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LPT (maybe): DCFC before road trip if you can

mikehmb

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Interested to see if anyone else has set their truck to navigate to a DCFC and had it precondition, just prior to taking a longer road trip. Here’s my experience …

Had to day-trip to Sacramento from the coast today. About 45 degrees most of the drive out, in Conserve, and managed about 2.2 mi/kWh. Heater was on and off, but mostly off with fan on. Battery was cold soaked in the garage to probably around 55 degrees prior to departure. Kept the speeds reasonable and under 75.

Return trip - checked the RAN @REI in Sac and sent it to the car, 25 miles from Folsom. It prepped the battery and brought it to temp. Charged from 35% to around 74% in about 20 minutes, hopped in and drove again in conserve (* mostly - I realized I was in all-purpose for a about 20 miles) at around the same speeds back home. Averaged just under 3 mi/kWh all the way back (30% / ~40kWh consumed, 118 miles). Temps about 60 degrees most of the way. Fan running but heat/AC off.

Some of the difference can be explained with heater use and outside air temp (and therefore air density). But that’s a significant difference between the two drives. Also, winds were extremely calm both directions so that had no significant impact, whereas normally I’d have a headwind returning to the bay area for most of that drive.

I plan to try this on the outbound next time, charging in town at the EA DCFC and having the car precondition when I head out. Will see if I can replicate the results.
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WSea

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Obviously the RAN has higher grade electrons
 

W1SE

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Interested to see if anyone else has set their truck to navigate to a DCFC and had it precondition, just prior to taking a longer road trip.
I am very curious on what you find out so I will follow this. I have theorized this before because i have a 10 minute commute so my m/kWh is usually 1.6-1.8 or lower because I feel my battery never warms up. But in a longer trip is starts to climb well above 2.2 in AP at 70 MPH with 45 deg.

I noticed that there are so many other factors.

How you handle elevation differences.
Wind can seam calm but even 3 mph wind has a difference. Going at 65 mph is like 68 mph in the wind one way while 62 coming back. Also if you ended up using ACC or if you were closer behind another vehicle for a bit more draft (especially a truck)

I have found that the cabin comforts don’t give a huge swing (cabin heat) and would only account for a minor difference.

keep us posted. I am interested in what you see.
 

Dark-Fx

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I am very curious on what you find out so I will follow this. I have theorized this before because i have a 10 minute commute so my m/kWh is usually 1.6-1.8 or lower because I feel my battery never warms up. But in a longer trip is starts to climb well above 2.2 in AP at 70 MPH with 45 deg.

I noticed that there are so many other factors.

How you handle elevation differences.
Wind can seam calm but even 3 mph wind has a difference. Going at 65 mph is like 68 mph in the wind one way while 62 coming back. Also if you ended up using ACC or if you were closer behind another vehicle for a bit more draft (especially a truck)

I have found that the cabin comforts don’t give a huge swing (cabin heat) and would only account for a minor difference.

keep us posted. I am interested in what you see.
Traffic density is the one a lot of people overlook. There is a sweet spot where the roads are full but aren't slowed down at all, you gain a bit of efficiency because all the cars around you are helping pull the air along too.
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