effect of weight on range

[alanpozner]

I am thinking about lightening my leaf. Does anyone have an idea how much weight I can cut to increase range by 1 mile? I knw that will vary by driving style, tempereature, etc.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Before you start removing parts, make sure the tires are inflated to 42psi. You might get that one mile extra from that alone.

 

[Firetruck41]

You can get way more than one mile by just adjusting how you drive and HVAC use, so I don't think I would go too extreme trying to cut weight... But if you are on the bleeding edge and already driving as efficiently as you can, then weight reduction will have some effect, but I don't have a good idea whether you will be looking at an extra 100 feet or 4 miles...

 

[alanpozner]

You can get way more than one mile by just adjusting how you drive and HVAC use, so I don't think I would go too extreme trying to cut weight... But if you are on the bleeding edge and already driving as efficiently as you can, then weight reduction will have some effect, but I don't have a good idea whether you will be looking at an extra 100 feet or 4 miles...

Thanks I know driving style effects range dramatically but I just need to know if the weight savings I am planning will make I wuld like to know something like, "100 lbs weight reduction will add 5 miles to the range"

 

[cwerdna]

I don't think anyone has done any tests, and to me, it's going to vary significantly depending on the type of driving (e.g. steady speed vs. lots of stop and go). Have you consulted http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=101293 first?

 

[aarond12]

The only information I've heard was weight affecting 0-60 times. Once the mass is in motion, it tends to stay in motion. Therefore, extra weight would only significantly affect power needed during acceleration (with a tiny effect on range based on slightly increased tire friction).

Inflating your tires is a great way to increase range, as is accelerating slower. If you want to increase your steady-state range, you would have to resort to some relatively drastic measures, like modifying the body of your LEAF for better aerodynamics. (See Neil Blanchard's web site.)