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Old 03-21-2016, 11:42 PM   #43 (permalink)
Isaac Zackary
Full sized hybrid.
 
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Ok. So I got home and did the math. And guess what. I figured there's actually less drag and I can go a tiny bit farther if I go 45mph with a completely unmodified Leaf vs going 60mph after reducing the coefficient of drag down to 0.16 by means of aeromods.

So yes. The slower you go the quicker you get there.

For an example. Let's say I went to go visit my mother-in-law who lives over 600 miles away. If I only have a range of around 80 miles I'd have to stop about 8 times, only two of which are quick chargers. I'd also have to go a bit further to reach one charger that's actually out of the way, but necessary in order to make it to the next charger. The trip normally takes 11 hours in an ICE vehicle without stopping. Now add 6 x 4 hours and 2 x .5 hours and another half and hour for the charger that's out of the way. That's about 36.5 hours.

Now if I had a range of 150 miles because I went 45 miles per hour, about 75% of normal speeds. That would make just the driving about 14 to 14 hours. But I'd only have to charge off of level 2 chargers 3 times and a quick charger only once. So the total would be 14 + 3 x 4 + .5 which would be 26.5 hours. So I'd get there 10 hours earlier.

Ah! But if I had a Cd of about 0.16, then I could go at 60mph and get there in about 23.5 hours because I'd still have a range of about 150 miles and still have to stop 4 times total, one of which is a quick charger. But I wouldn't be slowed down by having to go 45mph.

But now get this. If I aeromodded the thing until I had a Cd of about 0.16, then drove at 45mph all the way, I'd have a range of about 200 miles and only have to stop twice at level 2 chargers, and once at a quick charger. So take 14 + 2*4 + .5 = 22.5. So that's only one hour difference. The time it takes to charge at one more level 2 charging station is almost made up for by the time gained from driving faster when you are more aerodynamic.
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