GM Volt Forum banner

Effect of rain and speed on the efficiency...

1363 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Fourdoor
This morning, we got a heavy downpour. I know already that my effective range is really reduced by more than 20% when it is raining hard. So I turned on the MPGe display to watch closely. My informal observation shows that I got very very bad MPGe <68, when driving at speeds of 35 mph and lower. The slower I get, the worse off the MPGe is on the display. When I go faster, the MPGe increased to about 90, in the heavy rain. The MPGe increased as I drove at 35 to 50 mph, then it starts to go steady from 50-60 mph and starts to go down again after 60 mph.

The MPGe pattern is dramatically different when the road is dry. The optimum speed is at 25 mph when I can get the highest possible MPGe and a bonus of 22% extra range compared to that at 55 mph.

Anyone else observed this?
1 - 2 of 9 Posts
It's called hydroplaning. Just like a boat the vehicle tires get up on plane and ride on top of the water at higher speeds. It takes less power to push forward, but you do lose some control and stopping becomes more iffy.

VIN # B0985
No, hydroplaning in a car is called "loosing control and crashing".

At slow speeds a lot of the water clings to the tire as it rotates, at higher speeds more water is evacuated from the tread due to centrifugal force. Combine this with the cooling effect mentioned by Qinsp and it makes sense of your observations.

Keith
I thought that "losing" was spelled "losing," as in "Trump is a losing loser."
Ding dong the witch is dead.... doesn't sound like a loser or looser... or a Nazi... perhaps a grammar / spelling Nazi?

Keith
1 - 2 of 9 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top