Random EV Thoughts 2 - The Jimnying

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123371208#Comment_123371208

I'll give VW credit there, the newer ID cars will display the max charging speed at the current battery state and also has a button to precondition the battery.

It even tells you the maximum possible charging speed after preconditioning and how long it will take

I probably shouldn't be impressed at a car manufacturer giving the driver some agency in the cars functions, but I guess that's the world we live in...

crl84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370677#Comment_123370677

Nope. The odd model they might do for a week but most they will only have for a few hours.

Even at a week, there's multiple variables that would affect charging and you can't standardise those from week to week. Weather, driving style, power to charging stations, power to charging units, the possibility of someone plugging in beside you, not to mention the hassle of driving for long enough or preheating the battery enough to get it to the same temp every time to run tests assuming the previously mentioned variables will be the same. Completely unrealistic and/or a pain in the hole.

Buddy Bubs

Did you ever see the lads that do loads of range comparisons with the spreadsheets at the end?

Loads of variables, outside temperature, heating on/off, wheel size, weather conditions, winter/summer tyres......still subjective a lot of the time which car performed best despite loads of data. Too many variables skewing results.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372498#Comment_123372498

True but you can also be overly scientific about it. Does it matter if you get 400km or 380km range? I'd generally say so because it's unlikely you'd be cutting it that fine anyway unless you knew the route very well

Most drivers would probably charge up at the first decent charger once they drop below 20% when on unfamiliar roads

If you're heading home and have a good read of the chargers in your area then you might be willing to cut it finer

However I'd say most drivers are fairly conservative and will charge opportunistically rather than take a gamble

Of course I'm my own argument against that since I have driven below 10% to chargers I've never used on multiple occasions 😅

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372535#Comment_123372535

You're right, can overthink it for sure. One of our cars is 300 to 400kms range, the other is 400 to 500kms. That's how I look at it nowadays.

Funny you say about cutting it fine, I was down to 2% and 7kms indicated today on a car i was unfamiliar with!!

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372493#Comment_123372493

I guess some motoring journalists are lazy is what you’re trying to say ?

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372216#Comment_123372216

Manufacturers providing additional useful information is always commendable but as you point out in a later post these kind of stats need to be interpreted with a little caution and, unless you are very familiar with the car and route, should be considered approximate rather than an exact science.

Personally, on a longer route I would rarely plan to go below 15% soc prior to hitting a charging site but on occasion because of the location of charging sites I have arrived with less than 5% which is less than a 20km buffer. In reality, this would only be a problem if the chargers arent working, which would be unusual.

crl84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372535#Comment_123372535

100%

Thats kind of my issue with getting too bogged down in the small variables on range. Slighty wet weather and slightly more wet weather. 16 degrees outside and no aircon versus 20 degrees and aircon. Busy motorway that you only go at 100kmh most of the way versus less busy motorway and you're at 110kmh most of the way.

So many different possibilities. Is that tiny percentage difference in scenarios really going to make that much of a difference of you're on a long journey, especially when week to week those conditions could change completely? Most people are not going to run it down so much that the last couple of percent will make a difference. An abundance of chargers are going to be far more important on a long journey.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372727#Comment_123372727

I think this is the fundamental issue with any benchmark test, it just becomes a different way of keeping score and marketing

Range tests like WLTP were never meant as more than a basis of comparison between cars, but when manufacturers got involved they turned it into another marketing gimmick they could manipulate

For me, once a car goes beyond about 350-400km real range I'm happy enough. Beyond that I'll be pretty fed up and looking for a break, so as long as I can charge around then it's all good

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372633#Comment_123372633

Nope, just that not every single variable can be captured in every single short review in Ireland. Most people online seem to be acting pedantic for the sake of it.

wassie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369084#Comment_123369084

A lot of good discussion on your post, but I want to comment on my experience on one of your questions:

I want to know what a car's range will be like at constant speeds somewhere between 110-125kph.

The difference between 110kmh and 125kmh on range is significant in my Tesla M3, regardless of external conditions. This is due to relationship between aerodynamic drag being directly proportional to the speed you are travelling.

Using the M3 as an example, as you increase the speed from 110 kmh to 125 kmh (an increase of approximately 13.6%), the aerodynamic drag force opposing the cars motion will increase by a factor of 1.2896, or roughly 29%.

This significant increase in drag at the higher speed requires a substantially larger amount of energy to overcome, which directly translates to a reduced driving range of the car.

I do a lot of motorway driving around the country and my speed will generally be dictated by how far my next charge will need to be. If I need to stretch it out, I'll generally go 110-113kmh. If I have no such worries, it will be around 120-125kmh.

MJohnston

This is tangential, but I do find that the suite of automated driving features on my EV make me far less concerned with speed. I'm far happier ticking along at 110 if the car is taking care of most of it

mr chips

@wassie - Cheers, good to read some real-world experience. I was aware of the cruising speed being a factor alright - the reason I gave a range of speeds was for exactly for the reason you mentioned in your last paragraph, i.e. some long trips being even longer than others. One trip I do semi-regularly is about 300km, so I would hope to be able to sit at around 120kph for most of that (except around the M50!) and arrive without having to charge at all. Another regular trip I do is about 440km, so even setting out at 100% I'll still need a charging stop, which I hope to be anywhere between Kill/Mayfield/Portlaoise for as little time as possible.

First time I do that one, I'll probably set the cruise at around 110kph and see how I get on. That's a bit slower than I prefer to go on such a long drive, but in the eNiro I reckon that driving faster (say at 125kph) and therefore having to charge for longer en route will probably turn out to take more time overall to complete the trip and still arrive with between 5-10% SOC. Ideally I wouldn't have to stop for more than 20 minutes, but if cold conditions reduce the charging speed then it could be more like half an hour.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123377216#Comment_123377216

I find that since I started doing a long commute once a week (Dublin to Midlands) my patience has worn thin and I want to rocket home at 120km/h

I have to make a conscious effort to slow down on more leisurely drives

It's definitely not the best for consumption but I'm well within the range of my car so I'm confident enough I'll make it

AMKC

Possible replament for the Avensis.

Would you buy one?

It looks gorgeous,

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/366622/toyota-bz7-pictures

Chippy01

Probably the next Camry, as it looks around the same size.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123383912#Comment_123383912

Yes, they say almost 5 metres long which would put it in Camry territory.

Looks good but we won't be buying it as it's only for Chinese market.

Gumbo

Model 3 lines from the side nearly.
Prius front end.
Squared avensis rear end.

Not bad looking, kinda safe design, but that’s where they are all going nowadays.

zg3409

Charger removed

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123384494#Comment_123384494

I'm calling BS on that story, car won't move while plugged in

I've seen something similar once when my wife caught the cable plugged into my car under her cars bumper and pulled the charger off the wall

Not sure you could do the same with a DC charger without noticing

Sounds more like a car crashed into the charger or something

Buddy Bubs

My car won't drive plugged in anyway. Maybe others will but I doubt it

MJohnston

Yeah I can't imagine this is possible with any EV

CMOTDibbler

Surprised that the Electric Vehicle Association of NI don't know that it can't be done. You'd think they'd know.

josip

CATL are certainly pushing the boundaries. I wonder when we will see sodium-ion batteries in EVs.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/catl-naxtra-shenxing-gen-2-freevoy-dual-battery/

Ev fan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123349964#Comment_123349964

Just as a follow up to this had a visit by ESB Networks technician yesterday. Went through my issue with occasional tripping of the EV circuit breaker. He was scratching his head a bit on this and said it was unlikely to be a supply problem. I managed to convince him anyway to upgrade the fuse on my incoming supply- so he replaced the 60A fuse with an 80A fuse. Apparently that has upgraded the supply from 8kVA to 12 kVA with paperwork to follow. Also he had a quick look at my circuit board and as was helpfully commented on here he suggested that if tripping happens again to replace the GARO 32A RCBO with a better brand RCBO like Hager.

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123390690#Comment_123390690

Sounds like sensible advice and a cheap fix if it solves your issue.

MojoMaker

A master fuse change was all it needed to make the upgrade?

Ev fan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123390738#Comment_123390738

That is what I understood- no mention of additional wiring work needed- just paperwork to follow

MojoMaker

And no additional cost?

Ev fan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123390765#Comment_123390765

You're making me worried now! Spoke with ESB Networks on the phone prior to the visit. Was told basically there are 3 supplies 8kVA, 12kVA and 16kVA. If on 8kVA then upgrade to 12kVA can be done with an application process. This apparently is free. Funnily enough when I tried to apply online I was just kicked back to contact the advice service. On a subsequent call I was told that if for some reason I needed to upgrade fully to 16kVA then this could cost in the region of eur 2k.