What kind of range are you getting?

[snowds]

Started the day with a full charge (not range extended) and 70 miles on the GOM (guess o' meter). Drove 67 miles, half on highway at 65 mph, the rest in stop and go city traffic. Temperature is 90 degrees, so have the AC running. Average miles/Kwh is 3.1 for the day. Battery is now at 27% charge, which at 3.1 m/kwh should be about 22 miles remaining, for a total of 89 miles on this standard charge (the GOM is saying 18 miles remaining, which is not accurate-hence the name Guess O' Meter). Something I learned a while ago driving the Leaf is that the GOM is not useful. It's much more useful to use your m/kwh and % remaining to get your range.

Another lesson from the Leaf is to try to minimize or eliminate recuperative coasting, and only enter recuperation mode when necessary for braking (which necessitates greater following distances and better planning for lights, etc). In the BED, this is accomplished by using the D+ mode. The theory is that anytime one is recuperating energy from speed, there are losses involved as the electricity flows back into the battery, but aerodynamic slowing is free. I've never seen this tested in a well-controlled experiment, but 3.1 m/kwh is the best I've gotten in the BED, by far (up to today, I've been using Dauto).

Stephen

 

[TonyWilliams]

I am getting 2.5 miles per Kwh driving on really short trips with a lot of stop and go, and leaving the A/C on while I'm in stores. This compares to 3.4 m/Kwh in my Leaf for the same driving circumstances. On highway driving, the BED is getting 3.5 m/Kwh compared to 4 m/Kwh in my Leaf for the same type of driving. So, on an 80% charge (what Mercedes calls a 100% charge without the range extender), all that translates to 70 miles in the city (2.5X28) and ~100 miles on the highway. I haven't tried the range extender, which allows the battery to charge the last 20%, but the theoretical mileage would then be 87 in the city, and ~122 on the highway.

Allegedly, the miles/kWh on the B-Class ED is based on "from the wall", not stored energy.

Range at 65mph (100km ground speed) on dry, hard surface level road with no wind or cabin climate control with new condition battery at 70F, battery capacity is "useable" amount, not advertised amount. Ranges are at maximum available charge and EPA rating is the maximum published.


Nissan
LEAF - 4 miles per kWh (250 wattHours per mile) * 21.3kWh = 85.2 miles / EPA 84


GM / Chevrolet
Spark EV - 5 miles per kWh (200 wattHours per mile) * 19kWh = 95 miles / EPA 82


Mercedes
B-Class ED - 3.8*** miles per kWh (263 wattHours per mile) * 31.5kWh = 120 miles / EPA 104


Toyota
Rav4 EV - 3.4 miles per kWh (295 wattHours per mile) * 41.8kWh = 142 miles / EPA 113


*** Mercedes does some goofy BS with the economy meter... it's calibrated "from the wall", so 3.8 miles per kWh will show 3.2 on the dash

 

[Ferdball]

I've only had the car for 9 days, but I just confirmed what the GoM has been telling me all this time. I get 65 miles per charge.

Full charge at 9:35 am 10/12/14.

All done at 8:19pm 10/12/14.

 

[slkjoy]

It's certainly easier to get close to 85* miles driving on mostly highways than city driving.

* that is actual miles driven + GOM of what's left. I think once I got over 90 when the route had a lot of downhill, without Range Extender. (My car doesn't have Range Extender - but I think I requested it when I ordered it, but there was no price yet at the time, so my order was processed without it).

 

[rdias]

only 65 miles ... what ?

i was expecting something around 90 miles.... because your EPA normally is very easy to do more kms.....

 

[TonyWilliams]

I will drive my wife's new car on my infamous test loop in San Diego:

Range at 65mph (100km ground speed) on dry, hard surface level road with no wind or cabin climate control with new condition battery at 70F, battery capacity is "useable" amount, not advertised amount. Ranges are at maximum available charge and EPA rating is the maximum published.


Nissan
LEAF - 4 miles per kWh (250 wattHours per mile) * 21.3kWh = 85.2 miles / EPA 84


GM / Chevrolet
Spark EV - 5 miles per kWh (200 wattHours per mile) * 19kWh = 95 miles / EPA 82


Mercedes ESTIMATE WITH "RANGE EXTENDER"
B-Class ED - 3.8*** miles per kWh (263 wattHours per mile) * 31.5kWh = 120 miles / EPA 104


Toyota
Rav4 EV - 3.4 miles per kWh (295 wattHours per mile) * 41.8kWh = 142 miles / EPA 113


*** Mercedes does some goofy BS with the economy meter... it's calibrated "from the wall", so 3.8 miles per kWh will show 3.2 on the dash

 

[Ferdball]

When are you doing this? I don't have the range extender, so maybe I could follow along to see where I need a tow. That's if the wife lets me borrow her car.

 

[TonyWilliams]

When are you doing this? I don't have the range extender, so maybe I could follow along to see where I need a tow. That's if the wife lets me borrow her car.

Yes, same "wife" issue, I see that she logged on to this forum to monitor the diabolical plans I have for her car !!!

 

[Ferdball]

Busted. "You have three Rav4's, why do you need my car?"

 

[TonyWilliams]

Busted. "You have three Rav4's, why do you need my car?"

Oh, she already "needs" the RAV4 to go to Riverside (160 mile round trip).

 

[DeaneG]

Tony, your range measurements are SO useful. Do you have any plans to do the same with the Kia Soul EV? The Soul and the B-Class look like the strongest entries of the current crop of EVs, and cover a nice range of buyer demographic as well.

 

[Ferdball]

Busted. "You have three Rav4's, why do you need my car?"

Oh, she already "needs" the RAV4 to go to Riverside (160 mile round trip).

That's amazing. That's double and a half of my range.

 

[Ferdball]

The GoM showed 81 miles today.

Anyone know why that is? Does the thing just need a few weeks to calibrate? Do you have to stretch the mileage for the battery to realize that it can actually do it? What's going on?

 

[tomt]

It's based in part on how you drove the last 10-20 miles or so, so it will be constantly different...

The GoM showed 81 miles today. Anyone know why that is? Does the thing just need a few weeks to calibrate? Do you have to stretch the mileage for the battery to realize that it can actually do it? What's going on?

 

[tomt]

FYI:

"The Kia Soul EV has received its official EPA ratings. The all-electric range is 93 miles – putting it higher than the Nissan LEAF’s 84 miles, the Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive’s 87 miles, and the BMW i3’s 81 miles.

Interestingly, in the city, the Soul electric vehicle’s city range is 103.6 miles, which puts is on par with the Rav 4 EV that is rated at 107 miles in the city.

Overall efficiency is rated at 105 MPGe, with 120 MPGe in the city and 92 MPGe on the highway."

 

[DeaneG]

Something to keep in mind when comparing Soul-EV and B-Class EV EPA range: I would guess the Soul is rated by the EPA at 100% charge (it has an 80% charging option as well, like 2011-2012 Leafs), or at the average range of 80% and 100% charges, but the B-Class would probably be rated by the EPA without the range extension charge button pushed. If true, the B-class maximum range (with range extension) would probably be greater than the Soul's.

 

[rdias]

that is true... 93 miles for 100% ( soul ) versus 104 miles ( B class )... the problem is that in general the soul is much, much more efficient....

itas 27kwh against 36 kwh ....

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony, your range measurements are SO useful. Do you have any plans to do the same with the Kia Soul EV? The Soul and the B-Class look like the strongest entries of the current crop of EVs, and cover a nice range of buyer demographic as well.

I will do both very soon.

 

[Ferdball]

Have you done a range estimate on the Merc yet?

 

[Ferdball]

So, I've left my BED at the dealer twice for three days each. I've only owned it for about 3 weeks. Each time, they check for codes and tell me its normal. I hope it improves, or I'm not going to be able to play with green stuff anymore. At this point, I can't get rid of my wifes old car. Keeping it around was not my intention, but with this limited range, we have no choice.