Electro-Metro New Efficiency record
 

This morning was the first time I have tracked both my trip miles and the energy to recharge, since I have installed the new coupler

Converted, it equals 134.8 Miles per Gallon!


Oh yeah, and that's all on RENEWABLE energy! :thumbup:

Nice! Only time I get 134 MPG is coasting in Neutral on the highway :thumbup:

Considering you achieved your record in cold winter conditions where battery performance is reduced, and rolling, mechanical and aero resistance is increased, that's nothing to sneeze at. Nice going.

What changes did you make? Or only driving habits?

I've been accelerating less harshly, my front batteries are insulated with 2" of extruded pink foam insulation, and I have a nice solid transfer of power from the motor to the transmission.

I have also been shifting more. I actually use first gear every once in a while.

A good part of the summer, I just drove in third. It was so easy to drive like an automatic. Shifting is a little more work, but a little more efficient too.

I've also read in multiple places that an e-motor is most efficient at cruise when spinning around 3-4k rpm.

If I had it in a higher gear to get more amps for acceleration, I'd often pull it back down a cog or two to cruise along.

But for max efficiency, I also used 1st gear from a stop and accelerated lightly.

That's what I've seen too. Higher rpm/lower power tends to be more efficient, kinda the opposite of ICEs.

I wonder if anyone ever considered using a CVT type transmission for this app? You can tune some of those transmissions so that they keep a specific input RPM through acceleration... so basically, you could set it up so that the e-motor is ALWAYS at whatever RPM you want it at, other than initial power up to start moving... but as soon as it gets going fast enough in the lowest "gear ratio" of the CVT setup to be at your prime speed, the CVT starts expanding the output to update the ratio dynamically based on input speed.

The easiest example of this I can think of is on a field vehicle that my dad used to have called a "PUG". Articulate steering and a 5HP motor, 2 speed axle, but a centrifugal clutch on the motor and a centripetal drive pulley on the axle input. (belt driven)

It would dynamically change ratios for a few seconds. High gear was RPM limited to 25 MPH, which is great for a 5HP briggs,, especially in a 500lb vehicle with 1000lb capacity in the back and 500lb cap up front, for a total of 2000lbs capacity... it would still go 25 MPH fully loaded down.

Hi Ben,

What factor(s) are you using to convert kWH to gallons of gasoline?