va. to Richmond, Va. for work. 87% of the driving consist solely of highway driving (43.5 of these miles are highway only!). Aside from family trips to North Carolina and southwestern Virginia, around 300-400 miles back and forth, the car hasn’t seen much deviation from the aforementioned daily commute.

2. Driving environment

For the forum members who are not familiar with the east coast and Virginia in general, the region is not flat by any stretch of imagination. The highways curve and vary relatively immensely in elevation for extended periods of driving up and down the Virginia I-95 corridor. Additionally, the average temperatures from October-April range between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit; which we know our batteries don’t like! It should be noted that I have rarely utilized the battery precondition settings and will discuss why I haven’t later on. I was still averaging about 205 wh/mi when battery regen was limited by upwards of 90%. Since 19APR19, I have seen a consistent ~160-170 wh/mi at 85-95 degree Fahrenheit for 250+ miles.

3. Vehicle and driving details

Of course, the aero wheels are on! On warmer days 80F+, the AC is set to 67F at a fan speed of 2. This is done religiously. YES I am comfortable as if I were sitting on a cloud. I am not overly heat-tolerant; in fact, I rather dislike the heat. In colder weather, the AC is set to 75F and the fan speed at 2. Here is the kicker ladies and gentlemen, I travel at an average speed/ range between 57-62MPH. Sure, I am "that" guy, but when EAP/AP/FSD (whatever we call it now...) is on, I do nothing but enjoy the ride the entire way.

4. Charging behavior

I continually cycle between 10%-70% SOC. Rarely do I do more, rarely do I do less. Every 2 weeks, on a Wednesday, I charge to 95% and run the battery down to about 10% for a full cycle to ensure battery longevity. More than 90% of my charging/fuel is free courtesy of BMW ChargePoint station, located conveniently next to my domicile. Of the 3,300 kW I have used to push my car 17,000 miles, 3,000 have been free according to ChargePoint data. I do have a 240V at home, but it rarely sees action. I do not keep the battery plugged in when its charged to the set SOC capacity, so I do notice vampirism. I am willing to change this habit if someone can present evidence of the benefits of such, beyond Tesla recommendation etc. I am not a SOC expert but have pieced this together over the last few months, from sources ranging from E-Tusk down to forum users just like you.

If I left anything out that you'd like to know, please feel free to comment and I will answer to the best of my abilities.

Very respectfully,
Creighton

View attachment 418838 View attachment 418839

While it is great for other owners to learn how economical the Model 3 can be in specific driving circumstances, if 80-90% of your charging is free. What does it matter in the long run? Enjoy the fun factor of the car and don't worry about economy.

I recently hired a Model S in Australia and drove 2850km (around 1800 miles) in 8 days.

With most of my charging coming from Superchargers (and for free of course) I did not care about how many launch starts I did or the top cruising speed on the Motorways. I just had a lot of fun driving it

 

[Dr. J]

While it is great for other owners to learn how economical the Model 3 can be in specific driving circumstances, if 80-90% of your charging is free. What does it matter in the long run? Enjoy the fun factor of the car and don't worry about economy.

I recently hired a Model S in Australia and drove 2850km (around 1800 miles) in 8 days.

With most of my charging coming from Superchargers (and for free of course) I did not care about how many launch starts I did or the top cruising speed on the Motorways. I just had a lot of fun driving it

That's what is called (around these parts, anyway) a "rental," as in "beaten like a rented mule." The OP probably wouldn't want to treat his own car thataway.

 

[lonewolf313]

That's what is called (around these parts, anyway) a "rental," as in "beaten like a rented mule." The OP probably wouldn't want to treat his own car thataway.

I actually treated the car as well as my own. 0 - 100kph in 5.5 sec although super quick acceleration by my standards is OK to do.

The legal Motorway cruising speed of 100kph or 110kph (around 65-70 mph) is also OK to do.

Here is a picture of the car. A 2016 Model S 70. It had 110,000 km (70,000 miles) on the odometer

It didn't feel like a beaten up rental car. Super smooth and next level comfort. Better than my 6 yr old Prius

 

[--1--]

Driving conservatively is fine if you have the time. The Tesla Model 3 range is sufficient under normal daily conditions. The only exception would be when you're low on range to make a destination. Reduce speed, limit heat or A/C. Don't compromise the joy of driving your Tesla or any EV trying to achieve long range numbers. You're one charge away from another 200-300 more miles.

 

[Voltear]

I recently spoke with a friend about his efficiency experience with his M3 LR, so he was surprised to hear I was getting ~430-470 miles of range per charge consistently for the greater part of the 9 months I’ve owned my LR M3 RWD.

How?

1. Driving behavior

To jump right in, I commute 50 miles roundtrip a day, from Petersburg, Va. to Richmond, Va. for work. 87% of the driving consist solely of highway driving (43.5 of these miles are highway only!). Aside from family trips to North Carolina and southwestern Virginia, around 300-400 miles back and forth, the car hasn’t seen much deviation from the aforementioned daily commute.

2. Driving environment

For the forum members who are not familiar with the east coast and Virginia in general, the region is not flat by any stretch of imagination. The highways curve and vary relatively immensely in elevation for extended periods of driving up and down the Virginia I-95 corridor. Additionally, the average temperatures from October-April range between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit; which we know our batteries don’t like! It should be noted that I have rarely utilized the battery precondition settings and will discuss why I haven’t later on. I was still averaging about 205 wh/mi when battery regen was limited by upwards of 90%. Since 19APR19, I have seen a consistent ~160-170 wh/mi at 85-95 degree Fahrenheit for 250+ miles.

3. Vehicle and driving details

Of course, the aero wheels are on! On warmer days 80F+, the AC is set to 67F at a fan speed of 2. This is done religiously. YES I am comfortable as if I were sitting on a cloud. I am not overly heat-tolerant; in fact, I rather dislike the heat. In colder weather, the AC is set to 75F and the fan speed at 2. Here is the kicker ladies and gentlemen, I travel at an average speed/ range between 57-62MPH. Sure, I am "that" guy, but when EAP/AP/FSD (whatever we call it now...) is on, I do nothing but enjoy the ride the entire way.

4. Charging behavior

I continually cycle between 10%-70% SOC. Rarely do I do more, rarely do I do less. Every 2 weeks, on a Wednesday, I charge to 95% and run the battery down to about 10% for a full cycle to ensure battery longevity. More than 90% of my charging/fuel is free courtesy of BMW ChargePoint station, located conveniently next to my domicile. Of the 3,300 kW I have used to push my car 17,000 miles, 3,000 have been free according to ChargePoint data. I do have a 240V at home, but it rarely sees action. I do not keep the battery plugged in when its charged to the set SOC capacity, so I do notice vampirism. I am willing to change this habit if someone can present evidence of the benefits of such, beyond Tesla recommendation etc. I am not a SOC expert but have pieced this together over the last few months, from sources ranging from E-Tusk down to forum users just like you.

If I left anything out that you'd like to know, please feel free to comment and I will answer to the best of my abilities.

Very respectfully,
Creighton

View attachment 418838 View attachment 418839

So out of everything you offered it is the speed you drive that accounts for 99% of your battery usage, according to Tesla’s engineers.

 

[wcorey]

See "Efficiency vs. Speed" under Graphs in Imperial Units: Tesla Model 3 Performance vs RWD consumption - Real Driving Data from 233 Cars.

Isn't that a little bit of apples vs oranges? The P3D is AWD and what you're calling Model 3 LR is RWD. So, I assume that is the preview model as when I ordered and configured mine there were no RWD car options available. Well, now I think about it, I'm not positive but pretty close. So how much of those graphs reflect RWD v AWD performance and efficiency? No snark intended, honest question.

 

[Big Earl]

All good stuff.

To confirm one detail, the energy used as noted on your lifetime odometer is only energy used while the vehicle is in motion.

Anytime the car is on but the wheels are not moving, that energy spend is not captured in that trip odometer reading.

Not exactly. The trip computer counts energy any time the car is "on," even if it isn't moving. The car turns on when you step on the brake pedal. It doesn't count when the car is "off." The car is off before you step on the brake pedal or when you lift your butt out of the driver's seat. Preheating, keep climate on and dog mode are all examples of energy used while the car is off, and won't show up in your trip computer totals.

 

[wcorey]

Driving conservatively is fine if you have the time. The Tesla Model 3 range is sufficient under normal daily conditions. The only exception would be when you're low on range to make a destination. Reduce speed, limit heat or A/C. Don't compromise the joy of driving your Tesla or any EV trying to achieve long range numbers. You're one charge away from another 200-300 more miles.

How did you like your 2012 Prius Plugin? That's precisely what I traded in for my Model 3 AWD. I, pretty much, saw 9 miles/charge. It's up to what, 25 miles/charge now? I haven't done any real long road trips but my sense is tesla.com/trips is pretty conservative on remaining miles at suggested recharge points. I'd be very nervous even going to a hypothetical 10% remaining level. At 80% it claims 250. I'd be nervous taking it much over 250 miles on a charge. Of course in Winter all that goes out the window.

 

[Big Earl]

How did you like your 2012 Prius Plugin? That's precisely what I traded in for my Model 3 AWD. I, pretty much, saw 9 miles/charge. It's up to what, 25 miles/charge now? I haven't done any real long road trips but my sense is tesla.com/trips is pretty conservative on remaining miles at suggested recharge points. I'd be very nervous even going to a hypothetical 10% remaining level. At 80% it claims 250. I'd be nervous taking it much over 250 miles on a charge. Of course in Winter all that goes out the window.

Plot some trips in various weather conditions on A Better Routeplanner ... be sure to adjust settings and more settings to get an accurate estimate of consumption and required Supercharger stops. I routinely run down to 12% in the summer and about 15-20% in the winter, depending on conditions.

 

[wcorey]

Not exactly. The trip computer counts energy any time the car is "on," even if it isn't moving. The car turns on when you step on the brake pedal. It doesn't count when the car is "off." The car is off before you step on the brake pedal or when you lift your butt out of the driver's seat. Preheating, keep climate on and dog mode are all examples of energy used while the car is off, and won't show up in your trip computer totals.

Let's drill a little bit deeper. My sense is there are things that can be done with the car prior to 'waking up' via the mobile app. But the mobile app always wakes the car up once it is active on screen. For instance I have to either use it or the key fob to unlock the charge port but the app will wake the car up. I don't think that equates to turning it on but, according to Ben Sullins, waking up adversely effects phantom drain. Yes?

 

[Big Earl]

Let's drill a little bit deeper. My sense is there are things that can be done with the car prior to 'waking up' via the mobile app. But the mobile app always wakes the car up once it is active on screen. For instance I have to either use it or the key fob to unlock the charge port but the app will wake the car up. I don't think that equates to turning it on but, according to Ben Sullins, waking up adversely effects phantom drain. Yes?

It's important to note the difference between waking up and turning on. Waking up is just using accessories and controlling things from the app. Turning on is actually getting it in a ready-to-drive state (pressing the brake pedal). Consumption doesn't count on the trip computer until you turn the car on, regardless of what you do with the phone app beforehand. Waking it up, unlocking, preconditioning, etc. will, of course, consume energy, but it doesn't count it on the trip computer.

 

[wcorey]

Plot some trips in various weather conditions on A Better Routeplanner ... be sure to adjust settings and more settings to get an accurate estimate of consumption and required Supercharger stops. I routinely run down to 12% in the summer and about 15-20% in the winter, depending on conditions.

Thanks Earl! I've never seen that one. I do use EV Trip Planner which I think is better than the tesla app. I don't know that but suspect it as it takes into account temp and climb vs descend. I'll bookmark your pick!

 

[wcorey]

It's important to note the difference between waking up and turning on. Waking up is just using accessories and controlling things from the app. Turning on is actually getting it in a ready-to-drive state (pressing the brake pedal). Consumption doesn't count on the trip computer until you turn the car on, regardless of what you do with the phone app beforehand. Waking it up, unlocking, preconditioning, etc. will, of course, consume energy, but it doesn't count it on the trip computer.

Very interesting! We have virtually the same car except I reserved mine 9/3/17 and configured 6/29 (12:02AM) but you took delivery 2 months before I got mine. It should have been 2-3 weeks but they sent mine to MA instead of NY so they had to find another. I try to take the longer view that it worked out for the best as they were racking and stacking cars to maximize Q3 numbers. So, I took delivery of a car manufactured in Oct.

Interesting further is we lived in NoVa for about 11 yrs between Reston and Sterling.

 

[stonelance]

My experience recently is that driving on a highway at a constant speed is much more efficient that city driving. It is odd because i thought EVs were supposed to be the opposite, but i find it isn't until 80 mph where highway becomes worse. This leads me to think that high levels of acceleration is pretty inefficient, so babying it off the line all the time probably would help a lot. I have a P3D- though. I just can't do it

Also you say Virginia highways are hilly, but I'm guessing not "Cascade mountains" hilly. Big elevation changes makes a huge difference. When you can be going over 85mph and still regening, you know you are on a good size hill

 

[aronth5]

I don't have any trouble with wh/mi around 200 until the weather gets cold. Move to a cold climate and then come back and post what your wh/mi is

 

[timk225]

Unlike the OP, I need my speed, and rapid acceleration! This morning I made the 22.5 mile run to work, stoplight to security badge-in panel in 20 minutes 20 seconds. Could have had a 19 minute run if not for some traffic and a 1 lane construction zone. I like to see low wh/mile numbers, but I crank up my AC and I turn up my heater and I step on the electric pedal hard! Too much fun!

My lifetime average for 28,300 miles over 13 months and 7 days is 254 wh/mile. 3 RWD LR, I took the aero caps off.