Is 150 miles possible at motorway speeds?

[nowtta60]

I’m not happy about cancelling because of range issues , I just need some strategies. then I can come back on here and tell people no to worry. What do you think about this...

I’ve been looking at the journey profiles and think I have a plan:

Fridays – minimum journey time is the goal. I say goal.. but traffic has other ideas! I leave work in Southampton at 3pm and need to be in Lichfield by 6.30. Currently journey times vary between 3 and 3.5 hours in accident free traffic, but once took 4.5 due to some issue or other on the A34 (that google nav routed us around the back roads). One thing that’s telling me – I might hit an indicated 80 here and there, but the average is only 50mph! Sometimes 42mph. I can break that down:

+ M3 to A34 a lot of 0-30 mph queuing traffic on the first stretch then free flowing with some occasional stops and 40-50mph traffic.
+ A34 Mostly clear to start @ 70mph, with occasional 40-50mph traffic queuing to over take lorries and caravans. Closer to Oxford expect 0-30 mph traffic for 2-3 mile sections.
+ M40 is usually clear up to Warwick when speeds drop to 30-60.
+ M42 round Birmingham – the traffic management system is usually switched on with speed limits at 40, 50 or 60.
+ A446 up to Bassets Pole is is slow, up past the Belfry around 30-45 (as people don’t know what the national speed limit sign means).
+ A38 has a long 60mph limit enforced by SPECCS camera’s. But free flowing and downhill 80% of the way.

Given those speeds are quite low, I’m thinking the 150 miles in 1 go may be achievable. The secret will be to fill the rex tank at the supermarket round the corner from where I work , and check if the BMW dealer over the road (who are selling me the i3) are OK With me using the Charging post on Friday afternoon for a fully charged get away after work.

Sundays. Goal is not having a screaming 7 month old awake in the car. I leave sometime between 5 and 7pm. At 5 the traffic may be heavy, but usually all speed limits are achievable. At 7 or later, speed limit is what you think you can get away with, unless there is a Nissan Micra who thinks the left hand lane if for Lorries.

Cruise on at the national limit. I'd already changed my driving style to this in anticipation of getting the i3. So much more relaxing. Might make it in 1 go.

Plan A - run the rex in Maitain SOC mode until Nav says in range on EV. Then stop when convenient and fill up the REX. Just in case.

Plan B – if we leave at 5 and haven’t had tea, run on battery and stop at Warwick services for KFC and a 22KW charge. Then switch to REX and maintain SOC till in range on EV. Sadly there’s no CCS between Lichfield and Chievely yet.

Plan C - Drain the battery to 10% (about Oxford) stick the REX on SOC. 10% as there's a few hilly bits on the A34. Stop at Chievely and get enough charge to get home from their CCS - about 40 miles required, plus what's in the tank as a backup. Have A Gregs pie and a coffee. 15 mins should do it. This also has the advantage of maximizing EV usage and minimising unleaded. It’s still free as it’s an Ecotricity site.

One thing I forgot to ask previously - can you have the UK subsidised chargers installed in 2 locations? I need 1 at home and one in my rental assuming the landlord agrees! If not there's a 13 amp socket in the garage so should still be ready by Monday morning

There may be minor inconvenience in having to stop for fuel on Fridays, but… I currently drive a Nissan Juke which tells me its run out of Fuel after 280 miles(it will go for at least another 50, but you get the range anxiety getting worse and worse!) So I normally have to fill up on the up or down trip anyway and know where all the normal price petrol stations are just off the motorway.

Sunday’s Well if little one wakes up during the stop, we’ll have some fun and then she’ll go back to sleep (after screaming her head off for 30 minutes).

I’d still prefer a Telsa P85 do it in 1 go and see if I can get my first speeding ticket in 20 years. But that will have to wait till 2016.

 

[FrancisJeffries]

We recently did a 700-mile round trip to the Lake District in our Rex.
We started Rex as soon as the battery was down to 75%., and kept topping up the fuel about every 60-80 miles on A1, A1M and A66 to Penrith. Got there with 75% battery.
I didn't bother to top up the battery when there at all, because I'd noticed that we got 90+ miles on a full tank of fuel. And we weren't hanging about: 70-75mph (indicated) most of the time.

So, on the return journey on the M6, we changed the strategy. We let the tank run out and continued on battery. We then re-filled the tank at the next service station (which were never as much as 20 miles away when Rex stopped).
We had to stop for a fill only twice, and still had 60% fuel when I deliberately switched OFF the Rex for the last 18 miles to see what happens when the battery runs out. When it said 3 miles to go, the Rex started up of its own accord and we arrived home having used the least amount of fuel, ready for a full overnight charge.

To summarise, now we treat the car as a proper BEV for running about up to about 100-mile round trips. For longer journeys, we treat it as a petrol car with a "get-out-of-jail-free" card (the battery!) if/when the fuel runs out. Of course, you should start fully charged and there must be fairly plentiful service stations along the routes, but that seems to be true on the main roads we go on. I reckon nowatta60's routes will fit that model perfectly, so she needn't worry about getting there.

And, remember, stopping for 5 minutes every 100+ miles to fill with petrol is much quicker than 20 minutes for a charge every 60+ miles IF the charge point is vacant and working!

 

[WoodlandHills]

Your long journey strategy is very sensible and seems to make the most of the ReX's capabilities. It is also the probable reason that Californian and by extension all American ReX's have an inhibited control system for their extenders.
The regulatory powers forced BMW to prevent operation of the extender at SOC's above 6% to prevent a car with such abilities from counting as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle PZEV. Given how much profit there is in gas guzzling M-cars and the like they needed something to offset them and keep Corporate Average Fuel Economy CAFE above the required limit. And they get more points for every ReX sold if they are classed as PZEV as opposed to ordinary cars.

 

[Surge]

The base Tesla is rated at about 160-miles on a charge. So, depending on how you drive it, that 150-miles, could be an issue. Or, you can pony up another $25K (in the US) for the bigger battery, and end up paying more than twice the price of an i3.

Are you kidding? The base Tesla has a 60kWh battery (three times the i3) and an EPA rated 208 mile range.

The 85kWh Tesla is $10,000 USD more for 265 miles.

160 miles would be very easy in a Model S.

Plus, those 25kW to 44kW chargers CCS chargers are not much competition for the 135kW Supercharger network.

You get what you pay for.

You are correct and at only about twice the price @ $ 86,920 equipped with just a few of the basic extras like a charging connector, heated seats, metallic paint and leather interior, led interior lighting, comparable options but probably higher end. So yea about twice the price of a i3 Tera BEV. However you are correct 208 mile range and a lower efficiency in miles per kwh.

A lot nicer in many ways but at almost twice the price , I will pass for sure.

I have a long background in the auto industry. I don't think the Tesla is nicer, at all.
If you know how to look at a car critically, you'll see the tesla has a cheap interior with basic architecture.
There's nothing high tech or exotic about the structure or the design.
The interior is cheap and they use the 17" screen to elevate what is a dramatically sub-par interior.

Oh, and the reliability is reported to be much worse than average.

 

[ecoangel]

An EV is a compromise and is currently best suited to short range or city uses unless you have time to wait for re-charges. They can be used for winter commutes but range goes down dramatically with low temperatures.

If you drive everywhere at 30-40mph you might get close to BMWs figures but not at 75mph. The i3 is not a very aerodynamic car (Cd about the same as a 1990s Toyota Camry), it's relative lightness is to offset battery weight and combined with it's gearing makes for spritely performance between stop lights if you have a lead foot.

The Tesla is a fine looking machine with a slippery shape but it has a large frontal area and users on the German Autobahns are questioning it's real world "higher average speed" range:

30,4 kWh/100 Kilometer including charging (single phase).

http://www.motor-talk.de/news/tesla-gegen-ams-258-zu-184-km-t5057132.html

Maybe wait until 2015 and see if BMW ups the i3 spec.

 

[nowtta60]

After all that umming and ahing I just found out we are getting laid off at end of October. Not a problem - my skills are in demand, and already have a new job lined up.... 25 miles from my home location Perfect i3 commuting distance. i3 he we come. So in future I'll stick to contracts under 150 miles from home and things will be fine

Am going to tell them to delay delivery it till April 2015 though as I want to offset against my corporation tax in the next financial year - as my profits will be a lot higher due to not having to rent a 2nd home I'll take the finance but clear it by March 2016 ... if residuals haven't crashed ;-)

It's likely that I Won't buy any fuel after April. Almost tempted to cancel the REX but flexibility is key for my short term contracts.