What's a good average for the miles per kw/hr

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Randy993

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
8
I'm new to my leaf and have driven it several hundred miles. The miles per kw/hr goes between 4.5 and 4.6 per the gage on the car. Does anyone even use this reading and Is this something that can truly reflect your efficiency?
Thanks in advance,
Randy
 
The proper units are miles per kWh or miles/kWh. "kw/hr" makes no sense.

If you need an explanation, there are plenty if you Google for why not kilowatts per hour.
 
cwerdna said:
The proper units are miles per kWh or miles/kWh. "kw/hr" makes no sense.

If you need an explanation, there are plenty if you Google for why not kilowatts per hour.

It made sense to me. :D

Anyhow, back to the point.


Miles per kWh is like the miles per gallon. You know that the Leaf has either a 24 kWh battery or a 30 kWh battery, depending on the year and options. So theoretically, if you have a 24 kWh battery and you get 4.5 miles per kWh average over the course of a trip, then you know that with a full battery you'll get 4.5 x 24 = 108 miles. However, you must take into account that a 24 kWh isn't going to give you a full 24 kWh. It's more like 21 kWh and less as it degrades with age. So 4.5 x 21 kWh = 94.5 miles. So the farther you keep it up high the farther you'll go.

It's obviously a reflection of how you're using energy. The more efficiently you drive the higher the number you'll get. Just like the miles per gallon in an ICE vehicle.
 
Even the auto mags(R&T for sure) now use miles/kwh on ICE vehicles for vehicle efficiencies, along with MPG.
 
jjeff said:
Even the auto mags(R&T for sure) now use miles/kwh on ICE vehicles for vehicle efficiencies, along with MPG.
A couple of corrections, the mag was MT(Motor Trend) and the value the were using for both EV and ICE vehicles was kWh/100 miles.
Interesting to me was the readings for ICE vehicles, a Jeep Grand Cherokee showed a pitiful 241kW hrs/100 miles city and 153 kW hrs/100 miles hwy :shock: that would mean for this particular Jeep one would need to lug around a 241kWh battery to just go 100 city miles :shock:
They also reviewed a small Buick SUV(the one made in China) that got a woeful 153 kWh/100 miles city and 116kWh/100 miles hwy, still pitiful IMO to need a 153kWh battery to go 100 city miles or 116kWh battery to just go 100 miles hwy. :( I had no idea ICE vehicles were so pitiful in comparison to basically all EVs. For example they also reviewed the new Bolt and compared it to the Tesla S, the Bolt had a reading of 26 city and 31 hwy kWh/100 miles and the Tesla S 35 city 34 hwy kWh/100 miles which is more like it.

So if I'm doing my math correct, I had a ~2 year reading on my Leaf of 3.5 miles/kWh. Converting that to the new kWh/100 miles I believe it would be ~28.6 kWh/100 miles, not quite as good as the Bolt is supposed to be but better than the Tesla, about what I'd have thought and I'm actually pretty happy. Now others seem to report readings of 4-5 miles/kWh which would be 25-20 kWh/100 miles, now thats impressive :cool:
I reset my kWh meter this fall and in the middle of this bitter cold winter I'm getting a reading of 2.5-2.7 miles/kWh which would be more like 40-37 kWh/100 miles, not great but still beats the hell out of an ICE vehicle, one that I might be getting <20MPG in the same conditions. I guess to be fair my wife gets ~30 MPG with her basically all gas powered Prius in similar conditions, the Leaf still trumps it!
 
Most of the year, I challenge myself to average 4.0 mp kw/hr. This is not easy to do as I live in the foothills. With proper tire pressure (makes a huge difference), I can pull into work at up to 6.2 mp kw/hr (mostly downhill and flat), but on the way home, at 63mph, I usually end up with a round trip of 3.8 to 4.0. IF I am in no hurry, I can take the back roads (that basically run along the highway) and end up with 4.2 for a round trip.
Note that with the same driving, I am down to 3.5 to 3.8 in the winter. :|
 
I'm at 3.3-3.5 in Winter, and 4.0-4.3 in Summer, usually about 4.2. I no longer use LRR tires. Don't obsess over the number though - it's only useful if your range is an issue.
 
It has to be judged on your circumstances. If you drive all highway and regularly cruise at 70 mph, you're going to end up below 4 Miles/kWh.

4.2 is a reasonable number if you have a mixed highway/surface street (35mph) driving agenda.

All on city streets 35-45 mph, I usually get around 4.8-5.0

Turn on the heater (I have an 2015-S) and that drops very sharply. Turn on the AC in summer and I'll be around 3.8, even on city streets.

It's just a guide. Understand why you're curious, but after driving the LEAF for 4 years, I just use it to gauge how well I'm driving. B-mode will definitely help as will ECO mode.

The only time I really pay attention is when I'm doing a run of 65+ miles that will really test the range, especially when most of that drive is on the highway.
 
We use our LEAF mostly for in-town driving, about 3-5 miles each one way trip. The meter is reading 4.7 miles per kWh after about 400 miles but it has been increasing as the weather improves. I'll be quite happy with an annual average of 4.5 but I think 5.0 is possible. As others have said, expect closer to 4.0 on the highway, and then only if you moderate speed.

Please correct the title.
 
Wow, I must be either doing pretty good, or driving like an old lady. :lol:

I'm getting 5.3 m/kwh on the main screen, and 5.4 m/kwh on the little display over on the right. This is over the lifetime of the car, I've never reset it. Also, I learned to maximize it back when my original battery was down under 50% original capacity.

Of course, here in Florida, I don't really run the heat and the highest hill is about 10 feet above sea level, and I try to limit the A/C as much as possible. I've always thought a fairly major contributing factor to the massive battery degradation seen in the hot climates has been the use of A/C as well as the actual heat, but I don't think this is an accepted idea among those more knowledgeable.
 
GRA said:
Nubo said:
Randy993 said:
What's a good average for the miles per kw/hr?


What is good, and what is not good, Phaedrus - need we anyone to tell us these things?
Just saw this - are you quoting Plato or Pirsig? The latter seems more on point, if not the original source. :D

Robert Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". :)
 
I am at 34k miles total in my 2015 Leaf. I have tracked my Miles/KWh for the last 9,800 miles and am at 4.7 Miles/KWh.

I'll admit to being a pretty sedate driver, having allowed my previous car - a 2002 Prius - to teach me about hypermiling over 185k miles and 13 years.
 
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