This last week we made our semi-annual trip from Southern California to Chelan, Washington in our Lucid Pure AWD. This is the third trip with our Lucid on the same route (all very isolated desert). The total distance is 1,300 miles.
The first two times we made the trip in our Lucid (once heading north and the next heading south), I was experiencing some range anxiety because of not really understanding my car. I have learned so much on these trips and YouTube.
Earlier this year I decided to create an iOS app to increase my knowledge of my car and make my trips more predictable. One thing I learned was when charging for the next leg of my trip, the Lucid estimated mileage was based on its EPA rating and I would never achieve what was predicted. The car does adjust the range along the way, but when you are driving for hours out in the Nevada desert, you need to know before you go.
So here is what I found to be confusing with battery charging. The amount delivered by a dispenser is not the amount needed for range estimates. In my 2023 Pure AWD, the battery “usable” capacity is 86 kWh. The is the number needed for accuracy in estimating range. The dispenser will display amount added that calculates out to battery size of about 95 - 98 kWh. Some research explained why there is this difference and I have documented in EVrc.
I had the opportunity to put my iOS app (EVrc) to the test on this road trip and it was spot on. Before I left a charging station I would set my Lucid to the next planned charging stop and using EVrc calculate the percentage of charge needed according to how I drive. I would use the app to keep a reserve of at least 5% battery when arriving at my destination, using an average efficiency of 3.0 miles per kWh. If I was below that mark, I would slow down and get it back where I needed it. No stress, no anxiety because I knew my car and understood the numbers.
After getting back to my home in the north, I went to work on the app to make it more accurate calculating the usable battery size and worked on info buttons in the app to explain how and why. I also fixed a couple other minor annoyances
If you are interested in the charging data, I have attached the EVrc details of my trip for you to view. This is the best car I have ever owned and I am now deep in the EV information and technology rabbit hole.
There is a new release of EVrc that I submitted today and should be available sometime tomorrow.
Happy driving!