this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2024
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I hate Tesla and especially the Cybertruck as much as the next guy, but this was a highway test and that sounds like a completely normal result.
I own a Bolt EV which is rated for 259 miles of range. On the highway, that's more like ~220. That sounds bad, but the other side of it is that I get ~300 miles of range during my normal work commutes through the city. This is just how EVs are, the estimated range is based on a mixed test. EVs are backwards compared to ICE, you'll get ~20% less range than the EPA estimate driving highway speeds and ~20% more doing purely city driving.
I wrote this in another comment, but Tesla has been known for a long time to game EPA numbers. Here's an article from 2020 talking about it: https://insideevs.com/news/407807/eletric-car-real-world-range-tested/
Several get below their EPA numbers, but several cars also get higher. Tesla models all get significantly below their claimed mileage.
The insideevs article reports 239 miles for a Model 3 Performance while clicking all the way through to the actual source of the testing "Whatcar" reported 324 miles for a M3 LR. What car indeed. I don't believe these low numbers.
I'm sure Tesla has been overly aggressive with the range numbers. Especially people in colder climates must be getting far less than advertised. But these low-effort articles are not the best of sources.
It's worth noting that he recently did the same test, with similar temps, in the EV9 (which is also super inefficient on the highway), and got over the EPA range. IIRC most of his range tests exceed EPA numbers.
also, the EPA test cycle for highway has a maximum speed of 60mph, with the average below 50
Yeah this is what it's like with my mach e as well. I have an extended range and I get 300ish miles town/city but on the highway probably 240. So realistically I charge every 190-220 miles on long road trips with the 80% fast charging stations.
And EVs and hybrids have regenerative braking so that does some recharging of the batteries. It's not going to be stellar, but in stop and go traffic, it could definitely had some miles to range. There's a lot less stopping on highways.
Regenerative braking isn't magical. It doesn't add range. It reduces range lost by stopping. Conservation of energy is still a thing.
If you were to drive any speed uninterrupted until the vehicle died, then attempted the same drive with stops every mile, the vehicle wouldn't make it to the end.
This is true, but it's neglecting one variable that does complicate the math slightly. There is greater air resistance at highway speeds. IIRC at 60mph 50% of your power is lost due to the air resistance.
So yes, if we lock the speed to a fixed value and compare them, then regenerative of course doesn't increase the range more than not stopping at all. But that's the nuanced gap in the discussion where misunderstanding is going to reside. That's why you two are on different pages. Someone is assuming equal air resistance (speed), and someone is assuming a comparison of average city miles vs highway miles.
Neither is necessarily the ONLY way to look at it. It's all relative.
Important to note though that air resistance is nonlinear
it uses less energy to get from A to B slowly than quickly.
Semantics. Regenerative braking adds miles of range compared to those without.
Yes, but it's unrelated to highway versus city performance in electric/hybrid cars.
Driving under highway speeds is almost always more efficient due to wind resistance. But for ICE cars without regenerative brakes the losses from braking and idling hurt enough to give the illusion of freeway efficiency.
And the reason actual highway speed versus the estimates on the sticker are often so far off with ICE cars is that the test is based on 55mph max highway speeds with an average speed of 48mph. Meanwhile the speed limits on all the freeways near me are between 75 and 85, making actual performance way, way worse.
It's not only not "not stellar", it's the reason hybrids and EVs have higher city miles than highway. Acceleration takes a lot of energy compared to maintaining speed, and regenerative breaking recaptures most of that for use next time you take off.
It's why hybrids can increase fuel mileage so much without being plugged in. It's huge.
If you're ever driving an EV that has the option to see real time flow of watts (with numbers, not just graphics), watch what it does while taking off, coming to a stop, and cruising at speed (both slower city speeds and higher highway speeds). You'll probably see fifty to a hundred plus kW flow either direction while speeding up and slowing down, and under five while cruising
I have had my bolt, with new battery, for nearly 3 years. On interstate driving in summer I'm not sure I'd go beyond 180 miles, pretty sure 200 miles I'd be in turtle mode at least. Currently in winter I'm probably limited to about 160 tops.
Also this test was at 45⁰ C? That is not a normal temperature for most people.
It's the New York Post, temperature would be a chilly 45F for their American audience
Ah that's a much more normal temperature but cold enough that it would start to affect the range also no?
Not really, my card range doesn't really start to be hurt until you're in sub-freezing (32F) conditions
I think when the weather is 45 instead of the more normal 65 temp for when go to work the average battery drain % difference is 2 or 3, which even on my leaf with 155 miles of range isn't much
Consumer Reports once found with three brands, 80F is the sweet spot for range. Everyone above of below reduces the range. How much depends on how the vehicle heats the battery to optimum temperature. I don't know if the Leaf was one of the three models tested.
What's interesting is 80F is actually right at the hot end of what would normally be the ideal temperature for a battery. I wouldn't be surprised if that's because most EVs have extensive passive cooling, and at anything less than 80F those cooling systems over-cool the battery.
45F is a great temperature for a battery to run at... but if you add wind chill, then the temperature is more like 30F. And if you add battery cooling systems on top of that it could be even lower.
Without knowing anything about the Cybertruck... which didn't exist when Consumer Reports did their temperature and range test, it seems safe to assume 45F is going to affect the range (it would be good to actually test it though).
It's farenheit, Its winter/cold in America right now