ADVICE for long trip

[LeafSpy221]

I've read plenty of posts regarding long distance and the 40kWh battery. I have a 467 mile trip down i-95 I'd like to take (NC to Jax). and I am fully prepared to split the trip with an overnight hotel stay.

My question related to will the battery not over heat under the following condtions:

Trip will be March 22-25. should be low to mid 70's.

From home (L2 charge to 100%----->87 miles (if possible try to keep it around 60mph, not sure possible on i-95)
First QC charge to 70%
Then travel 61 miles
Now this 2nd charge will have to go to 98% cause the next leg is 106miles.
IT's at this stop where i'll hit the hotel and be across the street from DCFC station.

Day 2, my next 3 legs will be 67miles, 69, miles, 77 miles. So after the 106 miles, next leg will only need around 70-75% charge, so do you wait a few hours to then fill up to 70% and leave in morning. Or do you charge to 70% in morning and with each stop being 70+ SOC is it not as tempurature heavy for the battery?

Asking as I've read that charging past 80% can add a lot of heat, though i'm sure getting to 70% isn't a breeze either.

The other challenge is each stop only has ONE CHAdeMO plug. That's a whole other topic I'm sure.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/feedback you can offer.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The critical factor here is probably the overnight low temp, and how fast it gets there. A warm night and you are probably looking at Rapidgate, but a chilly or cold night and you may be ok. I'd say that it's that close...

 

[LeafSpy221]

Night could be chilly in late march. I"m wondering how warm battery will be after 148 miles and a QC to 70%. Then have to do a QC to 98% for the 106. Actually thought of taking a dinner break after 64 miles into long leg, then finish 42 mile remaining distance, wait another 2 hours before charging to 70% for the 67 mile leg in the morning.

The end of this 106 mile leg is Walterboro SC and only ONE plug and it is a charger desert at that location, so this stop is critical.

Good news is i-95 down south si pretty flat, so shouldn't have any elevation challenges to contend with.

 

[SageBrush]

Charging in the second 1/2 of the SoC curve from 50% and up is going to be slow. Think about changing your plans so that charging is ~ 25% - 75%.

You are right to slow down since this will not only reduce Wh/mile, it will reduce heat accumulation in the battery. If the day is cool you can think about driving the first part of each leg a little faster, and then using the second half of the leg to cool the battery down. You will have to play this by ear a bit, and I don't think the car display temperature meter is granular enough for your purposes. Get and use LeafSpy

Good Luck !

 

[LeafSpy221]

Sagebrush, the distances between stops are my only choice. (the 106 miles is the worst and no options around it).

I do have the pro version of leafspy. I'm assuming (haven't done it yet) that you can leave the dongle in place while driving? what about when car is shut off, okay to just "leave it there"?

I was hoping taking first QC to only 70ish percent it'll save me some temp rise. This would be my first big trip so I have not experience in what to expect. The shared experience from the forum is much appreciated.

 

[LeafSpy221]

Sagebrush, the distances between stops are my only choice. (the 106 miles is the worst and no options around it).

I do have the pro version of leafspy. I'm assuming (haven't done it yet) that you can leave the dongle in place while driving? what about when car is shut off, okay to just "leave it there"?

I was hoping taking first QC to only 70ish percent it'll save me some temp rise. This would be my first big trip so I have not experience in what to expect. The shared experience from the forum is much appreciated.

 

[nlspace]

The laef is a great commuter car, but for a long road trip...? i might consider getting a rental car--maybe a tesla if you want an EV. Unless you are the sporty type and looking for an adventure.

 

[LeafSpy221]

to Sagebrush's point, South carolina is pretty limited (at least on i-95) so the 106 mile stretch is only option.

and as for the trip being "an adventure", i guess in some way I'm almost looking at it as a way to "see what happens". probably eat crow and hating life in the middle of the journey, but perhaps a little more insight and things will get figured out.

 

[Stanton]

The Leaf is a great commuter car, but for a long road trip...? i might consider getting a rental car [edit]

Agreed...although it might not be what the OP wanted to hear.
I love my Leaf, but we take my wife's (ICE) car on "road trips"--even with my larger (40kWh) pack. Not to mention your battery pack will thank you later.

 

[knightmb]

First question, are you up to date on all the ways to add range to your Leaf? I'm talking about all the little bits, like keeping your tire pressure at +40PSI cold or better (under the tire max of course), no high speed driving with the windows down as it kills the streamline, use the climate control to vent air into the cabin (or AC @ 75F setting if it is hot enough), no "smart" cruise control as it just functions like ePedal that the computer is using, drive only in D mode for max coasting, gear oil change for the adventurous, etc?

Next, how old is your Leaf? Do you know about or use LeafSpy?

Mainly, speed will be the deciding factor for how much energy this trip will take. It will always be worth driving a slower speed if that means you spend less time charging along the way instead of having to make more and more charging hops.

Unless the outside temperature is really hot that week, the long drive times between trips should be enough to help cool the battery down between charge stops. It won't be perfect, you'll be gaining bars along the way, but should help to prevent one charging stop from slowing you down at the next QC station. Basically you want to maximize your mileage as much as possible, but unless you know your Leaf really well, you may not be comfortable with really pushing the range on it to skip a QC station, so that is understandable.

Carry the EVSE that came with it (or a smaller portable one if you prefer), just in case you need to find a good ole' 120V outlet somewhere instead.

Me personally, I've done +600 mile trips in my 2013 (24 kWh) but that was a lot of QC station hopping and some legs I could drive the speed limit @ 70 mph and others I would slow down on purpose (but still do at least 60 mph) to save power so I could either skip a QC station or just the leg was longer than 70 miles so I needed to drive as efficient and still not hold up traffic as possible. I also had LeafSpy so I knew exactly how much power I had left to calculate out the miles I could use.

I've read plenty of posts regarding long distance and the 40kWh battery. I have a 467 mile trip down i-95 I'd like to take (NC to Jax). and I am fully prepared to split the trip with an overnight hotel stay.

My question related to will the battery not over heat under the following condtions:

Trip will be March 22-25. should be low to mid 70's.

From home (L2 charge to 100%----->87 miles (if possible try to keep it around 60mph, not sure possible on i-95)
First QC charge to 70%
Then travel 61 miles
Now this 2nd charge will have to go to 98% cause the next leg is 106miles.
IT's at this stop where i'll hit the hotel and be across the street from DCFC station.

Day 2, my next 3 legs will be 67miles, 69, miles, 77 miles. So after the 106 miles, next leg will only need around 70-75% charge, so do you wait a few hours to then fill up to 70% and leave in morning. Or do you charge to 70% in morning and with each stop being 70+ SOC is it not as tempurature heavy for the battery?

Asking as I've read that charging past 80% can add a lot of heat, though i'm sure getting to 70% isn't a breeze either.

The other challenge is each stop only has ONE CHAdeMO plug. That's a whole other topic I'm sure.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/feedback you can offer.

 

[OldManCan]

no high speed driving with the windows down as it kills the streamline, use the climate control to vent air into the cabin (or AC @ 75F setting if it is hot enough)

Could you kindly elaborate more on this? I often find myself winding down the windows to get fresh cool air to cool the cabin as I could not find a way to use the climate control to went fresh air without either cooling it or heating it. Thanks for your insights.

 

[knightmb]

no high speed driving with the windows down as it kills the streamline, use the climate control to vent air into the cabin (or AC @ 75F setting if it is hot enough)

Could you kindly elaborate more on this? I often find myself winding down the windows to get fresh cool air to cool the cabin as I could not find a way to use the climate control to went fresh air without either cooling it or heating it. Thanks for your insights.

Part of the Leaf aero means having the windows down at speed over +55 mph makes a lot of drag. At those speeds, you are better off having the windows up and using the AC to keep cool. Having them cracked for fresh air isn't so much of a big deal. It's not just the Leaf, many cars are that way, try rolling down the rear windows only on those and that loud pulsating woofer sound that it produces is a good way to feel the effect.

Some technical read on the subject:
https://www.cenex.com/about/cenex-information/cenexperts-blog-page/fuel-efficiency/ac-or-windows

 

[OldManCan]

Got you. Often the increase in the road noise becomes the decision factor anyways. I was wondering about those rain shields one can install on the doors and its impact to road noise and efficiency with the windows cracked open like an inch. Wonder if that would help.

Anyways, not meaning to sidetrack OPs thread but I hope this is useful information for them as well. Thanks once again

 

[SageBrush]

It will always be worth driving a slower speed if that means you spend less time charging along the way instead of having to make more and more charging hops.

This is true because of rapid-gating, not the 35 - 45 kW charging speeds.

 

[SageBrush]

Sagebrush, the distances between stops are my only choice. (the 106 miles is the worst and no options around it).

No doubt. I was saying that you can (and should) get into a routine of arriving at the next charger with ~ 25% SoC. After a leg or two you will know what that takes; just be cognizant of headwinds and elevation changes. 'A better route planner' is a good aide.

 

[LeafSpy221]

I understand the window buffer thing and effects on aero. Wondering about the benefits and details of the gear oil switch?

Had a 2015 Nissan Sentra with CVT and my mechanic recommended BG brand who had a variant with additives that gave better friction performance to help with CVT function. I assume the current oil is too thick and of course synthetic is probably best.

What's have people found to work best?
Is this a do not let dealer know you're doing it kind of thing?
Anyone have results on battery heat saving and range improvement stats?

The more tips and tricks, the better i'll feel taking the 467 mile plunge. All be it split into 2 days, but that can be fun too.

Thanks in advance for all you guys helping out.

P.S. I drive in D mode/ECO because i like "creep" and after driving in ECO all the time, that moment you need a little extra boost, POP the ECO button and it's like a poor man's Turbo-boost.

 

[LeftieBiker]

no high speed driving with the windows down as it kills the streamline, use the climate control to vent air into the cabin (or AC @ 75F setting if it is hot enough)

Could you kindly elaborate more on this? I often find myself winding down the windows to get fresh cool air to cool the cabin as I could not find a way to use the climate control to went fresh air without either cooling it or heating it. Thanks for your insights.

It's easy to get fresh air through the climate control, with no heat or A/C. Just set the vents to any position you like, and turn off the buttons for heat and A/C. Also make sure that Recirculation is Off. You can use the HVAC blower or not, as you like. Cracking the rear windows 1" or so will improve the flow in, and I don't THINK it will add lots of drag, although I'm not certain of that. Best to leave them closed and use the fan to pull the air in.

 

[knightmb]

Wondering about the benefits and details of the gear oil switch?

Read this topic, way more technical data than you would ever want about gear oil changes.
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=32136
The take away is that it depends on your driving style, if you drive the Leaf hard *all the time*, then the cooling benefits might not matter. It also works better in warm weather than in cold weather. Finally, it's a "try at your own risk" upgrade only because Nissan has a standard "Matic S" that they use in *everything* and I'm sure a dealership will use any excuse you give them to not honor a warranty if something breaks that had nothing to do with the gear oil change, so I just don't tell them. The color is the same as the stock Nissan Matic S and the only way you would know it was different is if you sent it to a lab for analysis (which I did for mine :lol: )

If you still want to try it, this topic has the info on how to do it, it's actually pretty easy if you have all the tools you need up front instead of discovering you need them along the way. :?
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=25076

 

[knightmb]

Cracking the rear windows 1" or so will improve the flow in, and I don't THINK it will add lots of drag, although I'm not certain of that. Best to leave them closed and use the fan to pull the air in.

As far as I remember, the Leaf has some air exit vents in the back to help with that, but if the air flow isn't enough to keep it from getting stuffy, a cracked window isn't going to hurt much. I think when you have *all* the windows rolled down is when you activate the parachute. :lol: I can't remember how long ago it was, but I did experiment by finding a good section of road that was level for about 8 miles and then setting cruise control for 55 mph and using the real-time efficiency meter on the dash to watch it when I rolled them all up and all down, it did make a difference on the meter in real-time, can't remember how much it affected it in numbers, but I seem to remember that it surprised me how significant it was. Not a perfect experiment, but something anyone can try for themselves.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I've gotten the buffeting/thrumming with just ONE rear window rolled down all the way. I've gotten so used to using the HVAC to provide fresh air that I only roll a window down if I need lots of it, fast. Or to pick up prescriptions...