Range Issues

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Running the Numbers the range chart the Elevation gain of almost 3000 feet, will use 4.5 KWH to clime. the 52 miles will take 12.09 KWH at 55MPH.so 16.5 KWHs for the trip. The DTE gauge is thinking you are on that hill I bet it is short! How many bars do you show at the end 1 or 2 fuel bars left? When I go up a hill I try to hold it to 3 power balls on the center dash, I read that some place it has helped in the past. that is a step hill for your last bit...
 
I show two when I roll into my driveway. It levels out to a slight grade about 2 miles from my house but the first bit is a hill climb. There is a meandering route on the old highway which is .6 miles longer speed limit is lower and it windy...I may try that tomorrow on drive home since I drove the truck today...
 
HaoleBilt said:
SageBrush said:
OP: how much braking do you have on your trip home ?
Almost none. Save a couple dips it's almost all up hill https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lel...1!1s0x79524c837e72c1f3:0x48b2f34160c50366!3e0
You read my mind -- I thought to ask for a map ;-)

If you choose the bicycle route you can see that you have 3000 ft down and 5800 ft up.
Braking includes lifting your foot off the go pedal since regen will occur at about 50% KE recoup efficiency. If this is happening, perhaps you can try reaching the apex of hills a little slower so that the downhill portion does not lead to KE loss.
 
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...
 
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...
This is not obvious to me.
OP: what is your battery temp when you arrive home ?
 
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...

Why so disparaging? The OP is currently making their standard commute with plenty of charge to spare, and would have to lose quite a bit before leaving him stranded. Plus, the car spends the night at the top of a mountain, which is presumably cooler than sea level. The most heat would be generated driving home, but the car would have plenty of time to cool off in the evening.

Also, how hot is Hawai'i? According to Wikipedia, it's not all that hot. Which makes sense, since the tropical sun would be moderated by the surrounding ocean.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Hawaii
 
GetOffYourGas said:
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...

Why so disparaging? The OP is currently making their standard commute with plenty of charge to spare, and would have to lose quite a bit before leaving him stranded. Plus, the car spends the night at the top of a mountain, which is presumably cooler than sea level. The most heat would be generated driving home, but the car would have plenty of time to cool off in the evening.
Yep.

A little physics also casts doubt on the @powersurge presumption
OP averages about 10 meters climb each km on the return trip, which works out to an extra
10*9.8*1600 = 156,800 joules per km
If a km takes 45 seconds (80 kph) then the climb home adds about 3.5 kW over and above a level terrain or around 12 kW total power draw if there is no braking. That sounds less taxing on the battery than being stationary and charging at 6 kW at home. For context, the LEAF draws around 14 kW at 62 mph and 22 kW at 74 mph on level terrain without any A/C
 
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...
boy-that-escalated-quickly-anchorman

Actually I think I'll be fine thanks for the concern...
 
GetOffYourGas said:
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...

Why so disparaging? The OP is currently making their standard commute with plenty of charge to spare, and would have to lose quite a bit before leaving him stranded. Plus, the car spends the night at the top of a mountain, which is presumably cooler than sea level. The most heat would be generated driving home, but the car would have plenty of time to cool off in the evening.

Also, how hot is Hawai'i? According to Wikipedia, it's not all that hot. Which makes sense, since the tropical sun would be moderated by the surrounding ocean.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Hawaii
It's high 80's most of the time at work. I charge before the sun is beating down and then at night it's 60s and in the "winter" it get high 40's low 50's...
I'll take a look at battery temp when I arrive home. This EV world is new to me so thanks for all the input.
 
HaoleBilt said:
It's high 80's most of the time at work. I charge before the sun is beating down and then at night it's 60s and in the "winter" it get high 40's low 50's...
I'll take a look at battery temp when I arrive home. This EV world is new to me so thanks for all the input.

While high 80s would be uncomfortably hot for me, it's nothing compared to the triple digits seen in the desert southwest. Your car should serve you well for years to come.

Welcome to the EV world. Enjoy your car!
 
Yes, to put the temperatures in a little different perspective: My battery was at 8 temperature bars when I got in this morning at 6:30 AM. My car is parked under covered parking all day and the dash display showed 118 degrees F when I got in to come home at 6:00 PM (8 temperature bars for the battery). I saw 120 F for part of the trip home, but the battery stayed at 8 temperature bars as long as it had air flow on the freeway; it climbed to 9 temperature bars after a mile or so on surface streets.

Again, I think HaoleBilt will have no issues with the 2015 in Hawaii for a long time.
 
SageBrush said:
powersurge said:
Wow. In Hawai, with a hot climate, in mountains, Sounds like your purchase is not the right one. Your Leaf will not hold up to your needs for long, and then you will be stranded...
This is not obvious to me.
OP: what is your battery temp when you arrive home ?
IMG_1904_zpsrtbnxeje.jpg

This was as I pulled in and parked in my car port. Most of the return trip was in B mode the last ten miles it was in D because I forgot to select when I stopped to pick up my daughter. I didn't take the alternate route tonight, going to try and do it tomorrow when I don't have to make that stop...
 
What an adventure! It will take perseverance and experimentation, but worth a try. Eventually battery degradation will win out but that may take years. Get what you can out of it, and maybe an L2 charging opportunity will make itself available on the way home soon?
 
I don't see why powersurge and Scaramanga are so pessimistic. The 2015 "lizard" battery should last a long time at 6 temperature bars in Hawaii. My 2015 still has 11 capacity bars after 28 months and 42,700 miles in Phoenix.
 
Thanks for the pic. It looks to me like your car will be just fine for many years to come. You still have two battery bars left! You'd have to lose multiple capacity bars before you cannot make it home.

One recommendation - don't charge as soon as you get home. Instead, use a timer to charge the car after midnight. That will give the battery time to cool off, maybe even to 5 temperature bars. You can always override the timer if you know you'll need to go back out in the evening.
 
GerryAZ said:
I don't see why powersurge and Scaramanga are so pessimistic. The 2015 "lizard" battery should last a long time at 6 temperature bars in Hawaii. My 2015 still has 11 capacity bars after 28 months and 42,700 miles in Phoenix.

I don't see why some are calling me pessimistic. The original poster lives in a hot climate, and I am sure he uses A/C daily. He does a round trip rising 3000 ft. of elevation, and pulls into his driveway with lights flashing and no range left (Daily). Then there is something wrong with that picture.

So you are saying that it is perfectly fine to be in a hot climate, push the battery to climb mountains (heat), and get home in "turtle" mode every day?? How long before he uses "a little more" energy, or A/C/ that day, and is stranded going home... More significantly, what will he do when the battery even only "starts" to deteriorate in capacity?? He will be stuck.

I think the best that he could hope for is that he finds a place to charge midway on the trip, however, he will still be forced to sit around waiting for a charge for 1+ hours every day just to get home.. I have traveled long distances with my Leaf and know the routine...

PS - I think that too many members here on the forum seem to perpetuate a fantasy by telling new posters (no matter what situation they present) that all is well... Sometimes, our wishes (or needs) cannot he handled by the technology or tool we "want" to use. You can't tell someone that it is fine to use a 1 pound hammer to do a job that a 10 pound hammer can do..
 
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