Efficiency of Leaf at Bike speed (~10 mph)

[LEAFfan]

I think this is a better chart, though it does have some flaws. For example it says a passenger train gets 70 p-mpg but Amtrak & the government's official figures are only 30 (because the trains are often half empty): http://truecostblog.com/2010/05/27/fuel-efficiency-modes-of-transportation-ranked-by-mpg/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AFAIK a gas car is most efficiently around 30 mph, but perhaps that's old data.

A gas or diesel car is most efficient in its top gear, and most top gears are unusable below 40 or 45, so that would be the most efficient point. I drove a Ford Fiesta last week and it got okay mileage at 30 and 5th gear, but the best mileage was at 40 and 6th gear (>60 MPG).

Yeah, my very first Efficiency Rally (42 miles) was with a 1980.VW Rabbit Diesel that got 55mpg hwy. At that time, I didn't know that 5th at 40mph would be best and drove in 4th at 35 which gave me 82mpg. I wonder what I could have gotten in 5th at 40?

 

[TomT]

It might not have been as much difference as you think... Diesels are not subject to pumping losses like gasoline engines and thus the difference would be smaller than for a gas vehicle.

Yeah, my very first Efficiency Rally (42 miles) was with a 1980.VW Rabbit Diesel that got 55mpg hwy. At that time, I didn't know that 5th at 40mph would be best and drove in 4th at 35 which gave me 82mpg. I wonder what I could have gotten in 5th at 40?

 

[theaveng]

So if there a test track near L.A. that I can run a Leaf at 15mph & see the resulting range?

 

[LEAFfan]

So if there a test track near L.A. that I can run a Leaf at 15mph & see the resulting range?

At that speed, I was at 9.1 after 15 miles so if you X by 21kW h (good BP) you should be able to go at least 191 miles. If you went just a little slower, probably at least 200 miles.

 

[theaveng]

So does everyone still concur that 12 is the Leaf's most efficient speed?

It appears that the Toyota Prius is most efficient at 20:

 

[Nubo]

So does everyone still concur that 12 is the Leaf's most efficient speed?

Why not try it for yourself?

 

[LEAFfan]

So does everyone still concur that 12 is the Leaf's most efficient speed?

I'm not sure, but I do know that at 15mph for one hour in a loop, I obtained 9.1m/kW h, but at around 25mph for about ten hours/188 miles, I only got 8.5m/kW h.

 

[kaikara]

This is a great post and it got the gears turning. I get my leaf in the next month or so and I was thinking whether I will be able to use it in the following way. I am on the executive for a cycling club and we put a road race on every year. The last couple years I acted as a marshal in the races driving my car. I did about 220km driving the course last year with the racers and I was usually going a steady 30-40km/h. The race course is almost flat with some rollers. Total elevation gain is only 30m.

The only real opportunity I will have to charge is right after I get there and at the end of the races and only at L1. I will probably be there 1 hour before the races start and a couple hours after. Round trip to and from the course is 34km which I can do on back roads or highway. Time of year will mean I don't have to use the climate control at all.

Do you think this would be doable in a leaf? I think it would be good press for the club to do it in an all electric vehicle plus it will be fun to try.

 

[braineo]

You should try it, if you don't make it you can still use one of the 7 free tows to a Nissan Dedalership to charge.