I live in Edmonton, Alberta. I purchased a 2015 Volt a little over a year ago. All last summer, I was pleased with my new 2015 Volt full-charge klm READING, before driving, and the following electric driving distance, usually 73kms; and it never decreased from beginning of summer to end of summer. Last winter it never decreased from beg of winter to end of winter--a reading of 53kms (both readings would vary 1 or 2 kms from day to day. HOWEVER, as soon as cold hit THIS winter, it read/reads, before driving, 42kms. It surely can't be blamed on my driving or climate controls; as I drive as if there is a egg under my accelerator foot and as little a/c or heat as possible. That is a 42.5% decrease from one winter to the next. That is not acceptable. I have had it into my dealer and they, of course, say it tests out ok.
My estimated Electric Range has dropped 42.5%.
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Then it is OK. It is just Temperature, Terrain, or Technique causing the difference.
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My 2013 Volt used to see estimated range numbers as low as 38kms in the winter all the way up to 85kms in the summer. The question is what is the range you are actually getting? My good ranges always came back every summer.
There are so many factors that go into and can effect EV range especially in the winter.
Do you make a lot of short trips?
Do you deplete your battery on a regular basis (can play a role in the range estimation).
Vehicle speed, Climate and auto defog settings, Tires and tire pressures, are the tires new and not broken into yet. Are you using winter tires? Possible wheel alignment issues. Road conditions (snowy, slushy, wet or clear).
Did a recent maintenance at the dealer reset some of your settings (like auto defog which can use a tonne of power).
There are so many factors that go into and can effect EV range especially in the winter.
Do you make a lot of short trips?
Do you deplete your battery on a regular basis (can play a role in the range estimation).
Vehicle speed, Climate and auto defog settings, Tires and tire pressures, are the tires new and not broken into yet. Are you using winter tires? Possible wheel alignment issues. Road conditions (snowy, slushy, wet or clear).
Did a recent maintenance at the dealer reset some of your settings (like auto defog which can use a tonne of power).
1) They call it a "Guess-o-meter" for a reason. Actually drive until the battery is "empty" and see how many kms you get. Then see how many kWs you used and what it takes to recharge.
2) Nowhere in your numbers do I see a " 42.5% decrease from one winter to the next". 53 to 42 is a 21% decrease.
Even if you say your winter "loss" went from 20 kms to 31 kms that would be a 55% increase incorrectly labelled as a decrease.
2) Nowhere in your numbers do I see a " 42.5% decrease from one winter to the next". 53 to 42 is a 21% decrease.
Even if you say your winter "loss" went from 20 kms to 31 kms that would be a 55% increase incorrectly labelled as a decrease.
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Guys, read his post, he's had the Volt for one winter already, and saying that the expected drop from cold weather is significantly more than last winter. He's not our typical first time buyer asking "why did my range drop when it got cold?"
OP, has anything changed from last winter? Job commute (esp elevation changes), local temperature differences, storing in garage vs outside, etc? Did you have any software updates? Perhaps something like auto-defog (or ERDTT) got changed accidentally? I'd say you are still at the low end of normal for cold climate you live in, but it's odd that you were seeing 20% more last winter... do you ever actually use the whole battery to see if those estimates are accurate?
OP, has anything changed from last winter? Job commute (esp elevation changes), local temperature differences, storing in garage vs outside, etc? Did you have any software updates? Perhaps something like auto-defog (or ERDTT) got changed accidentally? I'd say you are still at the low end of normal for cold climate you live in, but it's odd that you were seeing 20% more last winter... do you ever actually use the whole battery to see if those estimates are accurate?
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I remember last winter being extremely warm/mild where I live. The Washington Post even called it "America's year without a winter". This winter is already much colder for me.
Unscientific observation: I've found that this time of year, when temperatures drop to around and just below freezing but above the ERDTT threshold, is when the range estimate takes the sharpest dive. Below that there is a more linear relationship with temperature. I put it down to the use of only electric heating. Preheating while plugged in to L2 helps.
Anecdotal, and there are a lot of variables at work here (winter tires, front and rear defrost, etc.) but I'd be interested to know if anyone else has seen the same.
Anecdotal, and there are a lot of variables at work here (winter tires, front and rear defrost, etc.) but I'd be interested to know if anyone else has seen the same.
If this is before I have even moved the car, how can it be Temp, Terr, or Tech?
Common question. And ICE vehicles with range indicators have the same problem. The tank stores gallons, but operates in miles.
How many kWh does a full charge net? Batteries store kWh's, not miles.
I can read anywhere from 28 to 44 miles on a 2013 Volt, IIRC. But it always stores the same kWh's.
Our new 2017 reads 58 miles this AM. When we bought it, it read 40 miles. Did the battery change? No. The driving changed.
How many kWh does a full charge net? Batteries store kWh's, not miles.
I can read anywhere from 28 to 44 miles on a 2013 Volt, IIRC. But it always stores the same kWh's.
Our new 2017 reads 58 miles this AM. When we bought it, it read 40 miles. Did the battery change? No. The driving changed.
Because it is an ESTIMATE. Based on current temp and charge plus recent past experience(tech and terr) the car ASSUMES the future will be similar to the past and makes an educated guess. (hence Guess-o-meter)
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Because the estimate is based on your last few drive's Temp/Terrain/Technique. Two Volts can be placed next to each other with completely full, identical batteries, and have wildly different range estimates. If I floor it on the highway and blast heat and go up hills on my commute, and you drive slowly and don't use heat on level ground... well my range estimate will be much lower than yours.
Edit: Just_Jon beat me by a minute! His answer is good too.
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Exactly. I have two Volts parked side by side. Both hold about 9 gallons of gas in the tank and both hold about 10.4 kWh in the battery. However the distance available to travel will be different for each depending on how I drive with that available energy. The available electric miles estimate is based on the recent past driving and may or may not be anywhere near actual future mileage.
For gas mileage we average any car on how many MPG we get over a long period like a tank of gas. For some cars that is 20 gallons or more. Therefore the future estimate can be fairly close. However, if you took one gallon of gas, say the last gallon you burned and tried to predict the miles in your next gallon you could be off considerably. Essentially that is what the Volt computer is doing for electric estimate.
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Its a guess on the part of the car .... temps are dropping here too - maybe not as quick as Edmonton but still heading downwards - and my range shown at the start of trip on the guess-o-meter is now around 72 instead of 95 .... and on a couple of days where we had unseasonably warm temps it actually showed 85 or thereabouts .... I can only put that down to temperature and maybe a small hit with winter tires as my driving style has not changed .... i get the summer bonus, now its time to weather the winter drop ... still using less gas than a Prius
Anything within 40-80 is normal.
Keep in mind, the official rating is only 61.
Funny how people are quiet when they get 30% more than the rating, but are up in arms when they get 30% less on the other end of the annual climate spectrum...
It works both ways.
Keep in mind, the official rating is only 61.
Funny how people are quiet when they get 30% more than the rating, but are up in arms when they get 30% less on the other end of the annual climate spectrum...
It works both ways.
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