Bad Efficiency? Read this first before creating another of the same topic.

hydbob

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From our wonderfully handsome and lovely moderator @joec

1) Speed - The number one factor on your efficiency is how fast you are going. Drag increases exponentially with speed, not linearly. So the difference between 70 mph and 80 mph is huge. Keep it under 70 or 75 if you can.
2) Outside temperature - You will not get as good mileage in the cold as you do in the warmer months. Even if you aren't running heat or AC, the battery has to be kept at an optimal temperature, which costs energy.
3) Inclement weather - Rain or snow will definitely cut your range, because it adds friction
4) Wind speed - Driving into a headwind, of course, will effect your range
5) Elevation - Climbing up can cost quite a bit. But assuming you are coming back down on the way back, it should almost even out. You can usually gain energy on the way down a mountain, thanks to regen.

Having said all this, my Touring can still get between 250-280 miles in the dead of winter. If I keep my speed down. If I drive without regard for my speed, my numbers would be in line with what you are reporting.

Also, pro tip: Pay no attention to the "miles" on your car. Switch to percentage. Percentage is based on your actual battery percentage. Miles is an estimate based on ideal EPA conditions, which you are clearly not driving in.

Lean to calculate your remaining miles based on your current percentage and your recent efficiency. It'll be far more accurate.
 
From our wonderfully handsome and lovely moderator @joec

1) Speed - The number one factor on your efficiency is how fast you are going. Drag increases exponentially with speed, not linearly. So the difference between 70 mph and 80 mph is huge. Keep it under 70 or 75 if you can.
2) Outside temperature - You will not get as good mileage in the cold as you do in the warmer months. Even if you aren't running heat or AC, the battery has to be kept at an optimal temperature, which costs energy.
3) Inclement weather - Rain or snow will definitely cut your range, because it adds friction
4) Wind speed - Driving into a headwind, of course, will effect your range
5) Elevation - Climbing up can cost quite a bit. But assuming you are coming back down on the way back, it should almost even out. You can usually gain energy on the way down a mountain, thanks to regen.

Having said all this, my Touring can still get between 250-280 miles in the dead of winter. If I keep my speed down. If I drive without regard for my speed, my numbers would be in line with what you are reporting.

Also, pro tip: Pay no attention to the "miles" on your car. Switch to percentage. Percentage is based on your actual battery percentage. Miles is an estimate based on ideal EPA conditions, which you are clearly not driving in.

Lean to calculate your remaining miles based on your current percentage and your recent efficiency. It'll be far more accurate.
Hi just read this old but very informative post. Just to check is this a touring or grand trouring ? Also, where do you live ? I live in Boston and wonder if our winters are comparable? And finally how do you learn to convert percentage to range - just out of experience with the car or do you have a formula of some sort ?
Thanks !
 
A question for you about point number two, as I enter my first EV summer in sunny Arizona. We hear a lot about the effect of cold weather, as the batteries need to be heated to operate at an optimal level. How does that compare with operating our EVs on those incredibly hot summer days? I imagine that cooling the batteries would also be required, and I wondered what the range effect of that would be.
 
Hi just read this old but very informative post. Just to check is this a touring or grand trouring ? Also, where do you live ? I live in Boston and wonder if our winters are comparable? And finally how do you learn to convert percentage to range - just out of experience with the car or do you have a formula of some sort ?
Thanks !
Joe is in Boulder, Colorado and has a touring.
To convert percentage to range, simply multiply your battery size by efficiency and then buy the % remaining. Much info about this can be found at www.lucidupdates.com.
 
A question for you about point number two, as I enter my first EV summer in sunny Arizona. We hear a lot about the effect of cold weather, as the batteries need to be heated to operate at an optimal level. How does that compare with operating our EVs on those incredibly hot summer days? I imagine that cooling the batteries would also be required, and I wondered what the range effect of that would be.

Our hot summer weather definitely impacts range. Our roads out here are wider and faster and people drive faster. For example, driving 75 on the 101 in Scottsdale would have many drivers passing you. Driving with the HVAC on all the time will impact range but is necessary out here for at least six months. In a year and a half driving an EV, I have never turned off my HVAC (of course I don't care about range). I live by Kierland and drive to the Scottsdale Fashion Square (where inter alia the Lucid Design Studio is located) and back. It is downhill to the mall and uphill back to my house. My range drops significantly on the uphill segment. So all of the points made by the OP apply.

My suggestion to you is to charge every night to 80% and if you are not going intercity driving, just enjoy driving the car and don't worry about range. Sometimes I pass someone not because I have to but because it is so much fun. For driving around the valley, you have plenty of range and can replenish it overnight. You have one of the best driving cars out there; drive it and enjoy it.

BTW...if you have occasion to be in Flagstaff, instead of simply taking the I-17 home, take the 89A to Sedona before reconnecting to I-17. The drive down Oak Creek Canyon is spectacular.
 
Our hot summer weather definitely impacts range. Our roads out here are wider and faster and people drive faster. For example, driving 75 on the 101 in Scottsdale would have many drivers passing you. Driving with the HVAC on all the time will impact range but is necessary out here for at least six months. In a year and a half driving an EV, I have never turned off my HVAC (of course I don't care about range). I live by Kierland and drive to the Scottsdale Fashion Square (where inter alia the Lucid Design Studio is located) and back. It is downhill to the mall and uphill back to my house. My range drops significantly on the uphill segment. So all of the points made by the OP apply.

My suggestion to you is to charge every night to 80% and if you are not going intercity driving, just enjoy driving the car and don't worry about range. Sometimes I pass someone not because I have to but because it is so much fun. For driving around the valley, you have plenty of range and can replenish it overnight. You have one of the best driving cars out there; drive it and enjoy it.

BTW...if you have occasion to be in Flagstaff, instead of simply taking the I-17 home, take the 89A to Sedona before reconnecting to I-17. The drive down Oak Creek Canyon is spectacular.
 
So what type of efficiency do you get with the AC on and driving at that speed?

Thanks !
 
The efficiency discussions are tiring unless you're going on a road trip and/or if you don't have a home charger. I don't think I've ever thought about MPG with my ICE cars when I drove locally and for work for my daily. I just filled my gas when I had a quarter tank or less without a thought. 🤷🏻
 
Our hot summer weather definitely impacts range. Our roads out here are wider and faster and people drive faster. For example, driving 75 on the 101 in Scottsdale would have many drivers passing you. Driving with the HVAC on all the time will impact range but is necessary out here for at least six months. In a year and a half driving an EV, I have never turned off my HVAC (of course I don't care about range). I live by Kierland and drive to the Scottsdale Fashion Square (where inter alia the Lucid Design Studio is located) and back. It is downhill to the mall and uphill back to my house. My range drops significantly on the uphill segment. So all of the points made by the OP apply.

My suggestion to you is to charge every night to 80% and if you are not going intercity driving, just enjoy driving the car and don't worry about range. Sometimes I pass someone not because I have to but because it is so much fun. For driving around the valley, you have plenty of range and can replenish it overnight. You have one of the best driving cars out there; drive it and enjoy it.

BTW...if you have occasion to be in Flagstaff, instead of simply taking the I-17 home, take the 89A to Sedona before reconnecting to I-17. The drive down Oak Creek Canyon is spectacular.
I think the drive home with the uphill segment impacts your range more than using the AC
 
So what type of efficiency do you get with the AC on and driving at that speed?

Thanks !
I’m also in AZ, in phoenix, and mine has about 40k miles. My average efficiency since I bought the car is 3.9. I will say that I am fairly conservative when driving but always use the a/c and do a descent amount of uphill driving. I have the GT. We have also driven to Moab and San Diego in it.
 
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