Cowmeat learns to drive the Volt

[cowmeat]

I was under the impression it was harder to beat the EPA numbers for an EV because they're so efficient to begin with; there's not as much low-hanging fruit.

Yeah, I don't think EPA numbers take into consideration any form of hypermiling. I'm basically using the same tricks I used in the Insight and blowing the EPA numbers out of the water!

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Ecky

I was under the impression it was harder to beat the EPA numbers for an EV because they're so efficient to begin with; there's not as much low-hanging fruit.

In the winter maybe, but I was beating EPA on the first drive with the volt, EPA figures climate control stock air pressure, rapid stops with less regen, etc.

Never had a car so easy to hypermile.

Just for comparison, when I get 65 miles ev I usually get 52mpg gas, battery is 10.5kw

Run your math and tell me what my MPGe is vrs Mpg and run a cost per mile comparison. I think you will be surprised.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Run your math and tell me what my MPGe is vrs Mpg and run a cost per mile comparison..

What does it come out to?

[cowmeat]

Last night's charge gave me another mile of estimated range, it's up to 44 miles now

Unfortunately I charged it last night cause I had to go in to work today

[Hank1510]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

In the summer I get about 65-70 miles per charge and off the wall is about 12kw to charge my 10.5kwhr battery

That is a huge amount of range.
Do you have a low average speed on those trips?
Is it all driving style, or have you done some things to the car?

I'm looking for some tips, lol.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by sendler

What does it come out to?

Depending on local costs each person will have a different answer, I would prefer Each person to run their numbers off my real world summer country trips to see what is possible with slow steady driving, a small bit of highway/freeway and gentle stops.

Full disclosure
I have left out winter driving and my daily short city drives.
(both are at extremes above or below my longer drives)

So in my case my car which can run gas or electric has hypermiling efficiencies of

210MPGe vrs 52MPG


My cost per mile off local prices is

12kwhr x 9.8 cents = $1.176
$1.176 / 65 miles = 1.8 cents per mile

$2.19 / 52 = 4.2 cents per mile


So
1.8 cents EV. Vrs 4.2 cents gas

Your mileage will vary, I recommend plugging in different distances and your local prices depending on how you plan to drive to see the price extremes between gas and electric for your type of commute.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Hank1510

That is a huge amount of range.
Do you have a low average speed on those trips?
Is it all driving style, or have you done some things to the car?

I'm looking for some tips, lol.

Yes average speed is 33mph, max speed is 55/60mph (30 miles) route is chosen to minimize traffic, distance and speed.

I keep tire PSi between 50/60 psi, climate control stays off while driving, i coast in neutral to stops as much as possible, I do not accelerate beyond 20kw on the energy gage (2 vrs 1 motor change over is inefficient) I usually accelerate very slowly if I can, I let off the brake and allow creep to move the car before sliding into the gas at stops, zero rpm acceleration is very inefficient, I drive by the kw meter setting specific mile per kw goals while underway.
I could go on and on but it's all about knowing how the car works and using the energy gage to keep a rock solid foot. The same type of hypermiling stuff I can do because I have a scan gage on other cars.

If I could eliminate the 30 miles of freeway and the 30 miles of "Mid speed" road I have no doubt 80 miles ev would be possible, car peaks around 60mpg on gas though, have not found a way to improve that.

Catch is high average summer temps have helped offset my range, peak range at 50 degrees is about 62 miles,
40 degrees is 56 ev miles
below 40 is about 50 miles if I burp the battery.
Below 15 is all over the map

Car drives "ideal" range between 85 and 95 degrees, catch is to idle the car a minimum of 10 minutes before leaving all accessories off and being plugged in, this gets everything to the correct operating temperature.

[cowmeat]

Had my best daily drive to work today in the Volt. 38.1 miles @ 7.3 kWh equals a little over 175 mpg!

On the way home I had the radio and Ac on (Eco mode) but traffic was light and I had a pretty good tailwind

Started out this morning with a 44 mile estimated range, drove it 38 miles and had an estimated 12 miles of range left on the charge when I pulled in at home, so I could have made it fifty miles if I needed to!

***UPDATE 10-31-16***

I started out with 45 miles of estimated range this morning, it's slowly adjusting to the new owner!

[WindyDrew]

Have you figured out yet that you can set the Volt to begin charging on a schedule?

Originally Posted by cowmeat

Electric companies charge different rates at different hours of the day so I'm charging my car at night, when the grid sees the lowest usage and they charge less per kwh

During the day at peak usage the electric is a lot more per kwh.

Also, I read somewhere that finishing the charge just as you're getting ready to use the car will keep the big battery at a proper operating temperature

Below is the rate chart at Lakeland Electric, the rates vary A LOT!. So charging the car, running the dryer, etc . . . are way cheaper late at night

Once I add in the fuel use surcharges, etc . . . a kWh costs 7 cents, so an electric equivalent to a gallon of gas ends up being $2.36

[cowmeat]

Have you figured out yet that you can set the Volt to begin charging on a schedule?

I've seen the setting on my info screen but I haven't set it up yet

I've just been hooking it up at nine o'clock every night when I feed my dog. I will eventually take the thirty seconds to investigate how to use the scheduler!

It's a lot harder to maintain 150 + mpg now that I'm carpooling again and using a different route, my mpg in the fuel log has flat-lined.