What am I doing wrong?

[ILLCOMM]

I am having a hell of a time getting rated range on my 2017 75D (21" wheels). I took delivery last September and have since put on 3,580 miles with an average Wh/mi of 338, nearly 13% off the rated value of 300 Wh/mi. That turns my 259 miles of rated range into ~225mi. This is a problem for a ~212mi trip I take every month or so; it forces me to take Supercharging detours, which isn't the end of the world, but is frustrating because the math I did before buying the 75 seems bunk.

I drive 100% of the time on "range mode" and try to use the heated seat/wheel for warmth instead of the heater. When on the trip mentioned I am generally listening to music, and it is usually just me (~170lbs).

Any tips? Or is this fairly common?

PS. This happened yesterday. What the hell is wrong with people! I wanted to scream.

 

[Bridor]

First of all - take it off range mode - it doesn't give you as much as you think. If you want to get the rated range, you have to keep your speedometer at 55 or lower. If you go over 55, you will use more energy. There are also variables for friction, wind and altitude. Take a look at Bing and search hypermiling - this will give you some ideas that you can use to lower your electric consumption.

Brent

 

[Derek Kessler]

The colder it is, the worse your Wh/mile will be. You got it in September and it's been colder since then. I live in Ohio, my highway Wh/mile over the past few months has peaked at around 400 Wh/mile. Come summertime it'll dip way down, as low as 250 Wh/mile.

The faster you go, the worse your Wh/mile will be. It's a substantial difference. Just 5mph up or down will have a 5-10% hit on your efficiency.

 

[Derek Kessler]

First of all - take it off range mode - it doesn't give you as much as you think. If you want to get the rated range, you have to keep your speedometer at 55 or lower. If you go over 55, you will use more energy. There are also variables for friction, wind and altitude. Take a look at Bing and search hypermiling - this will give you some ideas that you can use to lower your electric consumption.

Brent

Take a look at Bing

Bing

 

[mberta74]

I live in Michigan, have the same sorts of issues, i did notice the heated steering wheel seems to really suck the energy out when the vehicle is cold... so I just turn it on the wheel to warm it and my hands up then turn it off to conserve the energy

I can confirm the faster you go... really puts the drain on too

 

[Sawyer8888]

If I keep my MS60 RWD with 19s under 75 mph, I use less than 300 Wh/m. It's usually warm in FL, so that helps. However the faster I go, the more energy is used. In the year since purchase, I have never been able to get the miles that were marketed for my battery size. My max charge is now 200 miles (down from 210 after 17K miles). I do not ever anticipate that I will be able to reach the number of estimated miles unless I am driving 55 mph or less in perfect conditions. Knock off 10-20% for a more accurate estimate.

And you're right @ILLCOMM...

 

[kirkbauer]

Going out of your way for an extra supercharger stop because you are short by a few miles of range is definitely not worth it. Decrease your speed by 5mph and you'll probably gain enough range to make it straight through. Or even start off 10mph slower and you can increase your speed as you get closer to the charger. Either way you are saving more time than detouring to an additional charging stop.

For me, whenever I first leave a supercharger, my expected charge at the next stop tends to drop by about 5%, but then will stabilize. So depending on how close I want to cut it, I will charge up so I'll hit the next stop at say 5% to 15% charge, then start driving. Once on the road, I'll go slow enough so my expected arrival charge remains at or above 5%.

 

[GatorGuy]

Can't help you. My efficiency is around 450 Wh/mi.

 

[vraev]

I am having a hell of a time getting rated range on my 2017 75D (21" wheels). I took delivery last September and have since put on 3,580 miles with an average Wh/mi of 338, nearly 13% off the rated value of 300 Wh/mi. That turns my 259 miles of rated range into ~225mi. This is a problem for a ~212mi trip I take every month or so; it forces me to take Supercharging detours, which isn't the end of the world, but is frustrating because the math I did before buying the 75 seems bunk.

I drive 100% of the time on "range mode" and try to use the heated seat/wheel for warmth instead of the heater. When on the trip mentioned I am generally listening to music, and it is usually just me (~170lbs).

Any tips? Or is this fairly common?

PS. This happened yesterday. What the hell is wrong with people! I wanted to scream.
View attachment 290208

I end up loosing 20% of rated range as well. Although I don't try doing any energy saving measures. Yea...I found that range mode doesn't really help that much either. Neither does turning off heat. THe best energy saver is cutting down the speed by 10km/h. The sweet spot is around 80-90. As you go up higher, the range goes down progressively.

OMG!! I would loose my mind. that is so annoying. Did that car bump your number plate? How could you even tell? he could have touched it and boxed you in on purpose? If a situation like that occurs, given that the front bumper is a crumple zone, wouldn't a hit like that shift the alignment of the front bumper and the body?

 

[jaguar36]

338wh/mi in the winter seems great to me. I've been averaging 400+ in my P100D. Range mode is great if you are doing lots of short trips as it won't try to heat the battery as much. If you're taking a long trip it doesn't do as much.

You don't have to go that slowly to get rated range though. I find as long as the weather is reasonable (>50F) I can get rated without difficulty once the car is warm even if I'm going like 72mph.

 

[ILLCOMM]

If you want to get the rated range, you have to keep your speedometer at 55 or lower. If you go over 55, you will use more energy.

The sweet spot is around 80-90km/h. As you go up higher, the range goes down progressively.

The clearest theme in these responses is to moderate speed. Unfortunately, going 55 on I-95 in the mid-atlantic/northeast corridor is dangerous. I usually set EAP at 65 and let it do its thing. If the reality is that you can only achieve rated range at speeds under 65mph (other conditions held constant) then I think Tesla needs to rethink how it does the rating.

If I keep my MS60 RWD with 19s under 75 mph, I use less than 300 Wh/m. It's usually warm in FL, so that helps.

I live in Ohio, my highway Wh/mile over the past few months has peaked at around 400 Wh/mile.

338wh/mi in the winter seems great to me. I've been averaging 400+ in my P100D.

This is hopeful. Among contributing factors, perhaps temperature is even more impactful than speed (of course, up to a limit given the power function nature of speed/drag). As per the above, this would suggest a more granular rating by Tesla (e.g., a summer and winter rating) would be helpful to buyers.

 

[Derek Kessler]

The clearest theme in these responses is to moderate speed. Unfortunately, going 55 on I-95 in the mid-atlantic/northeast corridor is dangerous. I usually set EAP at 65 and let it do its thing. If the reality is that you can only achieve rated range at speeds under 65mph (other conditions held constant) then I think Tesla needs to rethink how it does the rating.

Tesla range figures are determined by EPA standards. All cars have lesser mileage the faster you drive, it's just more acutely felt when you're driving an EV with limited range and extended refuel times versus an ICE vehicle.

This is hopeful. Among contributing factors, perhaps temperature is even more impactful than speed (of course, up to a limit given the power function nature of speed/drag). As per the above, this would suggest a more granular rating by Tesla (e.g., a summer and winter rating) would be helpful to buyers.

Tesla does offer a calculator on their website to give you an idea of range at speed and temperatures. But what defines "summer" versus "winter", since that's different everywhere?

Driving an EV in 2018 requires planning. I know that in the summer I can easily make it from Cincinnati to Columbus and back without having to charge. But come winter I will have to hit the Columbus Supercharger if I'm going to make it home.

 

[ILLCOMM]

Tesla does offer a calculator on their website to give you an idea of range at speed and temperatures.

Can you link to this?

 

[mathwhiz]

Model S marketing webpage, about halfway down, titled: "Range per Charge":

Model S | Tesla

 

[ILLCOMM]

Model S marketing webpage, about halfway down, titled: "Range per Charge":

Model S | Tesla

Thank you.

And this perfectly explains my reason for this post. According to this calculator (temp was actually 10-12 degrees warmer, so range should be more favorable) I should get 255mi at 65mph, which is probably 30-35 more than I actually achieved. Gah.

 

[OlderThanDirt]

You’ve gotten some great advice but I’ll ask if you are aware of trip energy screen?? In our travels I’ve found a lot of people are not aware it is there.
If you’re not it may help you manage your consumption until you get a better feel for the cars capabilities.

Those 21’s are cool but their going to cost you some range.

Already mentioned but turn range mode OFF.....

If you’re needing to stretch the range a bit, slow down some at the beginning of your trip not when you’re already short. That trip consumption screen will help you there. That gray line is the projected use.

 

[ucmndd]

Your numbers are pretty good for the cold. The only thing you’re “doing wrong” is expecting more when the temp is near freezing.

 

[FlyinLow]

Check tire pressure as well. Low pressure can rob you of your expected performance. Over inflation will wear your tires out prematurely but will increase efficiency.

Charge right when you arrive at your travel stop, while the battery is warm, and depart while it is still warm from charging in the cold weather.

Use apps to predict your performance. EVTripPlanner.com or EVTO-Tesla app can really make things a no brainer when you get in the car. Temperature, vehicle load, wind, rain/snow, wiper usage, elevation changes and wheel size are a large determining factor for range. Speed is the biggest factor. Sometimes taking a road other than the freeway will get you there quicker due to fewer charging stops. Look at your overall average speed on a trip. Going zero mph while sitting at a charger is ok if you want to stop, but it might increase the overall time spent on the trip vs. slowing down.

For finding plug-in options PlugShare and ChargeHub are also apps I use to make sure I'm never without power, even if a Super Charger is down for maintenance.

 

[BigCity]

Cold weather is the biggest factor IMO on the overall range I average 60-90 Wh/mi more during winter/cooler months than summer. I've found in ideal conditions you can run 70-75mph and still get rated, BUT that's level terrain, no rain, no wind, etc. If your driving into a head wind then it's going to cost you range, going up hill, etc. My trick if I'm going to be close is to find a big rig running close to 70 mph or above and just tuck behind them for the first 30-60 min you'll save a ton then you can begin speeding up as you get more comfortable with your remaining % at the end of your trip. As @OlderThanDirt indicated the energy screen and trip monitor are great tools, you can watch that in a tighter window of like 5 miles and see where your energy goes up and down. After a few trips you'll know what you need to do, i.e. you know midway through the trip there is a slight grade increase that is going to reduce your range, etc.

 

[Sawyer8888]

My trick if I'm going to be close is to find a big rig running close to 70 mph or above and just tuck behind them for the first 30-60 min you'll save a ton then you can begin speeding up as you get more comfortable with your remaining % at the end of your trip.

As tempting as it may be to draft behind an 18-wheeler to increase range, I will never do this due to the danger of being hit by one of their wheels, or more likely, coming in contact with a large piece of their tire tread that separated from one of their wheels. With the high frequency of tire failures on semi trucks, especially during warmer months, you are risking a lot to save a little.

More semi truck tire blow-outs