[stephent]

If you want to break 50 miles per charge, don't take the freeway. I don't think it's possible with significant 65 mph freeway mileage. Take <45 mph surface streets. Or stay at 55 mph in the slow lane and risk road rage, trail (at a safe distance, not advocating drafting) an 18-wheeler or something like that.

Probably you do this once just to have done it, then go back to normal freeway driving .

 

[tboult]

Tough to do > 50MPC @65.. (though one can with bigger hills).

Might try 63mph and/or drafting.

Are your tires pumpped? I'd suggest 42psi on the TPMS for added range.
Did you finish your charge just before you left (or "burp it", i.e. force a recharge for 15-20min just before you leave).

You might increase your anticipation of all stops and be gentle on the accel.

I recommend CC with D when on the highway.. it can get a bit better coasting (L will not allow >1mph over the set limit).

 

[Edju]

PowerTrip, I have a MY2012, commute is 35 miles one way, mostly on I-405 (Irvine to/from Torrance).

Near 65 MPH on CC for your commute will make it almost impossible to show 50 MPC on your dash. My best range was driving down from Camarillo to Irvine where all battery charge was used on PCH, driving at 50~55 MPH (I got 53~54 miles).

My morning commute looks like this: approx. 55 MPH average, starting at 63 MPH in the slow lane first 15 miles, 67~70 MPH in the carpool lane middle 15 miles, stop-and-go the last 5 miles - that gets me typically 46 MPC.

My MPC gets better in the evening due to heavier traffic in Torrance: ~40 MPH carpool lane for first 20 miles, ~63 MPH in the right lane next 12 miles, stop-and-go last 3 miles - that gets me 48~49 MPC.

I always drive in L, Normal mode, no jack rabbit acceleration, no HVAC (windows cracked open), opportunity drafting when possible, but no crazy hypermiling techniques. Tire pressure typically 40 psi. No passengers.

Good luck!

 

[Neromanceres]

The best I have done is 83km (52 miles)of range and I had to drive at speeds of mostly 50km/h (30mph) and on that trip I maxed out at 80km/h (50mph). So your speed is holding you back. In fact i'm impressed you can hit 75km range at 105km/h.

 

[BAZINGA]

Why are you displaying kilometers if you are in Southern California?

 

[PowerTrip]

Are your tires pumpped? I'd suggest 42psi on the TPMS for added range.

I keep my tires at 40 psi. I want to try other procedures before I bump it up even more.

Did you finish your charge just before you left (or "burp it", i.e. force a recharge for 15-20min just before you leave).

I keep it plugged in overnight (L1, immediate mode). It finishes in the middle of the night and I simply unplug right before departing

You might increase your anticipation of all stops and be gentle on the accel.

I always do.

I recommend CC with D when on the highway.. it can get a bit better coasting (L will not allow >1mph over the set limit).

Could you explain more on how "D" works better with CC. I've always just keep it in "L". If you are referring to downhill on CC, I don't have any hills on the freeway on my regular route. The incline/decline that I had mentioned is on a surface street.

 

[bonaire]

CC with D is a little lighter on the regen than L so you can glide a bit more when power isn't needed. For instance, on a downhill you won't be stuck at the speed but could freewheel a little faster in CC. On flat-ground, same thing - if power isn't needed, the freewheel effect allows a little less regen to fight the coast. Might give you another 1/2 mile or so for the drive.

 

[PowerTrip]

Why are you displaying kilometers if you are in Southern California?

I've spent time on projects outside of the United States and have gotten used to the metric system. I also think in Celsius, too. I've gotten pretty proficient at converting between U.S. and metric in my head.

In my opinion, it's easier to work with.

 

[PowerTrip]

The best I have done is 83km (52 miles)of range and I had to drive at speeds of mostly 50km/h (30mph) and on that trip I maxed out at 80km/h (50mph). So your speed is holding you back. In fact i'm impressed you can hit 75km range at 105km/h.

Thanks. Next week, I'm going to try commuting on surface streets and stay off the freeway to see what the effect will be.

 

[PowerTrip]

PowerTrip, I have a MY2012, commute is 35 miles one way, mostly on I-405 (Irvine to/from Torrance).

Near 65 MPH on CC for your commute will make it almost impossible to show 50 MPC on your dash. My best range was driving down from Camarillo to Irvine where all battery charge was used on PCH, driving at 50~55 MPH (I got 53~54 miles).

My morning commute looks like this: approx. 55 MPH average, starting at 63 MPH in the slow lane first 15 miles, 67~70 MPH in the carpool lane middle 15 miles, stop-and-go the last 5 miles - that gets me typically 46 MPC.

My MPC gets better in the evening due to heavier traffic in Torrance: ~40 MPH carpool lane for first 20 miles, ~63 MPH in the right lane next 12 miles, stop-and-go last 3 miles - that gets me 48~49 MPC.

I always drive in L, Normal mode, no jack rabbit acceleration, no HVAC (windows cracked open), opportunity drafting when possible, but no crazy hypermiling techniques. Tire pressure typically 40 psi. No passengers.

Good luck!

Thanks, Edju, for taking the time to detail your driving habits. It's always good to see how others drive and to compare with one's own habits.

 

[PowerTrip]

Woo-hoo! I'm getting there! I've bumped up my fully-charged estimate to 76 km.

Hey...every little bit helps! The weather is nice and cooler. I haven't tried using 100% surface streets on my commute yet. My goal is 80-81 km (50 mi).

 

[RobbertPatrison]

Congratulations! I am in Northern California and saw my range drop from 68km to barely 60km with cooler fall temperatures here (yes, I'm also a metic guy . So nowhere near 76km even with nice 70ies or 80ies temperatures. That is likely caused by my highway commute and stop-n-go traffic when off-highway. There is no spot here in the busy South Bay Area where its possible to leisurely drive 35-45mph without encountering a red traffic light at least once a minute.

With the cooler fall temperatures here (6C/43F) my Volt easily fogs up in the morning, requiring some bursts of 3Kw defogging to keep things safe. That does not help range, nor does some heating to stay confortable.

 

[PowerTrip]

It's slowly increasing. 47.9 miles today. This is my record to-date for MPC (miles per charge). I'm working to get 50 mpc and I'm getting close. I used 10.6 kWh, I would love to get 10.8 or 10.9. That would definitely get me to/over the 50-mile mark. It's perfect weather for hyper-mile'ing.

 

[PowerTrip]

Gettin' closer!

Thanks. Next week, I'm going to try commuting on surface streets and stay off the freeway to see what the effect will be.

I stayed off the freeway for just one day (Friday) and look at what it did to my estimated range this morning...79 km! (49.1 mi) I can feel 80 km (50 mi) coming! . . .

 

[tboult]

You've not yet said what you have your tires at. Might want to go to 42psi (as read by TPMS), its surprising what a few PSI makes.

 

[Logical_Thinker]

tboult, you may have missed this... I think he didn't want to go up above 40 psi.

I keep my tires at 40 psi. I want to try other procedures before I bump it up even more.

 

[PowerTrip]

You've not yet said what you have your tires at. Might want to go to 42psi (as read by TPMS), its surprising what a few PSI makes.

@Logical_Thinker posted a previous reply of mine stating that I am at 40 psi (thanks @Logical_Thinker). With some rainy weather lately, with wet roads, I'm hesitant to over-inflate too much for risk of sliding/hydroplaning. I also don't want premature tire wear from over-inflation.

Besides, I want to get to 80 km/50 mi on a regular basis, running with a generally standard configuration (except for "L" gear), and on regular routes (not one-way, downhill).

 

[PowerTrip]

Sooooooo close...

I am soooooo close to my goal of 80 km (50 miles). However, I did squeeze out 10.8 kWh on my way to 49.4 mi.

This is the best I've driven. The weather is perfect right now. I'm still persistent; Soon enough, I hope . . .

 

[ckk]

If you just want a nice display, I think you can cheat by just doing a partial recharge somewhere along the way; the "This Charge" totals will not reset until you do a full recharge, so you can get some more battery miles in the display listing, by just partially recharging. at least it seems to work that way on my 2013.