[roddracer]

Hello Everyone, just a general question about my 2012 Volt. If I drive in the city in L mode I can easily get 45 miles on a full charge. On the highway at a steady 60 to 70 .. it seems to get 32 to 35 miles.. Does that seem about what everyone else is getting? Any tips... other than slowing down... to increase range?

Thanks in advance

 

[Steverino]

See http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?18609-Battery-Mile-Estimate-in-30-s-not-40-s-50-s.-Problem

 

[Tim S FL]

Hello .....All things being equal EV range will vary quite a bit with speed. The ideal speed for long EV miles being at around 25MPH. it drops as you go from 25 and up. There is a graph of EV miles Vs speed i could dig up, but the below numbers show the relation.

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?246218-60-Plus-miles/page3

below is from post 26 of the above thread
Energy Consumption at Steady-State Speed, 0% Grade (also on a dyno)
10 mph 219.5 Wh/mi
20 mph 160.8 Wh/mi <<- possibly best EV range ballpark?
30 mph 180.0 Wh/mi
40 mph 207.8 Wh/mi
50 mph 253.1 Wh/mi
60 mph 294.2 Wh/mi
70 mph 361.6 Wh/mi
80 mph 411.4 Wh/mi

https://avt.inl.gov/sites/default/fi...vroletvolt.pdf

Here's info on the 2011 Volt, without the dyno test: https://avt.inl.gov/sites/default/fi...vroletvolt.pdf





The above link is a great link from Steverino with lots of other details.

 

[kns]

...Any tips... other than slowing down... to increase range?...

1) Use an L2 EVSE to precondition the battery and cabin before departure.
2) Keep cold tire pressure at least 40-42 psi.
3) Drive in D rather than L and leave plenty of room to coast when traffic slows to avoid regen which is a lot less than 100% efficient.
4) Allow car to slow a bit on upgrades and to speed up a bit on downgrades.
5) If the length of the trip exceeds battery range use mountain mode to preserve a portion of the battery for slower speed segments.
6) Minimize use of HVAC and warm the cabin while the engine is running.

KNS

 

[BAZINGA]

1) Use an L2 EVSE to precondition the battery and cabin before departure.
2) Keep cold tire pressure at least 40-42 psi.
3) Drive in D rather than L and leave plenty of room to coast when traffic slows to avoid regen which is a lot less than 100% efficient.
4) Allow car to slow a bit on upgrades and to speed up a bit on downgrades.
5) If the length of the trip exceeds battery range use mountain mode to preserve a portion of the battery for slower speed segments.
6) Minimize use of HVAC and warm the cabin while the engine is running.

KNS

Sage advice. And given your location and current OAT's your range is spot on for that kind of driving. Speed kills - er EV range.

Remember the THREE T's - Temperature, Terrain and Technique all impact an EV's range. Just wait until the temps drop into the single digits and your fighting snow and slush. Don't be surprised if your EV range dips into the "twenties".

 

[homesteadelectric]

So on a cold day use gas right away and save the charge for once its warmed up inside and/or low speed travel?

 

[kns]

So on a cold day use gas right away and save the charge for once its warmed up inside and/or low speed travel?

On a cold day precondition while still plugged in. Then switch to gas for a short while when you need more heat. Also, there are several threads that explain how on a really cold day ERDTT can be managed by keeping the coolant loop hot enough. Or, one of the forum members has recommended a way to avoid ERDTT when you don't need more heat. ERDTT = engine running due to temperature which can happen whether or not you want some heat.

KNS