ECO mode = less range?

[TEG]

Average driving speed seems to have more to do with range/efficiency than most other factors.

For instance, someone who drives their Leaf in town all the time is likely to get much better range than someone who goes fast on a highway commute. Other driving techniques, road conditions and traffic play a part, but I think that average speed is really the major factor.

 

[planet4ever]

I get home with 3 bars left (my total trip is ~4.5 bars one way) with an average of 20 miles of range (plus or minus 2 miles). But when I drive in eco (about once a week) I always get predictable results using 5 bars there and 4-5 bars home

You are obviously charging to 100%, which means you have no regen for the first part of your commute. Since you consistently use no more than 9.5 bars, you could safely charge to 80% instead. Try that and see if the ECO disadvantage doesn't go away. You might even get results that are better than you are getting now in Drive.

I'm betting that if you charge to 80% you won't even get the low battery warning, but if you do it is no cause for alarm. Down at the low end the guessometer is much more consistent, and it is consistently pessimistic. It will probably tell you you have at least 8 miles left at the low battery warning. And don't worry about damaging the battery. In fact Nissan claims that charging to 100% will shorten battery life, and they have no similar warning about dropping to 0%. Besides, you are not going to get anywhere close to 0%.

Ray

 

[wishboneash]

I was driving in ECO mode for most of the time I have had this car. Recently, about a week or so ago, I switched to the normal D mode for most of my driving. Normally, I always lose about 4 bars on my trip back home (starting with the "80%" charge) at work if I take the same route. The distance is 27.3 miles with a 350ft net elevation gain. Never had I used less than 4 bars until I switched to D mode. Now, on two occassions I have managed to get home with losing only 3 bars. I feel with D mode you can pulse drive and pick up speed downhill more than in ECO mode. If I don't excessively fast, I am not being penalised for increased drag and therefore I use less energy on the uphill section again. It requires a light foot and attentive driving. I now enjoy better throttle response and better efficiency in D mode. I will many times put the car into ECO mode temporarily when I see traffic congestion ahead or driving within urban areas where there is no way to avoid slowing down without brakes (hence ECO makes sense).

 

[TomT]

I have tried both modes extensively on my normal commute and have ascertained that it makes no real difference in my overall efficiency. The main advantage to me of Eco is the reduced maximum AC load and the ability to modulate regen more completely with only one pedal...

 

[DaveEV]

Drove to work today in D instead of ECO. Dash read 3.9 mi / kWh when it usually is over 4. Have to be more attentive in D as it makes going fast too easy. Will do the same on the way home - usually I get home with 4.3-4.6 mi / kWh (slightly downhill).

 

[Pipcecil]

I get home with 3 bars left (my total trip is ~4.5 bars one way) with an average of 20 miles of range (plus or minus 2 miles). But when I drive in eco (about once a week) I always get predictable results using 5 bars there and 4-5 bars home

You are obviously charging to 100%, which means you have no regen for the first part of your commute. Since you consistently use no more than 9.5 bars, you could safely charge to 80% instead. Try that and see if the ECO disadvantage doesn't go away. You might even get results that are better than you are getting now in Drive.

I'm betting that if you charge to 80% you won't even get the low battery warning, but if you do it is no cause for alarm. Down at the low end the guessometer is much more consistent, and it is consistently pessimistic. It will probably tell you you have at least 8 miles left at the low battery warning. And don't worry about damaging the battery. In fact Nissan claims that charging to 100% will shorten battery life, and they have no similar warning about dropping to 0%. Besides, you are not going to get anywhere close to 0%.

Ray

Not getting any regen shouldn't affect only eco versus drive, both would be constant and equal, with a slight edge to eco because of the cut in A/C consumption; but repeatedly, eco has proven worse. Unfortunately, I cannot charge to 80%. I frequently do errands or close meetings at work and it uses up those extra 3 remaining bars pretty easily. Take into the fact if I have a bad day (crappy traffic, high winds, etc.) I end up using much more power (consider most of my driving is higher speeds, this compounds the problem). Its not feasible for me to charge 80% The BEST scenario says 80% is fine, through in any problems or extra trip to stop and I may not make it home, which is not someting I am going to gamble. As for the regen it won't make much use to me, I travel maybe 1 mile until I reach a long jog on a highway, so there is piddle the extra regen would help me in the morning.

Rethinking this problem it may have a something to do with cruise control. Since most of my trip is 55+, I just cruise control and don't bother micro managing the power (yes I know I can get more out of it, but I am usually not awake enough to make a difference, I usually make it worse). I am wondering if cruise control is managing vertical changes (there are small ones throughout) worse than when on Drive. My thought, that when I reach a small crest it coasts mostly with maybe one or 2 regen bubbles and has plenty of inertia to go back up the hill a decent ways in Drive. Take into eco and it hard regens down and must use more energy on the climb, thereby a net waste of energy as the regen isn't as efficent as the coast.

It may take some testing without cruise control to see if this is the case. This can be the only way I would think I could loose more energy than on drive.

 

[planet4ever]

Oh, you have changed your tune. Here is what you originally said:

I have had my leaf for over 2 months now and have an extremely predictable route to and from work (one way is 27 miles). The route covers city driving, highway driving, and some hilly driving (not massive hills but some..its texas). Most days I drive in on Drive mode because I enjoy the fun of driving the car. My route is extremely predicatble, I get to work with 8 bars remaining and about 65 miles on the range-o-meter (plus or minus 3 miles, which is very little play in the end). This never changes unless there is an accident or something else. I always try and challenge myself on when the bar will drop from 9 to 8 by how close I can get to work before it drops (it usually drops at the tail end of the last highway section to exit to work). My drive home is just as predictable, I get home with 3 bars left (my total trip is ~4.5 bars one way) with an average of 20 miles of range (plus or minus 2 miles).

While both Drive and ECO can give you good mileage, I am convinced that regen becomes more of a factor in getting good ECO mileage. Because of that I would expect Drive to have the edge if you must charge to 100%.

Ray