Pretty specific request: do you think I can make this trip?

[katieandbrian]

First, I was thinking that it would be brilliant for someone to create a website (if it doesn't already exist) that would allow you to put in a multi-stop route, your driving style, current charge, average efficiency, etc, and tell you if your trip is possible based off of available charging stations. I know there is a site that will map your route and show the stations, but I want something that would say "there is an approximately 19% chance you're going to run out of juice" or whatever. Just a thought.

Okay, so I want to start in Menlo Park, CA, drive over 84 and end up in Woodside. Google maps says this is a 41 mile journey. It is quite mountainous, but that also means I'm not going to be going above 50mph for most of the journey. Then, after Pescadero, I want to end up in San Jose. The logical route is to continue to go down one, charge in Santa Cruz, and take 17 home. Seems easy, but the closest charging station to Pescadero on that route is 25 miles away in Santa Cruz. So the question is: Do you think I could make the 66 mile trip on 100% charge? I know there are tons of variables, I just want your opinion. Thanks!!

 

[gasmiser1]

........
Okay, so I want to start in Menlo Park, CA, drive over 84 and end up in Woodside. Google maps says this is a 41 mile journey. It is quite mountainous, but that also means I'm not going to be going above 50mph for most of the journey. Then, after Pescadero, I want to end up in San Jose. The logical route is to continue to go down one, charge in Santa Cruz, and take 17 home. Seems easy, but the closest charging station to Pescadero on that route is 25 miles away in Santa Cruz. So the question is: Do you think I could make the 66 mile trip on 100% charge? I know there are tons of variables, I just want your opinion. Thanks!!

I used to live in San Carlos. We have driven from San Carlos to Pescadero and back twice now. BUT....we had to charge up at the Pescadero Post office 120vt outlet for 2 hours to make the round trip. This was driving very conservatively.

Unfortunately, your trip proposal is unrealistic with all the hills.

 

[stjohnh]

If your GOM at 100 % charge says you can make it, then you probably can. The GOM in the 2013 Leaf is much better than in the older Leafs.

2 days ago I drove my 2013 SV from Palo Alto, over the Santa Cruz mountains to UC Santa Cruz and back starting w 98% charge and ending a little above VLBW w 27 Gids left. Total miles=87. Eff meter listed 4.8mi/kwh. About 1/3 trip was highway at 64-65mph, 1/3 heavy traffic highway about 25-50mph, 1/3 up and down the mountains on Highway 17 to and from Santa Cruz. I'm not sure the rise and fall, but probably at least 2000 feet up and 2000 feet down each way ( 2x- to Santa Cruz and back). Anyway, considering that I had 27 Gids left, I figure that the range is at least 95miles and maybe 105 or so, from 98% charge to turtle.

 

[TomT]

This is actually bad advice since the GOM knows nothing about your next planned trip, which may be very different from the last trip with which it reached its current estimate... This could conceivably leave you stranded high and dry, so to speak...

If your GOM at 100 % charge says you can make it, then you probably can. The GOM in the 2013 Leaf is much better than in the older Leafs.

 

[TonyWilliams]

If your GOM at 100 % charge says you can make it, then you probably can. The GOM in the 2013 Leaf is much better than in the older Leafs.

Really, really bad advice. No GOM will know the future plan of driving up a mountain, or through snow or rain, or I'm going to drive 90mph, or run the heater, etc.

You can try the Apple app, "LEAF Energy". It's based on the range chart linked in my signature line.

 

[Nubo]

First, I was thinking that it would be brilliant for someone to create a website (if it doesn't already exist) that would allow you to put in a multi-stop route, your driving style, current charge, average efficiency, etc, and tell you if your trip is possible based off of available charging stations. I know there is a site that will map your route and show the stations, but I want something that would say "there is an approximately 19% chance you're going to run out of juice" or whatever. Just a thought.

Carwings does this. But I don't use their prognostications.

Okay, so I want to start in Menlo Park, CA, drive over 84 and end up in Woodside. Google maps says this is a 41 mile journey. It is quite mountainous, but that also means I'm not going to be going above 50mph for most of the journey. Then, after Pescadero, I want to end up in San Jose. The logical route is to continue to go down one, charge in Santa Cruz, and take 17 home. Seems easy, but the closest charging station to Pescadero on that route is 25 miles away in Santa Cruz. So the question is: Do you think I could make the 66 mile trip on 100% charge? I know there are tons of variables, I just want your opinion. Thanks!!

This was part of a trip a couple of months back in my 2011 LEAF:

Vallejo to East Palo Alto

charge to full at the L3 charger on the Facebook campus.

Palo Alto to Pescadaro via hwy 84, and hwy 1.

Pescadaro to Palo Alto via hwy 1 and hwy 84

Charge to full at the L3 charger on the Facebook campus.

back home.

Since your are taking pretty much the same route (as my middle 2 legs), as long as you're careful on the 84 I think you can get to pescadero and back without charging. but maybe I'm not understanding your route. Menlo Park to Woodside is only about 7 miles... 35 if you continue to pescadero.

my single-charge drive:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Hacker+Way&daddr=37.4552801,-122.2243962+to:37.3533904,-122.2642444+toescadero,+ca+to:37.3123821,-122.2889098+to:Hacker+Way,+Menlo+Park,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.396892,-122.227707&spn=0.444584,0.617294&sll=37.401256,-122.290878&sspn=0.444558,0.617294&geocode=FRL-OwId7yK4-A%3BFbCFOwId9AC3-Cn9YIGPg6OPgDG2HoOZMMZeXw%3BFa73OQIdTGW2-ClTBp9UU6-PgDH6gc2OmI4Axg%3BFfx3OAIdWZW0-CnBxBO2tACPgDF3i4d3kGA8BA%3BFX5XOQId8wS2-ClvzpiV4aiPgDHz1jzHFINAlg%3BFYLyOwIdzi64-CnVIHsal7yPgDHjBQDyi7bZ-A&oq=hacker+way&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=4&sz=11&via=1,2,4&z=11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[stjohnh]

Sorry that some think the 2013 GOM is no good. I am not sure those people are commenting from actual experience with the 2013 gom.

They are absolutely right that relying on the gom can leave you stranded. The 2013 gom uses info from about the previous 5 miles to predict your range. If you were hypermiling the previous 5 miles, then switched to inefficient high speed driving, you may indeed find the gom inaccurate.

Besides using different programming for the 2013 gom, the 2013 Leafs have more miles below Very low battery warning than prior years.

I didn't use the gom on my 2013 Leafs (we have 2) for a couple of months because of what I read on these forums, which are mostly based on 2011 and 2012 Leafs.

I recommend that everyone do a range test with their car, being sure to drive to turtle. I think owners of 2013 Leafs will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[stjohnh]

Oh, katieandbrian, if you make the trip, be aware that as you reach the peak of the mountains that the GOM will show a frightenly low distance to empty, you will get most of that back on regeneration going down the mountains.

Also Santa Cruz has lots of L2 chargers, many free courtesy of the city. NO L 3 chargers however.

 

[Nubo]

Oh, katieandbrian, if you make the trip, be aware that as you reach the peak of the mountains that the GOM will show a frightenly low distance to empty, you will get most of that back on regeneration going down the mountains.

Absolutely! If you're not familiar with that behavior, the climb backup 84 will make you sweat! That's where the info in Tony's chart is invaluable.

By the way, the Artichoke soup is SOOO worth it!

 

[TonyWilliams]

Sorry that some think the 2013 GOM is no good. I am not sure those people are commenting from actual experience with the 2013 gom.

I usually try my best to not engage my brain in GOM discussions, but I did say that ALL of the GOM's can only guess based on what you did, not what you're going to do.

Until you can input a destination and route (like every modern aircraft) with temperature (battery and ambient), wind, road conditions, elevation data, tire pressure, gross vehicle weight and planned speed to calculate what you will be doing IN THE FUTURE, there is no hope of ANY of the current guessing devices being accurate except for when you drive exactly the same stuff that you drove in the past.

Obviously, even with all that data, the driver of one car may accelerate rapidly and brake quickly at every stop, skewing the data. I guess you need a "driver profile" subjective score added based on how good or bad you drive, and how many stops you're likely to make.

 

[katieandbrian]

Thanks for everyone's help! I will definitely make this trip sometime and let you know if it worked out.

 

[SalisburySam]

Good luck on your trip.

I agree with TonyWilliams: try the "LEAF Energy" app for iOS if you have an iOS device. It has been very accurate for my drives. Suggest you use the app for two separate legs: the trip outbound, and the trip back. Tony's chart (and the app) take into consideration the elevations at start and end points as well as air temp, speed, use of climate control, miles on the car, battery temp, battery capacity, fuel bars. Basically the only variable is your driving habits and only you can assess the impact of those.

Best,

 

[hpver]

Does the Leaf Energy app takes into account total elevation gain and loss for a trip, or does it just look at starting and ending elevation and use the difference between the two?

If it does the latter, its estimates are going to be overly optimistic for roads that have lots of ups and downs along the way.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Does the Leaf Energy app takes into account total elevation gain and loss for a trip, or does it just look at starting and ending elevation and use the difference between the two?

If it does the latter, its estimates are going to be overly optimistic for roads that have lots of ups and downs along the way.

Only the start and ending elevation.

Yes, if it's particularly hilly, or you're going over a mountain pass, you might want to do the trip in two or more planned legs. One for the top of the pass, and one for down the other side.

If it's what folks in the east call "mountains", it's starts getting into noise.

 

[cossie1600]

You can do it if you try conservatively.

 

[johnrhansen]

I took a long trip into the unknown in my leaf once. What I did was call ahead (a mechanic or RV park works best) and find someone who would let me charge along the way. I have the evse upgrade and all the adapters. I would then write down the charge used for each leg of the trip. When I finish the trip I add up the charge used numbers and if they are less than 100 minus a safety factor, I know I can make the trip without charging next time. I don't like sweating. If I can't do any of these things, I fire up the ice and go the old fashioned way.