New owner question about displayed range and real world range.

[atikovi]

Just bought a 2015. When I picked it up it showed a range of 54 miles. I drove it home 30 miles, mostly on the highway, and there it showed 28 miles of range. Pretty good I thought but I babied it all the way never going over 55. Charged it overnight and this morning it shows 82 miles range. Drive 5 miles to the post office and back and now it shows 72 miles range. Is this fairly normal? The range accuracy gets better the more you drive?

 

[scottt]

Yes, it will "adapt" to your method of driving over time.

 

[atikovi]

I ended up charging it when it said 36 miles range and trip odometer said I have gone 43 miles. 82-43 should be 39 miles range. Guess that's reasonably accurate, just 3 miles less.

 

[scottt]

If you look thru the threads here, it's nicknamed the "GOM". aka Guess O'Meter

 

[PlainTom]

Watch your range estimate when you turn the heater on then off.
Also, people call it a 'Guess-o-Meter', but, in fact, it's an 'Estimate-o-Meter' because, as noted by others, it's partly based on your driving efficiency. I like watching the 'Watt Hours per Mile' number. It's a dynamic reading of your efficiency since the last reset. You can reset the figures with each charge, or reset them before a given trip to understand the impacts on range of different types (highway vs local) and styles (quick or slow and easy) of driving. You can then also calculate from that your miles per kilowatt hour -- the figure most of the current EVs report -- knowing that KWh is 1000 watt hours.
If you're averaging 333 watt hours per mile, you're getting ~3 miles per KWh.
Others here will have additional and better tips, but the Wh/mile works for me!

 

[Anti_Climax]

The left most screen can be cycled through multiple views that are very helpful. I run with gauges for accessory and climate, the watt hour/mile gauge and the SoC/GoM all visible simultaneously.

 

[atikovi]

I see when the range drops to 10 miles the gauge turns orange and I was at 6 miles when I got home. What happens if I drive further?

 

[Anti_Climax]

It will show yellow any time the estimate is 10 miles or less. When it reaches zero it has a 1kwh emergency reserve which is good for a few more miles. It also goes into a "turtle" mode where the peak power output is capped. You can still get up to a decent speed but the acceleration will be greatly diminished. That might also kick in before zero, not certain of that.

When you use up your reserve power it opens the contactors and shuts down the drivetrain, stopped or not.

 

[Blajanfire]

I have a used 2017 and it’s my first EV. Honestly I just pay attention to the battery percentage as that’s more accurate than the range meter.

 

[atikovi]

Started with 82 miles after charging a few days ago. Drove 36 miles as gently as possible and still have 46 miles range. Guess not too bad.

 

[bkeil84]

The guess o meter is just that, but after some time it starts to make sense. I drive very conservative and see about 140 in the summertime and 120 in the winter. It never gets below 20 f where I live and summers are pretty warm in the 90's. It very much depends on what I did on the last drive also. If I raced along with the heater on in the cold, the next morning with the heater on it may say 90 miles. If I drive gently at speeds around 40 mph with no heater or AC, it may say 148 miles. Mine is a 2017 with 65k miles on it and I have owned it since new. It is more of a "How did I drive last time meter" and if you drive that way again, it will be fairly accurate. I have never really gotten more than 135 miles out of the battery though. Of course, you will never really know the exact range because you should never run it to zero. I do know that when I get to 10 miles left, I can drive 5 miles and still show 7 left. I don't know what happens at zero like some that will keep going for a few more miles and I am not going to find out.

 

[atikovi]

If I drive gently at speeds around 40 mph with no heater or AC, it may say 148 miles. Mine is a 2017 with 65k miles on it and I have owned it since new.

How is that possible? They were only rated to 115 miles when new.

 

[PlainTom]

Bkeil84 must be driving more conservatively (slower starts, lots of coasting, and low top speeds) than the driving model on which the rating was based. That said, 148 miles *is* remarkable!!

 

[atikovi]

Show us the gauge after a charge.

 

[Heima]

Started with 82 miles after charging a few days ago. Drove 36 miles as gently as possible and still have 46 miles range. Guess not too bad.

View attachment 42

As the weather warms up, your range will get better.

 

[Club Car]

I have gone 178 miles in my 2018 on a single charge by meticulous hyper-miling and keeping below 55 mph.

 

[bkeil84]

This is the best I saw, and yes I hyper mile my car always. 20% more per charge means 20% longer battery life. This shows a full charge after getting this almost unexplainable 161 what hours per mile in a 50 mile drive. Typically I get about 200 watt hours per mile.

 

[PlainTom]

If only those 4-wheelin' pickup truck drivers zooming past me at 85 mph on US-131 felt the same about their driving efficiency as you do we would be a bit less close to climate calamity. But not to single out PU's, everybody zooms past me on the highway. (I'm thinking you don't even get on the highway, do you?)

 

[Anti_Climax]

You're all adorable...

 

[jghall00]

You're all adorable...
View attachment 47

Apparently, you only drive downhill.