My First EV, Half V: My First Lengthy Journey

Six months after shopping for my first EV (see My First EV — Half I), the time has come for the primary lengthy journey — Cupertino to Huntington Seaside, about 420 miles every method. We determined to go on Freeway 101 relatively than 5, about 20 miles longer, however a prettier drive. We took two days to get to the vacation spot, with one in a single day cease in Santa Maria and in the future to get again residence.

Able to go, 283 miles within the tank.

We drove 931 miles, together with a couple of journeys to the seaside. We charged on the highway six occasions at quick charging stations, paying a mean of $0.47/kWh. We charged in a single day on the Hampton Inn in Santa Maria at a Stage 2 sluggish station, and in a single day at our host in Huntington Seaside, which had a Stage 2 charger in his storage and was form sufficient to allow us to use it.

Sluggish and costly Stage 2 charger at Hampton Inn in Santa Maria.

We spent 3½ hours charging on the highway and about 16 hours driving. All the quick charging stations have been in procuring facilities, welcome stops for lavatory breaks, espresso, or mild procuring.

Pit cease and cost in Soledad after 97 miles.

We purchased 138 kWh of electrical energy, spending $64 for it. This might have purchased us about 11 gallons of gasoline, resulting in an equal 84.6 mpg — rather less if I factored within the free charging at our host.

5 out of six occasions, we charged at Electrify America. 4 stations had 4 chargers every, and one had 11. A number of charging slots have been all the time accessible. With handy bank card cost, I’d give it 5 stars and all the time search for it on the highway.

As soon as we charged at a ChargePoint station. There have been additionally 4 chargers, however you need to use your smartphone, which I don’t recognize. 4 stars.

In Ventura, we tried charging at PowerFlex. It had many charging stations, and after spending about half an hour there and on the telephone, I gave up. Zero stars. I’ll by no means ever use PowerFlex once more.

Earlier than leaving residence, I made a listing of all the quick charging stations on the route, however it was not vital. The Bolt GPS has a handy Cost Stations tab, which lists them by distance. Too unhealthy you can not kind out Stage 2 chargers, which offer you solely about 25 miles/hour, in comparison with greater than 100 miles/hour at a quick charger. Stage 2 chargers on a protracted journey are ineffective.

Charging in a single day on the resort was slightly little bit of a shock. It had 4 charging stations. I requested on the reception if I might go away the automotive plugged in in a single day they usually stated “positive.” Within the morning, I discovered the cost was $28, or about $1.41/kWh. They charged for the idle time greater than for electrical energy. … This was not disclosed on the charger or on the entrance desk. There was not a simple technique to keep away from it, although, since I didn’t wish to get up at 3:00 AM to unplug the automotive, however it could be simple to keep away from with higher planning.

I drove on a regular basis with the cruise management set at 65 mph. The Bolt averaged 4.1 miles/kWh, or about $0.12/mile. The A/C was on for many of the journey — it had about 4% influence on the vitality consumption.

Drive Slower To Get There Quicker?

It appears contradictory, however in an EV, it is likely to be true. These readers mathematically inclined know that E=mV2. “E” is vitality, “m” is the burden of the automotive (mass), “V” is the pace. There’s not a lot you are able to do concerning the weight. The empty Bolt weighs 3,700 lb, about 4,000 lb loaded. Saving 40 lb would add only one% to your vary, however attempt to go away the kitchen sink at residence should you can.

Oh, however “V” is a killer, because it comes into play squared. To make it less complicated, at 85 mph, your vitality consumption is twice that at 60 mph. For a brief journey, the quicker you drive, the earlier you get there. However issues are completely different if you need to cost.

On the return residence, I drove 420 miles in in the future. If the journey would have been on a flat highway, with no site visitors, at 60 mph I’d have pushed for 7 hours. At 85 mpg, I’d drive solely 5 hours — if I might hold the pace fixed. I’m not factoring within the time spent with the freeway patrol, which might range relying on the temper of the officer who stopped you.

At 60 mph, the Bolt goes about 4.2 miles/kWh. This isn’t solely my empirical remark, however after my 900-mile journey on cruise management set at 65 mph, the dashboard displayed a mean of 4.1 miles/kWh. To search out the best pace, I want the reverse quantity, 1/4.2 = 0.24 kWh/mile. To search out the vitality spent per hour, I multiply 60 mph by 0.24 kWh/mile and I get 14.4 kWh/hour.

4.2 miles/kWh after 240 miles, very economical.

Assuming the electrical motor’s effectivity isn’t influenced by pace, I exploit Einstein’s formulation to learn the way a lot vitality is spent per hour at numerous speeds:

At 50 mph: (502 / 602 ) x 14.4 = 10 kWh/hour
At 85 mph: (852 / 602) x 14.4 = 28.9 kWh/hour

On a quick charger, the Bolt can take about 35 kWh per hour. All of the quick chargers I used weren’t on the freeway, however in procuring facilities close by. It took a 5-minute detour to get to 1, a couple of minutes to plug and pay, and one other 5 to get again on the highway. So, that’s about quarter-hour overhead on every cost.

For those who cost from 20% as much as 80%, every cost may give you about 40 kWh. I’ll assume 35 kWh because you won’t be capable to time it completely.

The outcomes for a 420-mile journey are within the subsequent desk.

Final Hour Vary Anxiousness

Our final cost was in King Metropolis, at a ChargePoint station 110 miles from residence. I charged for less than quarter-hour, till the odometer confirmed 170 miles of vary. Anxious to get residence and with 60 miles to spare, I assumed I might drive quick. I name “margin” the distinction between the automotive’s listed vary and the space to the vacation spot. Feeling protected with the 60-mile margin, I pushed it. Seventy mph, 80, 85 — I used to be simply maintaining with the site visitors.

The margin began to drop like a punctured balloon. Sixty went right down to 50, then to 30. When it bought right down to 10, I noticed I needed to cost or decelerate. My spouse stated “cost,” however I didn’t need one other cease. “Let’s attempt slowing down,” I stated. I dropped the pace to 60 and my margin began to creep up. I bought residence with 22 miles to spare and plugged it in. The subsequent morning, I’d have one other 260 miles to go. Perhaps 300 if I drove round city. I’ve photo voltaic, so charging at house is free.

Conclusions

Disclaimer: I’m not advocating driving sluggish, besides when it makes logical sense. Driving quick is commonly helpful, and typically even nice. I as soon as pushed my bike to 100 mph briefly, simply to see the way it feels. It appears like flying low. However I’m not advocating driving quick both. Do it at your personal threat.

A number of occasions in my life, I drove virtually 1,000 miles in in the future, clearly utilizing an ICE. It was not a nice expertise — exhausting and susceptible to tickets. I’d not have interaction to greater than 500 miles per day with the Bolt. Perhaps a Tesla can cost quicker and go farther. Nonetheless, driving sluggish was a brand new and refreshing expertise. The Tremendous Cruise helped. After the 10-hour journey (with stops), I arrived residence relatively recent and prepared for dinner.

Is it value it to drive 420 miles at 85 mph with the intention to save quarter-hour? Contemplating the additional value, the damage and tear on the automotive and tires, and the potential for Freeway Patrol encounters, I believe the reply is clearly no.

Driving quick half-hour minimize the common to 4.0 miles/kWh

Is it value it to drive at 50 mph and spend an additional hour on the highway with the intention to save $10? I don’t assume so. Apparently sufficient, the Bolt appears to be optimized across the pace restrict.

By Mihai Beffa, CEO of SequentMicrosystems.com. Additionally see half II, III, and IV.

Featured picture: Electrify America will get * * * * *