How linear is the % charge meter?

[boba]

In calculating range I have been using the % charge meter ( (miles/% charge used)x100)) and it seems to work quite well. Until today, the main question was, is the power meter linear? The answer seems to be yes at least down to 30 % or so. Near and below that point the miles per % appears to increase significantly.

The experiment:
1. Drive a fixed route 5 times, recording power used for each, along with miles traveled. (I made a wrong turn during the first drive making the miles a bit longer.)
2. Use my 2015 S leaf, purchased last September that has about 6000 miles on it.
3. Use no air conditioning. Windows closed with the fan running 2 bars. No speed over 55 or more than 5 above the speed limit. Cruise control in use most of the time. (All of these are my normal way of driving locally).
4. The area is mostly rural and all took place on the same morning. All drives started at home which is 600 ft. above sea level. Most of each trip was near sea level. No net power used for about 3-4 miles after the start but that has to be payed back on the climb back home. (Why doesn't congress repeal the second law of thermodynamics?) This all took place near Camden Maine.


Dash Temperature.... 71____70___ 73__ 74__ 77
Charge Start .............. 94___ 77___ 61__ 44__27
Charge End................. 77___ 61___ 44__ 27__ 13
Energy Used for trip.. 17___ 16___ 17__ 17__ 14
Miles............................ 17.2_ 16.4, 16.4, 16.4, 16.4
Range(Mi./Chg)x100). 101__ 103__96___96__ 117
Time trip end.............. 9:24_ 9:56 10:31 11:14



One would expect error from the fact that power is probably accurate to no less than 1%. However the 117 range figure seems well beyond what one would expect from that error alone. Has anyone else noticed a significant increase in power per 1% in the low range of power available?

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Someone else will give you a more defininitive answer, but basically your findings are accurate for a 2015, under those conditions. I think they tuck a little more into the low end, kind of like how there's always a few gallons of gas left when your fuel light comes on.

 

[boba]

Someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but basically your findings are accurate for a 2015, under those conditions. I think they tuck a little more into the low end, kind of like how there's always a few gallons of gas left when your fuel light comes on.

If they did design it in, I think it is a better idea than the owner controlled amount of miles left after the power reaches zero. I set mine to 10 miles but had second thoughts and changed it back to the 1.5(?) miles that was there originally. All one really needs is enough to get to a safe spot off the highway.

 

[AndyGT02]

It's better if the reserve is small and unknown. Setting it to a fixed amount is like setting your alarm clock ahead by 20 minutes - you know it's wrong and go back to sleep.