Issues with Range/Power usage

[Ethanedwards]

Not turning off the a/c. I had a a/c compressor fail on the Mokka-e. It meant using the car at all, made it super easy to cook the battery. Since the a/c cooled that too. Luckily I'd had the KGS software recall and a failing a/c didn't brick the car. So no Ive zero intent on switching the a/c of.

 

[wattmatters]

Sydney to Urunga yesterday, aircon on.

 

[siteguru]

That's 3.91 miles/kWh ... pretty good for an average speed of about 56 mph. What was the ambient temperature?

 

[LenEV2016]

I can appreciate, folk trying to eke out every mile, by driving in eco, keeping to 60/65 mph, AC off, heating low, etc, etc. But sorry that's not for me. Personally didn't get an EV, to drive any differently.
It's a car, I drive it, as a car. Perhaps that's just me. And as always, each to there own.

Each to their own but I just drive the car as I drove my ice cars, the whole obsession with energy used every month and getting as much range as possible by driving slower than speed limits and not fully heating the cabin isn't for me.

 

[ReintjeWA]

I’m with @salty and @LenEV2016 on this. I just drive the car like I’ve always driven. That said I do like reading how others get the most out of their cars, I’ve used your tricks twice now to make it to my destination when I turned out to be too optimistic about range.

I also think WLTP is not the best way to describe range, as it becomes inaccurate quickly when you do more highway driving and less city. But I also wouldn’t know how else to define estimated range for every potential buyer, so for me I just take a chunk out of the WLTP range and that gives me an idea of how much range I personally could expect from a given EV.

Sydney to Urunga yesterday, aircon on.

View attachment 42665

Impressive! I always sit around 18 kWh/100km. Even yesterday as I tried to come home with <10% to do one of those charges. I overcooked it a little bit so had to use some of the range extending tricks. I sat behind a truck doing 90 for ages with the a/c off, still got 17.5…

 

[T1 Terry]

As @salty posted, but I did have to tone down from boy racer to maybe the average 40yr old, at 70yr old, that was a major change from foot to the floor to get the max thrill ..... and that "EV Grin" is half of what owning an EV is all about ..... but best to pick your spots to get the grin while smoking the most ICE cars, it makes the grin even wider yet you still make it to your destination without needing to find a charger to top up in between .....

T1 Terry

 

[wattmatters]

What was the ambient temperature?

 

[T1 Terry]

View attachment 42668

Oh, to have nice mild weather like that. Can I swap you a few over 40*C days for some 30*C days

T1 Terry

 

[Panther]

I can appreciate, folk trying to eke out every mile, by driving in eco, keeping to 60/65 mph, AC off, heating low, etc, etc. But sorry that's not for me. Personally didn't get an EV, to drive any differently.
It's a car, I drive it, as a car. Perhaps that's just me. And as always, each to there own.

Pretty much exactly how I am, when I chose the car it was between the Xpower and the Trophy ER (about the same monthly sacrifice cost) and I chose power over range, do I have any regrets? Not yet even when I charge to 80% and only get 120miles of range.

 

[Black estate]

This time of year you won't hit top or even sometimes middle KWH as you're using lights , wipers and heating
Don't matter what Ev you drive , my Enyaq is the same

 

[LenEV2016]

I’m with @salty and @LenEV2016 on this. I just drive the car like I’ve always driven. That said I do like reading how others get the most out of their cars, I’ve used your tricks twice now to make it to my destination when I turned out to be too optimistic about range.

I also think WLTP is not the best way to describe range, as it becomes inaccurate quickly when you do more highway driving and less city. But I also wouldn’t know how else to define estimated range for every potential buyer, so for me I just take a chunk out of the WLTP range and that gives me an idea of how much range I personally could expect from a given EV.

I've always found EV database figures to be there or there abouts

 

[Mainsy]

Really? cos Im getting 220m in winter now, and I'm expecting 250+ in summer.

Which is a lot more than I got with my 50kwh Mokka-e. 140 in winter 185 in summer. Not too far off the WLTP of 201.

Yeah, I`m getting the same, 220m from about 260 in the summer. I see that this is a lot to do with cold batteries but pre-heating seems a bit of a false economy. according to most people. Talking to EV drivers of different cars it is the same with all it seems, my wife has an EV6 GT line and its the same with hers. I have tried switching everything off and it just makes my journey less comfortable and saves very little, so considering I charge at home on a saving rate, I will take the £2 to a full charge loss

 

[gary333]

Yeah, I`m getting the same, 220m from about 260 in the summer. I see that this is a lot to do with cold batteries but pre-heating seems a bit of a false economy. according to most people. Talking to EV drivers of different cars it is the same with all it seems, my wife has an EV6 GT line and its the same with hers. I have tried switching everything off and it just makes my journey less comfortable and saves very little, so considering I charge at home on a saving rate, I will take the £2 to a full charge loss

Battery heating is often mis-communicated as to it's purpose (at least in the UK). It's not here to make the car more efficient in day to day driving, it's simply here to make the car able to access it's maximum performance for both acceleration and charging speed when the cells are really cold. The battery will work fine without any heating if you don't need maximum power or full speed charging.

 

[Frank in CN]

Hi,

Just got a second hand MG4 Trophy Long Range. Using it to commute to work but getting what seems to be dreadful range based on my reading of like posts on this forum.

Essentially its a 55min journey, roughly spit as A road (7 miles) B road (3 miles) and Motorway for 21 miles. the average speed over the whole journey is 35mph, doing about 75mph on the motorway. I'm getting 2.1 - 2.3mls/kwh over the whole journey.

At time of driving it was cold ~3-4 °C

I understand that the temperature and driving slower on the motorway would benefit usage, however I still feel like I would expect more range?

if you only heat up the seat it may help . but that makes it a nice journey of course.

 

[T1 Terry]

Battery heating is often mis-communicated as to it's purpose (at least in the UK). It's not here to make the car more efficient in day to day driving, it's simply here to make the car able to access it's maximum performance for both acceleration and charging speed when the cells are really cold. The battery will work fine without any heating if you don't need maximum power or full speed charging.

Much better to heat the battery from the main. Heating it by forcing a charge in or a discharge out, will internally heat the cells, but it will be doing damage while this is happening.
The damage builds up slowly, not really noticeable until a battery health test is performed and the result shows an increase in internal cell resistance.

T1 Terry

 

[tsedge]

Hi,

Just got a second hand MG4 Trophy Long Range. Using it to commute to work but getting what seems to be dreadful range based on my reading of like posts on this forum.

Essentially its a 55min journey, roughly spit as A road (7 miles) B road (3 miles) and Motorway for 21 miles. the average speed over the whole journey is 35mph, doing about 75mph on the motorway. I'm getting 2.1 - 2.3mls/kwh over the whole journey.

At time of driving it was cold ~3-4 °C

I understand that the temperature and driving slower on the motorway would benefit usage, however I still feel like I would expect more range?

Doesn't sound out of the ordinary, I would:

• Check intelligent battery heating is off.
• Select Eco mode and power saving on.
• Minimise use of AC heating, use Eco mode within AC, prefer seat/steering wheel heating (if you have them).
• Cut your motorway speed to 65mph.
• Focus on smooth driving and maintaining your speed rather than dramatically accelerating and braking.

See what you get, 3 miles per kWh should be achievable. If it is very hilly or windy, that might be why you aren't getting better (how does the return journey efficiency compare?).

In EVs, the efficiency depends a lot more on the speed, the driver and the conditions than with ICE.

 

[T1 Terry]

It's really just a learning thing to understand how much battery capacity relates to how far you can travel using a certain driving style and how to maximise the kms from what you have left in the "tank" ....
The upside is, with an EV, you can make the second half of the tank go a lot further that the second half of the tank in an ICE propelled vehicle ....

T1 Terry

 

[Logan T]

Hi,

Just got a second hand MG4 Trophy Long Range. Using it to commute to work but getting what seems to be dreadful range based on my reading of like posts on this forum.

Essentially its a 55min journey, roughly spit as A road (7 miles) B road (3 miles) and Motorway for 21 miles. the average speed over the whole journey is 35mph, doing about 75mph on the motorway. I'm getting 2.1 - 2.3mls/kwh over the whole journey.

At time of driving it was cold ~3-4 °C

I understand that the temperature and driving slower on the motorway would benefit usage, however I still feel like I would expect more range?

Worse case I've been down to about 2.8, with motorway driving and hvac set to 23, normal mode. Thats in a SE LR. Trophy is slightly worse I believe.

 

[Tuareg]

I can appreciate, folk trying to eke out every mile, by driving in eco, keeping to 60/65 mph, AC off, heating low, etc, etc. But sorry that's not for me. Personally didn't get an EV, to drive any differently.
It's a car, I drive it, as a car. Perhaps that's just me. And as always, each to there own.

I'm the same, I 'fill' up as and when necessary, never look at how many kw/km or whatever, just have lots of fun in the car which is why I bought it. I own the car, the car doesn't own me.

 

[LenEV2016]

I'm the same, I 'fill' up as and when necessary, never look at how many kw/km or whatever, just have lots of fun in the car which is why I bought it. I own the car, the car doesn't own me.

Your conditions in Cyprus have absolutely nothing in common with the UK though, people here experience large range drops in winter and some not all will try various ways to get more range out their cars in winter.

I'm pretty sure there cars don't own them either!!