Hi All
Just wanted to say that I posted a video on the real world efficiency of the model 3 for multiple short trip. Excuse the audio I know I "could be better" but I'm still gaining experience. The numbers are really interesting .
Enjoyed watching the video. I have Mode S but the topic is interesting and I don't think there is enough simple but evidence supported guidance especially for owners / prospective owners who want to understand real world ev energy use.
I feel there is a need to measure energy in from your electric supply vs miles driven to get a true picture. I don't like relying on the data presented to the drive in the car because I don't 100% understand the assumptions made and calculations performed behind the scenes.
I know, I can drive my Tesla downhill for ages and the range indicated rarely if ever goes up, even though I know regen is charging the battery.
Likewise, over winter, I can see the camera defrosting heater working even when the car is just sitting idle. I know that I lose a few miles range each week even if the car doesn't move.
EVs offer many more ways to effect efficiency than with ICE. Apart from depreciation, stick an ICE cat in a garage and from an energy perspective you will lose very little (although I have had cars with enough phantom drain to flatten the 12v battery in a couple of weeks.)
Power wastage (as heat) is a 'squared' relationship to current flowing. Therefore a little increase in acceleration has a squared effect on wasted power, so gentle driving pays big dividends. But in the real world, how big?
Cold batteries don't accept charge very well (efficiently) and Tesla limit regen massively when the batteries are cold. But even when there is regen available, just what is the end to end loss? If I put in 10kwh of energy measured at the charge socket and drove along a level road with even steady acceleration / deceleration and no friction braking, once you have deducted physical friction losses (wind, tyre etc) how long before the car has dissipated a significant amount of the original 10kwh I 'bought' to run the car?
Then there are costs of possible battery degredation based on amount of supercharging / distance travelled, that might compare cost wise with an ICE engine gradually wearing out and needing a major rebuild. Also, keeping battery soc too high potentially increases long-term degradation / costs.
People buying Teslas may not typify penny-counting cost savers, but personally I wish there was an open testing standard that took ALL factors into account to help owners make informed decisions about which cars to buy and how to optimize cost of ownership.
I have been looking closely at energy tariffs for several years and have had some great deals. Best was Ebico night owl v1 which for 50p standing charge gave free night time electricity. I am very reluctant to have a smart meter because it is likely the thin end of the wedge for getting rid of fit payments based on estimated export. Once that happens, people who have invested in solar pv, especially with battery storage and water heater diverters will find themselves at a relative disadvantage.
So for me, the EDF tarrif I'm on suits really well and gives me 6p / unit from midnight to 7am which works really well and I know for sure what my energy costs are day / night unlike some of the Octopus schemes.
