Finally ran out of charge

Tested the cars range yesterday heading up to do a final walkthrough on a house I am purchasing. Total distance is 37 miles from work to new place.

I charged to 100% before leaving work. Mapped out my course and kept speed to no more than 62 mph. I was supposed to arrive with 30 miles left to make it to the next QC but reached my destination with 3 miles showing on the GOM.

Because of terrain hills versus no hills I changed course and the closest L2 that was open was 27 miles away. Staying between 15-35 mph got me 20 miles. Hit VLBW twice and caught a few hills and coasted. Thought I could get a few more miles out of turtle but only got maybe a half mile. I pushed the car to the side of the road and where it dies there was no cell service. Walked about a mile and found a store used phone called tow truck to get it to L2 and let it charge for hour and a half.

Then drove to QC.

Good news is I know I can make it home from work and if I was home I'd just plug in. Even better news is now I have convinced my wife that we need to get L2 installed.

Wasn't happy about planning trip and coming up 24 miles short from first route so my battery may be worse than I thought.

Car died with 4 GIDs. It showed 4 GIDs for quite some time though.

Stats
Hx 49.26 AHr 45.99 mileage 36,348; 72 QCs, 1,769 L1/L2s

Wish my 9th bar would drop before 10/21/16 but probably won't happen.

Thanks for sharing what turned out to be an adventure...that ended reasonably well...even with the added twist of no cell service at no more battery for use...

How did you estimate your range? Did you use a range chart and take into account elevation changes? Also, it's amazing what a difference in energy usage occurs between 45 and 60 mph. If you will need to stop to charge L2 going slower saves time.

For stuff like this I find LEAF Spy a necessity if not just to keep the mind at ease... Looks like you have it. What is your GID count at Full Charge?

I used the Nissan Connect online trip planner. My understanding is it does take into account elevation. I also have LeafSpy and thats the reason why i kept pushing it. I thought I read somewhere when VLBW comes on you have 7 miles left with a mile or two from Turtle mode.

Not sure on full charge GID count I only turn the app on every couple weeks and I am usually half way to work when I do.

co2112 said:

I used the Nissan Connect online trip planner. My understanding is it does take into account elevation. I also have LeafSpy and thats the reason why i kept pushing it. I thought I read somewhere when VLBW comes on you have 7 miles left with a mile or two from Turtle mode.

Not sure on full charge GID count I only turn the app on every couple weeks and I am usually half way to work when I do.

Click to expand...

Caveat: I stand to be corrected for any of this, but here's my suggestion to those in similar boat...

It's not a bad idea to charge to full and note your Total GIDS as a baseline... With the GID count, you can pick the appropriate range chart compiled by Tony Williams

See http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4295

Note that there are several charts he's put together... Your GID count at full can really assist in doing range planning up front, and then figuring out what will happen on the fly as you near the tail of available battery--all this by using the GID count in the LEAF app and the chart. Elevation penalty changes in range are noted in the bottom. I find we really don't get back much on the downhill as regen so I don't factor much regen in as a buffer margin.

If I had your drive home I'd get this all dialed in, so I could manage speed, rate of energy burn, and arrival... Keeping in mind in winter the battery might have less range...

There is also an iPhone app that has the chart integrated.

Regarding Nissan Connect, I have never used the nav on my 2011 so not sure altitude is figured there, but I can say the difference of both altitude and a headwind at speed are rather large as I have experienced in actual noted travel--one Pacific Coast Highway trip I was inside the car, and couldn't understand why my range was dropping so quickly, and got out to find a 25 MPH headwind. So the adventure goes....

197 GIDS at full charge

co2112 said:

... I thought I read somewhere when VLBW comes on you have 7 miles left with a mile or two from Turtle mode.
...

Click to expand...

VLBW happens at 24 Gids.
Depending on your efficiency that can be 7 miles or quite a bit more.

Turtle usually happens with .6 kWh Remaining. The Gids vary, but usually around 6.

But range from Turtle will only be 1 or 2 miles if you are coasting in Neutral and it is all downhill.
Pack disconnect is based on lowest voltage cell pair but usually is .4 or .3 kWh Remaining.
So usually the approximate .2 kWh is only going to get you a half mile or so give or take a bit which is what you got.

co2112 said:

197 GIDS at full charge

Click to expand...

Here is your 194 GIDs chart courtesy Tony Williams
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7hfg9ne3ojg9wa/LEAFrangeChartVersion7G69.pdf?dl=0
The footnotes are a must read... I think my full is still around 218... Haven't checked in a while myself... The original undegraded GID value was estimated to be 281 for the 2011 LEAF.

Thank you. Sadly I don't think its gonna drop the 8th bar in a months time. In service date 10/21/11. Considering Bolt now or used Model S.

If you work hard a lot is possible. Especially if you have QC available.
Just take few days off and drive it like mad. Reach red battery bars.
You need speed 70mph+ highway driving. Wear headphones and
open the windows. A lot of cargo (regular bricks work well).
And then full acceleration and deceleration cycles.


Charging to 100% does less harm than going below VLBW.

There is a topic about heat torture. Read it.

First LBW for me today, I didn't charge it up all the way between my round trip commute, along with an extra 6 miles of driving that I did. I was spooked for a moment, but I managed to make it back to work today, and will put it on the L2 charger in a bit. 44 GIDs remaining, so I should have had another 5 or so miles before turtle?

Durandal said:

... 44 GIDs remaining, so I should have had another 5 or so miles before turtle?

Click to expand...

Depending on driving speed, elevation change, head wind, temp, etc. it could be 8 to 12 miles to Turtle. Possibly more.