My fiance drives my old Ford Mustang with 260,000 miles, no AC, funny noises, weird vibrations, etc etc. We were almost sold on a new Chevy Cruze diesel until I started reading about electric vehicles. I love the idea, but the fiance is very skeptical of having a 100% electric car. I made a spreadsheet to show her what distances she drives on various trips, and all but one or two trips a month fall under 63 miles round trip.
The more I read about the FFE, the more concerned I am about whether the advertised 76 mile range is realistic. Her daily commute is 46 miles round trip. Throw in lunch or a quick errand, and she'll typically see 55 miles daily. Of her 46 mile round trip, 24 of that is on a low-traffic interstate where she drives 72-75 mph. Another 9 miles is on a low to moderate traffic highway with speeds of 50-55 mph. The rest is back streets at 35-45 mph. Total trip time is 25-30 minutes. Lunch breaks and errands would all be on 35-45 mph streets and be another 15 minutes driving time.
We are in north Alabama, some hilly terrain, summer temps in the 85-100 degree range. Winters are typically in the 40s, but with the occasional 10-20 degree mornings. Car would be garage kept so pre heating would be used.
She does not want to be forced to limit her AC or heat use, and she doesn't want to have to drive slower than usual to extend her range. So my question is, in a worst case weather/temperature scenario, can she keep the cabin at 70+ degrees, drive her normal speeds, and still have enough range to comfortably make her commute? Charging at work or anywhere along the route is not an option.
We also have a boat that's kept 39 miles from the house. We only go out in the summer, so the AC would be running the entire 45 minute trip. 14 miles on interstate, the rest on 45-55 mph 2 lane highway with no traffic and only a few stop lights. 120V charge would be available at the marina, so I don't expect this trip to be a problem, but how much range should I plan to lose by running the A/C to keep a 70 degree cabin on a 100 degree day?
Thanks for any input!
The more I read about the FFE, the more concerned I am about whether the advertised 76 mile range is realistic. Her daily commute is 46 miles round trip. Throw in lunch or a quick errand, and she'll typically see 55 miles daily. Of her 46 mile round trip, 24 of that is on a low-traffic interstate where she drives 72-75 mph. Another 9 miles is on a low to moderate traffic highway with speeds of 50-55 mph. The rest is back streets at 35-45 mph. Total trip time is 25-30 minutes. Lunch breaks and errands would all be on 35-45 mph streets and be another 15 minutes driving time.
We are in north Alabama, some hilly terrain, summer temps in the 85-100 degree range. Winters are typically in the 40s, but with the occasional 10-20 degree mornings. Car would be garage kept so pre heating would be used.
She does not want to be forced to limit her AC or heat use, and she doesn't want to have to drive slower than usual to extend her range. So my question is, in a worst case weather/temperature scenario, can she keep the cabin at 70+ degrees, drive her normal speeds, and still have enough range to comfortably make her commute? Charging at work or anywhere along the route is not an option.
We also have a boat that's kept 39 miles from the house. We only go out in the summer, so the AC would be running the entire 45 minute trip. 14 miles on interstate, the rest on 45-55 mph 2 lane highway with no traffic and only a few stop lights. 120V charge would be available at the marina, so I don't expect this trip to be a problem, but how much range should I plan to lose by running the A/C to keep a 70 degree cabin on a 100 degree day?
Thanks for any input!
