When does Regen give out?

I'm planning a trip to the top of Pike's Peak. Yes, I know a stock Leaf won its class in 2011, but it started fully charged at the start of the race, which is not at the bottom of the mountain.

I am going to be starting fully charged in Colorado Springs, the real bottom of the mountain.

The questions are these:
1. Will I be able to make it to the top? 8000 foot rise, 34.4 miles. I'm not worried about making it back down, lots of downhill to regenerate.
2. Which leads me to my next question, if I call it quits at the onset of Turtle Mode, will regenerative braking still work or will it give out?
3. At what charge state should I give up the climb and head back down to avoid total loss of power and regen?

I am assuming that if I make it to power cutoff (I have run out of power 100 yards from home before one time, so I know what that's like) that regen is no longer available at that point and I'd have to get towed. But how should I give it up at Turtle Mode, or before?

Thanks in advance for your views.

Assuming a "penalty" of ~1.5 kWh per 1000 ft. climbed, you'll need ~12 kWh just to gain the necessary potential energy. At 5 miles/kWh, figure ~7 kWh to cover the distance. With a fairly new, not too cold battery, you might barely make it. Driving as slowly as possible would certainly help, as the higher the power level, the more battery energy is wasted as heat.

From reading here, I'm pretty sure that regen still works in turtle mode, but I've never been quite that low on charge myself. Personally, I would be worried that you might not have enough warning to make a U-turn and start regenerating before it's too late. So I would advise not going all the way down to turtle mode. Maybe stop at 5% or something like that, I'm not sure. Hopefully, though, it works out for you to crawl all the way up to the peak.

tjz has done it, but I'm not sure where he started: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3512&p=234619#p234352" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You should be ok down to turtle. I know the regen works fine at Very Low Battery Warning (VLBW). You don't want to get to shutdown so I'd turn around the instant you hit turtle (or before if you have an aftermarket meter, say 10 Gids). Since you have taken your car down to shutdown you know that you still have a lot of charge left at LBW and VLBW, so that's an advantage.

It would help if you could drive efficiently as possible to the base of the road up the mountain. As you likely know: slower is better. Some years ago someone in Hawai'i made it up Haleakala (10,000 feet) starting around 1300 feet IIRC. And that's without the much thinner air we have here in Colorado.

I look forward to your trip report! (Take pictures.)

Thank you for that link. Looks like he went from somewhere a little further west in town from where I plan to begin the trip, at the Nissan dealership with the quick charger. I'll be coming from Denver, so I'll need a full recharge before I can start up.

I also don't have a new battery, I have an April 2012 assembled model, it has lost one bar of capacity, so that's an issue. Last time I checked SOH on LeafSpy, it was something like 87%. I definitely plan on not exceeding 40 mph even on the fastest stretches of road, might anger somebody behind me, but oh well.

I might not make it. But she's got a tight turning radius.

I checked plugshare.com, if you're going to wait for a 100% charge at the Nissan dealer with Chamedo it might be worth it to use the quick charge to just about 85% then drive out to Collaorado Springs Utilities, about 9 miles less drive and then spend the time there at the L2 which would be charging at about the same rate the L3 would for the top up.

It sounds like an interesting drive!

Thanks for the tip. I was just studying Plugshare myself.

Where is Colorado Springs Utilities? I'm not finding anything in that vicinity.

WiredForStereo said:

Where is Colorado Springs Utilities? I'm not finding anything in that vicinity.

Click to expand...

2855 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80904

by chance do you have it set to just show quick chargers? It'll be one of the green icons so you have to select them.

Okay, I found it. A little out of the way, but it is closer. Thanks

WiredForStereo said:

I also don't have a new battery, I have an April 2012 assembled model, it has lost one bar of capacity, so that's an issue. Last time I checked SOH on LeafSpy, it was something like 87%. I definitely plan on not exceeding 40 mph even on the fastest stretches of road, might anger somebody behind me, but oh well.

Click to expand...

A Colorado car with a bar lost? First one I've heard of (not that I'm in the know that much). I think I'm a year off at least (delivered in Jan 2012) since my Ahr readings always bounce up this time of year.

My 2011 would not get a full charge on QC--it would show full if I requested 100% and waited long enough, but the SOC shown by LeafSpy or my Gid meter were less than when charging on L2. Therefore, I suggest that you use an L2 to top off. I also look forward to your trip report.

Gerry

Actually, it was an Arkansas car first, so there's "damage" from being in the hot humid south. I moved up here a year ago. I moved partly to be closer to my home town in Southern Oregon.

Yeah, topping off at CSU is the way to go. Not only is it closer, but it is on top of a hill so at least a small amount of your elevation gain is behind you. I've always wanted to do this trip too. I live 38 miles from the top and have a '15, so I'd like to think I can make it from home but maybe a top off at CSU would make it that much easier. I'm curious to hear details if you do this. I've always wondered what temp the battery hits at the top and bottom, and if you get the full 4 regen bubbles the whole way down or if it gets too hot.

If you're really feeling adventurous Mt Evans also seems doable if you charge at Beau Joes in Idaho Springs.

Someday I'll do both these trips.

Answered my own questions today since I finally did Pike's Peak! More details over in the mountain region board, but basically, 23% remaining at the top and regained 33% charge on the way down in B mode. No heat issues since the way up is so slow going anyway. I was riding the tails of the ICE car's on the way up, since the speed limit is only 25. I only needed 2 bubbles of power most of the way up and very little braking on the way down, usually 3 bubbles of regen kept my speed in check with occasional braking.

Nice... congrats.

Nfuzzy said:

Answered my own questions today since I finally did Pike's Peak! More details over in the mountain region board, but basically, 23% remaining at the top and regained 33% charge on the way down in B mode. No heat issues since the way up is so slow going anyway. I was riding the tails of the ICE car's on the way up, since the speed limit is only 25. I only needed 2 bubbles of power most of the way up and very little braking on the way down, usually 3 bubbles of regen kept my speed in check with occasional braking.

Click to expand...