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Old 03-21-2016, 09:48 PM   #41 (permalink)
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What would a 45 or even 40 mph cruise give you? If the range is then enough, that would eliminate a lot of waiting around and expense.

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Old 03-21-2016, 10:18 PM   #42 (permalink)
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What would a 45 or even 40 mph cruise give you? If the range is then enough, that would eliminate a lot of waiting around and expense.
Over 100 miles. I'm not at my computer right now to run all my calculations. But I'm sure it would be very effective. Ironically the slower you go in a EV the faster you get there.
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Old 03-21-2016, 11:42 PM   #43 (permalink)
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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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Old 03-22-2016, 12:04 AM   #44 (permalink)
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Bah- you don't want to visit MIL anyway.

Keep the Bug for that.

Years ago I pondered doing ALL my driving on a Honda Cub. I wondered if going 40 mph over long distances would drive me insane(r). Then I thought, I don't need a Cub to drive 40 mph long distances; I can try it out in the car. So I did. I also tried P&G; it's OK around town or for a short while but here in the flatland it sux over the road. If there was a hill around here I'd glide down it.

The result is I can easily cruise trips of 300-400 miles at 45 to 50 mph.
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:53 AM   #45 (permalink)
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The result is I can easily cruise trips of 300-400 miles at 45 to 50 mph.
Actually, in my '85 Golf I can fill the tank here and drive the more than 600 miles to my mother-in-law's on one tank of diesel, if I keep it under 65mph, and still have fuel to spare for about a week of short trips. That's about 55mpg. I guess the next time I might try it at 45 mph. I'd have to keep off of I-25 for sure.
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Old 03-22-2016, 01:07 AM   #46 (permalink)
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... and use the Leaf for everything else.

I go my speed on 2- and 4-lane highways. Especially on the 4-lanes, others can ALWAYS pass me if they desire, thus I don't give a crap what they might think. Sometimes doofs will come up pretty darn fast but so far they've all slowed quickly or swerved to pass. In all these years I've never had any close calls or so much as gotten the bird. If there is no posted minimum speed, then there is no minimum legal speed. However, I won't go less than 45 mph, because the gain isn't really there anyway.
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Old 03-22-2016, 02:19 AM   #47 (permalink)
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Funny. That happens even if I go 75mph. Actually one time I was coming back, from my mother-in-law's house, and it started snowing there in Texas. Anyhow, there were three lanes, but just about everyone was in the right two, and we were averaging about 20mph. It was so slick I could stick it in fifth gear and let out off the clutch and then floor it an my tires would spin. Even so, every once in a while someone in an SUV or pickup went flying past all the rest in the third lane. And every last one, I swear its the truth, was turned upside down off the road further ahead.

In most ICE cars the trade off from air drag to increased inefficiency is around 40 to 45mph, right where you can no longer stay in top gear any more. In my Golf I can shift into top gear at 30mph without lugging it. I wonder what kind of fuel mileage I could get driving my little 23:1 CR diesel car at 30mpg in top gear. I also wonder how such low speeds affect EVs. Do they become less efficient at low speeds so that there's a trade off area between air drag and motor inefficiency like in an ICE vehicle or do they continue to get better range the slower you go clear down to something like 5mph? The world may never know.
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Old 03-22-2016, 01:08 PM   #48 (permalink)
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You are proposing pulling an 8x15ft trailer with a Leaf?!?

Unless the reflector is twice the size of the panel you won't double the output except maybe in one precise solar alignment.

Cd 0.28 to 0.18 is not as easy as, for instance, 0.38 to 0.28; it's close to halving the resistance. But aero is the 'low-ahanging fruit'.

Edit: Not sure where I found this—for sure not the first 24 pages of Guns, Oil and Dirt.

Anyway, if 40mph is your cruising speed:


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Old 03-22-2016, 03:53 PM   #49 (permalink)
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You are proposing pulling an 8x15ft trailer with a Leaf?!?

Unless the reflector is twice the size of the panel you won't double the output except maybe in one precise solar alignment.
Uh... Yes... Ya. It's probably not the greatest idea. But yes, I figured the reflector(s) would have to be about twice the size of the solar panel. I was thinking I could make two both the same size of the solar panel and put one on each side reflecting sun onto one half each. Two halves make a whole! Of course I'd constantly have to turn the thing and adjust it's angle to keep the reflection square on the solar panel.

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Cd 0.28 to 0.18 is not as easy as, for instance, 0.38 to 0.28; it's close to halving the resistance. But aero is the 'low-ahanging fruit'.
I was thinking of following the Aero-Civic in design. For $400 with of materials it sounds like the best bargain compared to any other range extending option. It wouldn't give a guy the freedom like an ICE would but it still would help get him a little closer.
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Old 03-22-2016, 05:22 PM   #50 (permalink)
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Basjoos' is a good example to follow.

For stowing solar panels in a small package for transportation, look to space satellites.

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