2017 FFE range at speed

[Texas FFE]

When I bought my 2013 FFE I ran some experiments to see how far I could go at certain speeds in preparation for a cross country trip. Basically I started off with a full charge and I drove around in a big loop at a set loop until I had to head to the nearest charging station. The important data I obtained was 163 Wh/mi at 40 mph, 193 Wh/mi at 50 mph, 236 Wh/mi at 60 mph and 293 Wh/mi at 70 mph.

Since this information was obtained during real world conditions over a full battery charge I consider this information to repeatable and indicative of all FFEs. This information was extremely useful to me on my cross country trip keeping me from ever running out of charge over the 1,800 mile trip with some very challenging charging conditions. Now that I have purchased a 2017 FFE I decided to try to extrapolate the data I obtained on my 2013 model.

I used the data to form fit a third degree polynomial equation based on the four data points. The results very closely matched my measured data point so I decided to share my results. The results of the equation based on 95% usage of 28.8 kWh measured on my battery draw down test are as follows;

• mph Wh/mi range
  10 123 223
  20 131 209
  30 143 191
  40 163 168
  45 176 155
  50 192 142
  55 211 129
  60 234 117
  65 260 105
  70 290 94
  75 324 84
  80 363 75
  85 407 67

I hope you find this information useful on any trips you plan to take in your FFE. The watts per mile should be valid for all FFEs but be sure to base your range on your own draw down test. Also remember that external factors like wind, hills, vehicle loading and the use of air-conditioning can dramatically impact your actual Wh/mi.

 

[elec2017]

Hi Texas, thanks for posting those number, very helpful!

 

[Texas FFE]

I was able to validate the information above on my 2017 FFE. I traveled 112 miles between charges at a constant speed of 59 mph. I had 18% battery remaining and my Guess-O-Meter indicated 25 miles available at the end of the drive.

This drive was made with the radio and the air conditioning completely off. The drive was made on a warm summer night on a highway where I could maintain a constant speed. The Guess-O-Meter fluctuated wildly during the drive with as much as 10 miles variation in either direction.

Word of warning; don't depend entirely on your Guess-O-Meter when you're on a long distance drive.

 

[jjsv1]

Excellent warning. I never go by the GOM when I'm going on the highway. I always look at battery percentage and kw/h used on the trip meter. It's a good day if I can get 60 miles out of mine on the highway going 55-65

 

[FiSh]

I was able to validate the information above on my 2017 FFE. I traveled 112 miles between charges at a constant speed of 59 mph. I had 18% battery remaining and my Guess-O-Meter indicated 25 miles available at the end of the drive.

This drive was made with the radio and the air conditioning completely off. The drive was made on a warm summer night on a highway where I could maintain a constant speed. The Guess-O-Meter fluctuated wildly during the drive with as much as 10 miles variation in either direction.

Word of warning; don't depend entirely on your Guess-O-Meter when you're on a long distance drive.

So, your test run gave you about 137 miles range on 59 mi/h, which is much better than predicted ~120. Good to hear.
What was you Wh/mi on that trip?

 

[damania]

Amazing how much loss is there even at 65mph. I wonder if almost all of it is wind resistance? Dual motor vehicles have 10% better range, so some of it is due to motor inefficiency (rpm/torque range).

 

[EVA]

Amazing how much loss is there even at 65mph. I wonder if almost all of it is wind resistance? Dual motor vehicles have 10% better range, so some of it is due to motor inefficiency (rpm/torque range).

Wind resistance is the big energy use. The motor has little effect on energy (that dual motor thing you mention - is probably a Tesla and they use something altogether different to make that 10% increase - has nothing to do with wind resistance).

It is oddly simple physics. The power to push something through the air at increasing speed increases exponentially. Depending on how smooth that object is, determines how big the effect. An FFE isn't exactly the most aerodynamic vehicles around.

 

[spirilis]

Amazing how much loss is there even at 65mph. I wonder if almost all of it is wind resistance? Dual motor vehicles have 10% better range, so some of it is due to motor inefficiency (rpm/torque range).

Wind resistance is the big energy use. The motor has little effect on energy (that dual motor thing you mention - is probably a Tesla and they use something altogether different to make that 10% increase - has nothing to do with wind resistance).

It is oddly simple physics. The power to push something through the air at increasing speed increases exponentially. Depending on how smooth that object is, determines how big the effect. An FFE isn't exactly the most aerodynamic vehicles around.

If anyone's not already familiar with it, check out this page - http://www.jurassictest.ch/GR/

Map out a route and change the average vehicle speed (uncheck Automatic speed). Fun watching how speed dramatically varies the power consumption as well as elevation.

 

[TrojanEV]

What am I missing here? There is no way in the world my FFE would have between 105-117 miles of range if I drove at a constant 60-65 mph. Are people really achieving this kind of range? The longest trip I've attempted is a little over 80 miles and my FFE didn't quite make it (had to stop about 5 miles short of my destination).

Does anyone else notice that for really short trips their kWh usage can be through the roof? I have about a 1.5 mile trip home from work and it's uphill slightly (we live in the foothills) but nothing crazy. According to my trip log, my average economy is sometimes 350 to 450 kWh and I'm going at best 45-50 mph tops (probably averaging 35 mph). Going to work (so going downhill) it's much lower, but still in the 150 kWh range. I admit I'm not the most efficient EV driver, but my numbers seem pretty far off from the posted chart.

 

[campfamily]

What am I missing here? There is no way in the world my FFE would have between 105-117 miles of range if I drove at a constant 60-65 mph. Are people really achieving this kind of range? The longest trip I've attempted is a little over 80 miles and my FFE didn't quite make it (had to stop about 5 miles short of my destination).

You would have this range if you had a 2017 FFE. Those of us with 2016 and older FFEs are stuck with 75 miles on a good day. :-(

 

[TrojanEV]

What am I missing here? There is no way in the world my FFE would have between 105-117 miles of range if I drove at a constant 60-65 mph. Are people really achieving this kind of range? The longest trip I've attempted is a little over 80 miles and my FFE didn't quite make it (had to stop about 5 miles short of my destination).

You would have this range if you had a 2017 FFE. Those of us with 2016 and older FFEs are stuck with 75 miles on a good day. :-(

Ha! Totally missed that he was referencing the 2017 FFE! Makes way more sense now. Thanks for clarifying. Having these 2017 owners on the site is not going to be good for my range-envy!

 

[spirilis]

What am I missing here? There is no way in the world my FFE would have between 105-117 miles of range if I drove at a constant 60-65 mph. Are people really achieving this kind of range? The longest trip I've attempted is a little over 80 miles and my FFE didn't quite make it (had to stop about 5 miles short of my destination).

Does anyone else notice that for really short trips their kWh usage can be through the roof? I have about a 1.5 mile trip home from work and it's uphill slightly (we live in the foothills) but nothing crazy. According to my trip log, my average economy is sometimes 350 to 450 kWh and I'm going at best 45-50 mph tops (probably averaging 35 mph). Going to work (so going downhill) it's much lower, but still in the 150 kWh range. I admit I'm not the most efficient EV driver, but my numbers seem pretty far off from the posted chart.

I see that all the time for short trips, both ways in fact, an uphill short drive will be like 400Wh/mi and a downhill around 150Wh/mi... I ignore those. Too little power used so there's probably some rounding error in the calculation.

FORScan Lite with a cheap bluetooth OBD-II dongle is a great tool to have. I see about 28.05kWh to empty when my battery is at 100%. Doing the math, at 250Wh/mi that's 112mi to drop dead, at 200Wh/mi (no expressway and no HVAC) 140mi, and at 333Wh/mi (expressway + heater in freezing temps) 84mi range. The battery has "4 months" of age on it according to one counter I found in the BECM module, and around 9K miles already (since July).

 

[FiSh]

FORScan Lite with a cheap bluetooth OBD-II dongle is a great tool to have. I see about 28.05kWh to empty when my battery is at 100%. Doing the math, at 250Wh/mi that's 112mi to drop dead, at 200Wh/mi (no expressway and no HVAC) 140mi, and at 333Wh/mi (expressway + heater in freezing temps) 84mi range. The battery has "4 months" of age on it according to one counter I found in the BECM module, and around 9K miles already (since July).

Which OBD reader worked for you? I bought one which was supposed to work with Ford MS-CAN bus but it is not recognized properly in FORScan. Now I'm waiting for another one from China this time USB version, still not sure if it's gonna work. (and obviously, it won't work with FORScan Lite mobile app)

 

[spirilis]

FORScan Lite with a cheap bluetooth OBD-II dongle is a great tool to have. I see about 28.05kWh to empty when my battery is at 100%. Doing the math, at 250Wh/mi that's 112mi to drop dead, at 200Wh/mi (no expressway and no HVAC) 140mi, and at 333Wh/mi (expressway + heater in freezing temps) 84mi range. The battery has "4 months" of age on it according to one counter I found in the BECM module, and around 9K miles already (since July).

Which OBD reader worked for you? I bought one which was supposed to work with Ford MS-CAN bus but it is not recognized properly in FORScan. Now I'm waiting for another one from China this time USB version, still not sure if it's gonna work. (and obviously, it won't work with FORScan Lite mobile app)

I can't confirm that it supports all the features, but I know I do have to plug it in to the OBD-2 port further back above the brake pedal... otherwise it seems to work OK for reading/erasing DTCs and pulling stats in the Dashboard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PJPHEBO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(I have an android phone btw, and this uses bluetooth, not sure if that's the best for iPhone)

 

[Pearl]

FORScan Lite with a cheap bluetooth OBD-II dongle is a great tool to have. I see about 28.05kWh to empty when my battery is at 100%. Doing the math, at 250Wh/mi that's 112mi to drop dead, at 200Wh/mi (no expressway and no HVAC) 140mi, and at 333Wh/mi (expressway + heater in freezing temps) 84mi range. The battery has "4 months" of age on it according to one counter I found in the BECM module, and around 9K miles already (since July).

Which OBD reader worked for you? I bought one which was supposed to work with Ford MS-CAN bus but it is not recognized properly in FORScan. Now I'm waiting for another one from China this time USB version, still not sure if it's gonna work. (and obviously, it won't work with FORScan Lite mobile app)

I bought the Vgate one, and have no issues with it. Connects every time.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AAOOQJC

 

[FiSh]

I can't confirm that it supports all the features, but I know I do have to plug it in to the OBD-2 port further back above the brake pedal... otherwise it seems to work OK for reading/erasing DTCs and pulling stats in the Dashboard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PJPHEBO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(I have an android phone btw, and this uses bluetooth, not sure if that's the best for iPhone)

I probably does not support MS-CAN.
I have a similar one which works fine with my other car (and the other one I replaced with FFE), but it does not connect to Android phone when inserted in any of 2 FFE ODB ports. I can pair it with the phone (asks for a pin and seems to pair correctly), but it's not connecting and Torque PRO and FORScan Lite do not see it. Works with Windows laptop and FORScan desktop app.

 

[triangles]

FiSh I use this USB one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F0GVBWY/ worked flawless with forscan and focccus is buggy as all hell. I couldn't get it to work hardly at all until I tweaked some port settings in windows. Now it works sometimes.