Sponsored

Accurate range predictions for R1S?

Tahoe Michael

Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Tahoe CIty, CA
Vehicles
Toyota Highlander
Occupation
engineer
I'm on the waiting list for an R1S, and with the recent news about EPA range figures, I'm contemplating which configuration I'd want to order. The long distance drive I do most frequently is from San Francisco to Tahoe City in California. The trip comes in at 199 miles on Google maps, but of course with a substantial elevation gain (about 6300 ft). While I'm not obsessed with range anxiety, I would appreciate the ability to make the trip without stopping for charging if I'm in a hurry.

I'm curious whether current R1S owners have a recommendation of an accurate trip planner that captures the R1S's efficiency, weight, and drag for mountain driving range. I'd like to check which of the R1S AWD configurations seems likely to be able manage this trip, hopefully without a max battery pack (whenever that actually becomes available).

And of course if there's an R1S owner who does the drive from SF to Tahoe City, I'd be fascinated to hear a direct report of how the vehicle manages it.
Sponsored

 

LL75

Well-Known Member
First Name
lance
Joined
Sep 21, 2022
Threads
27
Messages
986
Reaction score
792
Location
Dallas
Vehicles
Tesla Model 3
You should be able to reach your destination without charging even with 6300 ft elevation. Remember that coasting down hill, the regenerative brake will charge your battery.
The rivian has it own software that measure the efficiency for the last 15 mins of driving on the screen. You can definitely look at that when driving up hill and see.
 
OP
OP

Tahoe Michael

Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Tahoe CIty, CA
Vehicles
Toyota Highlander
Occupation
engineer
I'm concerned that regenerative breaking won't buy me much on this drive, as it's basically foot on the gas for almost the whole trip in the ICE vehicle I'm looking to replace. The drive is about 100 miles of fairly flat highway, and then another 100 miles of climbing a mountain.

I took a look at A Better Route to see what it predicts, but it seems they don't yet feel they have enough data on the R1S to make an accurate prediction. And I can't look at the R1S display, as I'm still in the phase of deciding which specific configuration to order.
 

Sponsored

usulio

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2023
Threads
5
Messages
317
Reaction score
376
Location
CO
Vehicles
R1S
Clubs
 
Car and stuff weighs around 3500kg (let's say). 6300ft is about 1900m.

To raise that mass to that height requires mass*height*9.81 = 65.24 megajoules (MJ) of energy. Divide by 3.6 to get 18.12 kWh of extra energy.

So it looks like, purely thanks to physics, you will need to use at least 13.6% of the battery more due to the uphill. Based on my experience in a Leaf, I wouldn't be surprised if it's close to that -- I doubt it'd be above 20%. But I don't have experience in the R1S yet.

It's hard to believe you wouldn't make it on 21" wheels if you stayed under 70mph.
 
OP
OP

Tahoe Michael

Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Tahoe CIty, CA
Vehicles
Toyota Highlander
Occupation
engineer
Car and stuff weighs around 3500kg (let's say). 6300ft is about 1900m.

To raise that mass to that height requires mass*height*9.81 = 65.24 megajoules (MJ) of energy. Divide by 3.6 to get 18.12 kWh of extra energy.

So it looks like, purely thanks to physics, you will need to use at least 13.6% of the battery more due to the uphill. Based on my experience in a Leaf, I wouldn't be surprised if it's close to that -- I doubt it'd be above 20%. But I don't have experience in the R1S yet.

It's hard to believe you wouldn't make it on 21" wheels if you stayed under 70mph.
That's a better battery consumption for the elevation gain than I would have expected. I'm sure extra power is needed due to efficiency losses in the electric motors and the battery and power electronics. But I have no idea how much.
 

Laurent

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
183
Reaction score
476
Location
CA
Vehicles
Model S
I think the general rule of thumb is that you need to add 10 miles for every 1,000 feet of elevation.
In your case, that means that you'd need about 260 miles of range to get to Tahoe City.
 
OP
OP

Tahoe Michael

Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Tahoe CIty, CA
Vehicles
Toyota Highlander
Occupation
engineer
Hopefully the recent news about Rivian acquire ABRP means that A Better Route will soon have accurate information for projecting trips in the R1S!
 

SACDFJC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Threads
16
Messages
444
Reaction score
657
Location
CA
Vehicles
FJ40
I have an R1T and I do the same drive to Tahoe City regularly. I drive in Conserve mode at about 75 mph and I can make it to Tahoe City with about 8-10% of range left. That is when the roads are dry. When the roads have snow I drive in Conserve to about Colfax or where ever the snow starts then switch to Snow or All Purpose mode and drive a lot slower. I can make it to the Truckee RAN with 10% or less battery. During wet weather you can always stop in Sacramento and charge at the RAN or hit the EA in Auburn and charge up before going over the hill. If I am in a hurry and don't want to stop and it's snowing I take my truck that has 1k miles of range. The RIvian is just too close on range for me to feel comfortable not stopping before going over the hill in winter weather. If the Max Pack were available when I bought my truck a year ago I would have purchased it. It would be just enough to make it up there regardless of weather or drive mode. Good luck with your decision...
 

Sponsored

OP
OP

Tahoe Michael

Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Tahoe CIty, CA
Vehicles
Toyota Highlander
Occupation
engineer
Thanks, that's informative! I've seen a handful of R1T's driving around Tahoe City, so maybe I've seen you. Two followup questions: is your R1T quad motor, and what wheels are you getting those results with?
 

SACDFJC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Threads
16
Messages
444
Reaction score
657
Location
CA
Vehicles
FJ40
I think I have seen every color R1T in Tahoe City (and at the RAN in Truckee). Yes, quad motor and riding on 20" ATs. My R1T came with 21" all season tires but, I swapped to the ATs given the snow. The 21" AS tires definitely get much better range.
Sponsored

 
 




Top