Dirt road fun

[abasile]

Yesterday morning I accidentally charged our LEAF to 100% (we'd like a better charging timer interface with user selectable SOC). By evening, we still had more than 80%. So, what better way to get rid of unwanted charge than by going for a joyride?

I decided to try one of our local dirt roads, Tank Rd., which is in fair condition yet not graded. With the LEAF's relatively high clearance and lack of protruding drivetrain components such as exhaust, I was confident in my ability to navigate such a road without damage.

Somewhat foolishly, I continued on Tank Rd. down a somewhat steep, uneven slope to a lone house in the woods. As I'd been there many times on foot and on backcountry skis, perhaps I was partially oblivious to the gravity of descending that hill in an expensive 2WD car with marginal tires. My intention was to climb back up the hill gently so as to avoid getting stuck in a rut or high centered. However, on a couple of such attempts, the car quickly lost traction and I had to back down. For a brief moment, I worried that I might have to suffer the embarrassment of asking someone with a big 4WD to help tow the car out of there.

Not fond of that idea, I backed the car a bit further, chose a line carefully, and decided to gun it. With tires spinning yet making forward progress, the LEAF climbed back up the hill in a giant cloud of dust, with no apparent damage. At no point did I press the button to disable the traction control. Too bad no one else was around to take a video! The below photograph does show remnants of the dust cloud, though.

Just for fun, here's a photo of the LEAF about to traverse a small, dry creek bed on the way back. No problem at all due to the good clearance.

 

[thankyouOB]

that is great. kudos!

 

[smkettner]

Could LEAF have done better going up in reverse?

Thanks for the story... It does look like fun. I would probably just take my truck on that road rather than the LEAF.

 

[garygid]

Traction on the dry, loose, dusty, uneven surface was the problem.

Good you managed to escape "the pit". :lol:

 

[HighDesertDriver]

Thanks! We enjoy reading of your adventures. Perhaps we'll drive up and meet you sometime when we're feeling adventurous and all the necessary charging station "stepping stones" are in place. In the meantime, keep posting those backwoods pictures.!

 

[Electric4Me]

Could LEAF have done better going up in reverse?

yeah, disable the reverse speed limiter and go for the local hill climb record!! :lol:

An EV is a great way to explore the wilderness and not pollute it!

 

[abasile]

Thanks! We enjoy reading of your adventures. Perhaps we'll drive up and meet you sometime when we're feeling adventurous and all the necessary charging station "stepping stones" are in place. In the meantime, keep posting those backwoods pictures.!

Thanks for the nice note. You'd be free to charge at our house. There are some good hiking/biking trails starting from our neighborhood.

As for getting here from Palmdale, it appears to me that the necessary steppingstones are in place. You'd want to start with 100% charge, spend a while in Victorville (which has a Nissan dealer) for more juice, then head up Highway 138 by Silverwood Lake, pass through Crestline, and continue east along the "rim".

We've made the 70 mile drive from Pasadena to our home up here several times. For a comfortable margin, we start with 100% charge, drive 55 mph on the 210 freeway, and charge at Fontana Nissan for a couple hours, back up to 80%. (Being hikers, we've found that Lowes and other stores are within walking distance of Fontana Nissan.) We then drive no more than 40 mph up CA 330. We arrive at home with two bars of charge. In Palmdale and Victorville, you have the advantage of starting from a higher elevation.

 

[HighDesertDriver]

As for getting here from Palmdale, it appears to me that the necessary steppingstones are in place. You'd want to start with 100% charge, spend a while in Victorville (which has a Nissan dealer) for more juice, then head up Highway 138 by Silverwood Lake, pass through Crestline, and continue east along the "rim". ...snip... In Palmdale and Victorville, you have the advantage of starting from a higher elevation.

For someone who has yet to drive a Leaf more than around the block, this trip will be a true challenge of faith! We may have a 2000' elevation starting advantage over Pasadena, but the continuous ups and downs of the road combined with the overall climb over the summit to Arrowhead makes me cringe! Not from disbelief, just from lack of experience.

I rehearsed the trip and a couple options on Google Maps and your suggested route does show that all the stepping stones (BIG steps, however) are indeed in place. After our car arrives (now appearing to slip into October) and we get some local experience, I'll PM you for more details. Your offer to charge up at your house would be most welcome, perhaps the equivalent of a parched miner crawling toward a spring in the Mojave Desert!

 

[chris1howell]

Sounds like a lot of fun.

I have not left the Antelope Valley yet. I really want to try leaving charging up soemewhere and going back...

I am thinking about trying to go to Pasadena on the Angeles Creast Highway its 47.4 miles. I would Charge to 100% in Lancaster top off in Palmdale at AV Nissan and make the windy trip to Pasadena.

 

[abasile]

For someone who has yet to drive a Leaf more than around the block, this trip will be a true challenge of faith! We may have a 2000' elevation starting advantage over Pasadena, but the continuous ups and downs of the road combined with the overall climb over the summit to Arrowhead makes me cringe! Not from disbelief, just from lack of experience.

Sometimes steps of faith are necessary when you are a pioneer. Yes, there are plenty of ups and downs driving from Palmdale to Victorville, but the 210 freeway from Pasadena to the base of the San Bernardino Mountains has large elevation changes as well. The key is to drive slowly and gently, coast whenever possible, and only use regenerative braking when you truly need to slow down.

Ascending from Silverwood Lake to Crestline, Highway 138 has some very tight curves. It is tough to drive a gasoline car efficiently on that sort of road. But it's no problem for the LEAF, since electric motors can be efficient at a wide range of RPMs and power levels. Of course you have to account for the extra energy needed for the elevation gain.

 

[abasile]

I am thinking about trying to go to Pasadena on the Angeles Creast Highway its 47.4 miles. I would Charge to 100% in Lancaster top off in Palmdale at AV Nissan and make the windy trip to Pasadena.

My guess is the drive to Pasadena would be a piece of cake as long as you don't drive too fast, and not require topping off in Palmdale. Driving back home to the Antelope Valley, however, you'd want to be more careful. But with efficient driving, I'd expect you to have plenty of margin. In Pasadena, you could always charge for several hours at PCC.

 

[HighDesertDriver]

I am thinking about trying to go to Pasadena on the Angeles Creast Highway its 47.4 miles. I would Charge to 100% in Lancaster top off in Palmdale at AV Nissan and make the windy trip to Pasadena.

My guess is the drive to Pasadena would be a piece of cake as long as you don't drive too fast, and not require topping off in Palmdale. Driving back home to the Antelope Valley, however, you'd want to be more careful. But with efficient driving, I'd expect you to have plenty of margin. In Pasadena, you could always charge for several hours at PCC.

The important park here is that more comfort with Leaf capabilities will come with familiarity and experience. That process can be accelerated by trailblazers (and that goes double for Abasile who blazes real dirt trails!) who pass on their experience. I appreciate those posters who help us [plan to] stretch toward reasonable goals.