Lucid cold weather performance as bad as Tesla

[joec]

This is exactly why we've gone all-EV, and also non-Tesla. Some additional hassle charging on occasional long road trips is a worthwhile tradeoff in favor of driving a better, more convenient car (EV) every day. We took four 1000-mile road trips last year, three of them in an EV with only 200 miles EPA range. Still well worth it.

I am so on board with this. The daily experience of EV vs ICE just completely outweighs any inconvenience on road trips for us. If I were truly worried about a specific road trip, I’d rent a car for that occasion, and I’d still be ahead financially, when you factor in fuel costs, maintenance, etc.

But even that hasn’t come up yet. A little extra time for charging has been a small price to pay.

 

[Slam08]

You are never going to get perfectly accurate milage calculations in the car, because the car doesn't measure whether you are headed into a wind, elevation changes, weight of the current passengers and cargo, PSI of your tires, and on an on. I don't even see how it could factor in all the many constantly changing things that are dragging down your efficiency. It could be closer, sure. But it's never going to be great.

This is exactly why even ICE cars still don’t give good estimates of range.

 

[momoskier]

I am so on board with this. The daily experience of EV vs ICE just completely outweighs any inconvenience on road trips for us. If I were truly worried about a specific road trip, I’d rent a car for that occasion, and I’d still be ahead financially, when you factor in fuel costs, maintenance, etc.

But even that hasn’t come up yet. A little extra time for charging has been a small price to pay.

While I agree in general, i’ve been a little shocked by the range loss, DCFC charging problems in cold weather. I guess lithium ion batteries will not be able to circumvent this and it probably requires different battery technology. The Rivian is a case in point.Until then people from areas with really cold winters may need and ICE back up.

 

[DJL]

If I made a lot of long (>150 miles at once) road trips, I would not have a Lucid on order. Would stick with an ICE personally. But in the last five years I've done exactly one such trip and feel that my life will be made more convenient overall by a home-charged EV.

I'm assuming that the 425 mile EPA range for Touring will translate to at least 200 miles in the dead of winter (e.g. today). If so I'll be happy.

Since the temp has dipped to freezing or below, I have been getting between 2.5 and 3.0 mi/kWh depending on my mood, how heavy my foot can get and head winds. Even with the lower mileage efficency, I am having a ball driving my Lucid. You should have no problem getting between 250 and 300 miles if needed but that would require SOC range of 100 to 10%. If you stick to the 80%/20% guidance and average between 2.5 and 3.0 mi/kWh, you should expect to get between 168 and 202 miles between charges. The truth of the matter is, I follow Lucid's guidance and plug in each time I return home, keeping the batteries well charged (up to 80%) just in case something comes up and I need to take a longer distance trip.

 

[Tesla2.0]

Sunday night I charged to 100% = 469 MIles displayed on my AGT with 21" wheels.

Weather has been roughly 15-40 degrees over the past several days. My normal daily drive is only around 35 miles total. I ran the defrost approximately 15 minutes a day to clear the frost and kept cabin at 72 when travelling

Thursday evening my vehicle showed 62 miles left. Miles since my full charge displayed 180.1 miles so essentially I drove 180 miles and lost 407 miles.

Is everyone else in the cold weather seeing similar results? With my Tesla Model S my 35 mile trip would cost me roughly 72 miles when it was below freezing and I was hoping the Lucid would perform better.

For your own safety concern, I wouldn’t even bother to drive AGT 21” wheel at 15F~40F, just not worth the risk on summer tires.

 

[digiboxer]

But it apparently does drop some, but not as much as in an EV. Of course, as you imply, it doesn't really matter, as gas stations are plentiful and actually work.

And you're in and out in 3 minutes....

 

[joec]

And you're in and out in 3 minutes....

All true. But gas stations are still gross.

We’ll know EVs have made it when there’s a convenience store with 2-day old hot dogs and a disgusting bathroom at every charging facility.

 

[hydbob]

And you're in and out in 3 minutes....

The amount of time I save plugging in at home and not at a gas station during the year, offsets my time waiting at charging stations on road trips. I'd actually say I come out ahead plugging in at home vs. filling gas once a week.

 

[idiot900]

Since the temp has dipped to freezing or below, I have been getting between 2.5 and 3.0 mi/kWh depending on my mood, how heavy my foot can get and head winds. Even with the lower mileage efficency, I am having a ball driving my Lucid. You should have no problem getting between 250 and 300 miles if needed but that would require SOC range of 100 to 10%. If you stick to the 80%/20% guidance and average between 2.5 and 3.0 mi/kWh, you should expect to get between 168 and 202 miles between charges. The truth of the matter is, I follow Lucid's guidance and plug in each time I return home, keeping the batteries well charged (up to 80%) just in case something comes up and I need to take a longer distance trip.

That seems optimistic for using 60% of my upcoming Touring battery? But on the very rare occasion I need to drive a long distance in really cold weather, I’ll just charge to 100% and I ought to get 200 miles to 10%. Perhaps as a lighter car the Touring will give slightly better efficiency than GT.

Won’t mind an extra charging stop in that case, especially in trade for the extra convenience the other 99.9% of the time.

 

[DJL]

That seems optimistic for using 60% of my upcoming Touring battery? But on the very rare occasion I need to drive a long distance in really cold weather, I’ll just charge to 100% and I ought to get 200 miles to 10%. Perhaps as a lighter car the Touring will give slightly better efficiency than GT.

Won’t mind an extra charging stop in that case, especially in trade for the extra convenience the other 99.9% of the time.

Regarding optimism, you certainly could be right since I have the GT and my knowledge of the Touring and how you have configured it is limited to nonexistant. Here is the simple math I used, for what it is worth. You can adjust it to fit the unique aspects of your car and your assumptions. I have assumed the battery capacity to be 112kWh, you have the dual motor configuration and 19in wheels. Scenerio #1: using 90% of battery capacity: 112kWh x (100% SOC - 10% SOC) = 101kWh. 101kWh x 3.0mi/kWh = 303 miles of range. 101kWh x 2.5mi/kWh = 253 mile of range.
Scenario #2: using recommended 60% of battery capacity: 112kWh x (80% SOC - 20% SOC) = 67kWh. 67kWh x 3.0mi/kWh = 201 miles of range. 67kWh x 2.5mi/kWh = 168 miles of range.

The 3.0 and 2.5mi/kWh efficiency range is based on what I am achieving since the temperature has dropped to freezing or below. You will probably achieve something different based on how you drive, grades and headwinds. I really don't know how to adjust for Hp differences.

 

[idiot900]

Regarding optimism, you certainly could be right since I have the GT and my knowledge of the Touring and how you have configured it is limited to nonexistant. Here is the simple math I used, for what it is worth. You can adjust it to fit the unique aspects of your car and your assumptions. I have assumed the battery capacity to be 112kWh, you have the dual motor configuration and 19in wheels. Scenerio #1: using 90% of battery capacity: 112kWh x (100% SOC - 10% SOC) = 101kWh. 101kWh x 3.0mi/kWh = 303 miles of range. 101kWh x 2.5mi/kWh = 253 mile of range.
Scenario #2: using recommended 60% of battery capacity: 112kWh x (80% SOC - 20% SOC) = 67kWh. 67kWh x 3.0mi/kWh = 201 miles of range. 67kWh x 2.5mi/kWh = 168 miles of range.

The 3.0 and 2.5mi/kWh efficiency range is based on what I am achieving since the temperature has dropped to freezing or below. You will probably achieve something different based on how you drive, grades and headwinds. I really don't know how to adjust for Hp differences.

Makes sense to me, thanks! Looking forward to see what my efficiency will be in the real world.

 

[Clearsky]

When/if charging stations are plentiful and reliable, long trips will become less stressful. I have posted this before, my son drove a 6-year-old Model S from Houston to Tampa and had to charge often but never encountered a broken Tesla charger, yes, I know there are some. He did have to wait at a few but not for long.

Agree. I have a Tesla and am considering a Lucid but live in Missouri, a state that does not encourage charging stations. Drove from the St. Louis area to Houston TX through Arkansas and the only issue was the distance between Tesla chargers. The same from St. Louis to Denver. In some states it is almost impossible to leave the interstate and go exploring. The range of a Lucid is appealing but I need to know reliable charging stations are available. Going from city to city is fine but last minute deviations to see some attraction may not be an option.

 

[DeaneG]

Maybe the title of this thread should instead be "Lucid cold weather range drop about the same as any other EV".

 

[Tesla2.0]

Just watched Kyle Out Of Specs. Rivian R1T performed 0.88 mile/kWh in severe cold weather. Cold weather is just friendly to electric cars.

 

[borski]

Agree. I have a Tesla and am considering a Lucid but live in Missouri, a state that does not encourage charging stations. Drove from the St. Louis area to Houston TX through Arkansas and the only issue was the distance between Tesla chargers. The same from St. Louis to Denver. In some states it is almost impossible to leave the interstate and go exploring. The range of a Lucid is appealing but I need to know reliable charging stations are available. Going from city to city is fine but last minute deviations to see some attraction may not be an option.

Keep in mind you can also always charge at destination chargers; they’re not super fast, but if you’re staying overnight somewhere you can find a hotel that has them.

 

[chinesejpl]

The amount of time I save plugging in at home and not at a gas station during the year, offsets my time waiting at charging stations on road trips. I'd actually say I come out ahead plugging in at home vs. filling gas once a week.

This is so true!!! I find myself getting caught up with odd things about EVs that I'd never even consider in an ICE and this is a great reminder of how skewed my perspective can get. Great reminder!

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Here's some general info on Li battery vs temperature....
http://www.benzoenergy.com/blog/post/the-safe-temperature-for-lithium-ion-battery.html/
https://asmedigitalcollection.asme....ternal-Resistances-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-502-discharging-at-high-and-low-temperatures

Basically, it's the only game in town. Solid state chemistry will help some.... working on it.

 

[ac.bill]

I recently returned from an 800 mile trip. The temperature was never above 45 and one morning it dipped to 18. I did not have overnight AC charging available. I averaged 3.2m/kWh for the trip
In cool weather I set the climate control to no more than 68, dress for the weather, and use seat and steering wheel heaters. When I'm leaving from home or some other location where charging is available I turn on the climate control (and defrost if needed) with the app, using grid power to warm the car before leaving. Yes, tire pressure is critical. I usually run a pound or two high (cold tire) when trying to get good range, but it can reduce traction somewhat.
Years of driving a 2011 LEAF and then a Chevy Volt (and reading some hypermiling forums) taught me how to get the most out of a car's battery. One joy of having the AGT 21" is that I generally don't have to think about range or being super efficient. As long as I can get to the next charger I quit worrying and just enjoy the drive. Getting max efficiency can be fun and is handy to know, but it requires constant attention.

 

[wklglider]

But it apparently does drop some, but not as much as in an EV. Of course, as you imply, it doesn't really matter, as gas stations are plentiful and actually work.

On short trips, yes. On long trips, no.

 

[tmilone103]

Tesla Fined $2.2 Million for Not Disclosing Shorter Driving Range in Low Temps

The Korea Fair Trade Commission hit Tesla with a massive fine for failing to inform its customers about how much range its cars can lose once temperatures drop.

www.roadandtrack.com

They fined Tesla for poor cold weather performance.