30 MPH Headwind

It sucks…
I was going 55, and getting 2.9mi/kWh ):

Any advice for driving in this condition? Can't really drive much slower, the speed limit was 70, and I was already doing 15 under. All other vehicles were flying by doing 75+, so I doubt I could get much use from their slipstreams. I tried following semi trucks, but apparently I can only find ones that are taking the next exit… :evil:

Go in the other direction for a 30 mph tailwind? :mrgreen:

MikeinDenver said:

Go in the other direction for a 30 mph tailwind? :mrgreen:

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That's actually worse!

At one point on my trip, it said 39mi to destination, 14mi to empty.

Secondary roads, if you can find a route on them, usually allow slower speeds.

I hear you. I was driving from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. Didn't include the particularly strong afternoon headwind of the Pacific Coast Highway in my "flight plan". Driving the LEAF sometimes reminds me of those college days when a full tank of gas was a rarity rather than the norm.

Sounds like you were a bit more trapped. I just pulled off and charged in Ventura and walked the town, and visited Patagonia Headquarters...

I'm at the point now in windy Colorado where I check the wind speed and direction when I head out for a trip where I expect to use most of the battery range. Headwinds are huge battery drains and there is nothing you can do about them unless you can choose an alternate, less windy, route or wait until the wind dies down. In high headwinds I will either plan for extra en-route charging or just take the old Camry Hybrid.

OTOH, some of our best efficiency ratings were the results of big tailwinds - I once went 23 miles before the first bar dropped while going 75 mph (granted, much of that downhill) with a 40 mph tailwind.

One of the positive features of EVs is that a lot less energy is wasted in contrast to ICEs. For example, an EV going downhill is likely generating energy while an ICE is still running the engine. But the flip side of this is that any external force which requires extra energy - wind, precipitation on the road, hills, under-inflated tires, etc. - has a much bigger impact on the EVs range than it does on an ICE. This is also why our distance-to-empty meter (a.k.a. the "GOM") is more variable and less accurate than the same meter on an ICE.

Driving an ev is a lot like sailing. Instead of making a futile attempt to fight nature, work with it. Time your trip so that the wind is blowing in your direction. Often times it is very predictable based on the time of day.

Drafting another car if a truck is not available is an option.

In the summer I frequently get 3.7 m/kWh to work & 2.7-2.9 coming home due to Columbia River Gorge winds. Acceptance has been the key for me. I have a 3.3 m/kWh lifetime average.