Highway speed effects on range

[DanHi]

I'm planning a 2 hour trip that is almost exclusively freeway driving. I'm not really in that much of a hurry, and wonder how cruising speed effects range. The freeway here is 75 mph, so normally I would cruise around 82 or 83, but if that would make a significant reduction in range over 75, I could change my behavior. Any data on how crusing speed effects range?

 

[ColonelBadger]

For me I've found the sweet spot is 75mph, just quick enough to feel slow and mean you're in the way over everyone, but good for range.

 

[Jfam]

Put your destination in the car’s navigation. It will then continually update the range you will have at your destination. I do this and then also use Waze from Apple CarPlay. Waze appears on the right screen of the cockpit and range at destination continues to appear on the left side.

 

[Andretex]

At 75, you should get about 3.7 or so miles per kw. At 85 that should drop about 10% or so to 3.3 or a bit lower.

 

[illopp00]

At 75, you should get about 3.7 or so miles per kw. At 85 that should drop about 10% or so to 3.3 or a bit lower.

Somehow I have been able to get 4.7 on Highways with traffic using Adaptive cruise and the HVAC set to Auto at 73, average speed is closer to 60 with the traffic flow however driving around Chicagoland in between towns on the highways, so not a true long road trip.

 

[kort6776]

I will be driving my AIR GT from FL to NJ next week, I usually set the speed to 72 MPH which is really 70. I am hoping to get 400 miles from a 100% charge. I'll report what I do get.

 

[Andretex]

I will be driving my AIR GT from FL to NJ next week, I usually set the speed to 72 MPH which is really 70. I am hoping to get 400 miles from a 100% charge. I'll report what I do get.

If you accelerate slowly, use cruise control and stay at 72 mph, you should be able to do it!

 

[Thinjake]

I just did a test run of 40 miles on the highway at 67 cruise (65 real world). I only got 3.8. 71 degrees. No AC or anything other than radio.

 

[HC_79]

For me I've found the sweet spot is 75mph, just quick enough to feel slow and mean you're in the way over everyone, but good for range.

I agree with this. I've noticed the moment you go over 80mph you will notice the range start to drop quicker so 75 to 80 is usually my sweet spot.

 

[kort6776]

I just did a test run of 40 miles on the highway at 67 cruise (65 real world). I only got 3.8. 71 degrees. No AC or anything other than radio.

with 21 inch wheels you probably will not do too much better

 

[hmp10]

Aerodynamic drag, which is the biggest range factor at highway speeds, increases exponentially with speed. So there's a real drop off in range at 80 mph compared to 70 mph. (The same happens with internal combustion powered cars, but gas stations on every corner cause people to worry less about it.) When cruising between 80-85 mph, we get about 75% of the EPA-rated range of our Lucid.

Our car on 21" wheels is rated at 451 miles of range, and we consistently rack up 3 hours of driving just over 80 mph on interstates (with occasional bursts to higher speeds) using under 70% of the battery's range.

However, the range of any Lucid Air, including the Pure, is such that you can drive on a 2-hour trip at pretty much any speed that won't send you to jail without any fear of running out of range.

 

[hmp10]

I'm planning a 2 hour trip that is almost exclusively freeway driving. I'm not really in that much of a hurry, and wonder how cruising speed effects range. The freeway here is 75 mph, so normally I would cruise around 82 or 83, but if that would make a significant reduction in range over 75, I could change my behavior. Any data on how crusing speed effects range?

I just noticed your post was a few weeks back.

Did you make the trip? How did it go?

 

[illopp00]

I just did a test run of 40 miles on the highway at 67 cruise (65 real world). I only got 3.8. 71 degrees. No AC or anything other than radio.

I found it best to use Swift Mode with Standard Regen on highway. It lets the car cruise/coast more and is more efficient, at 65 I can easily get 4.7 on 19 in wheels with AC set to 72-73 and middle vented seating settings. Then use ACC.

 

[kort6776]

I found it best to use Swift Mode with Standard Regen on highway. It lets the car cruise/coast more and is more efficient, at 65 I can easily get 4.7 on 19 in wheels with AC set to 72-73 and middle vented seating settings. Then use ACC.

I have not seen better than 4.2 at 70+ mph, 65moh down here in fla is just too slow

 

[HariK]

I got 3.8 in pure with ac set to 75F fan speed 8 HA set to 72 meaning 70mph on a flat road when the ambient was 110f. It dropped to 3.6 in ambient 35 to 45f heat set to 68 auto fan. 19 inch wheels

 

[HC_79]

It’s definitely possible to get into the 4’s at highway speeds. State of Charge just did a 70mph range test on the 2024 Air GT

 

[hydbob]

It’s definitely possible to get into the 4’s at highway speeds. State of Charge just did a 70mph range test on the 2024 Air GT

View attachment 22695

One thing of very important note when people are wondering about their range. He made comments about a 7mph headwind..a slight increase from the 5mph he was experiencing earlier plus the 10 degree temp change caused him to go from 4.3 mi/kwh down to 4.0 mi/kwh a decrease of 7%!

 

[translux]

This is purely anecdotal but from my experience repeated rapid high speed acceleration kills range. Just like an ICE powered car.
Last extended run with brisk blasts of acceleration I went from 90% SOC to 20% in roughly 150 miles.
On the return trip taking it easy and cruising with traffic @ 80mph I used roughly 30% vs 70%.

 

[joec]

This is purely anecdotal but from my experience repeated rapid high speed acceleration kills range. Just like an ICE powered car.
Last extended run with brisk blasts of acceleration I went from 90% SOC to 20% in roughly 150 miles.
On the return trip taking it easy and cruising with traffic @ 80mph I used roughly 30% vs 70%.

Not anecdotal. The car is heavy. Getting it moving, or pushing it faster takes more energy.

This is why highway range tends to be better than city range.

It's also why you'll do better with long stretches at a common speed than if you make frequent stops. Every acceleration up the on ramp will drain you a bit more. Take those as gradual as you can safely, and you'll get better range that way, too.

 

[chris]

I can tell you I only saw an average of 3 miles per kW when doing 82mph... lol