Short Range on 80% Charge

[WAM]

I've had my Leaf SL a couple of months now and am finding that I can not get more than 40-45 miles (per trip odometer) before reaching 2-3 bars on the SOC meter.

My average miles per KWh shows about 4.5 in the car and Carwings shows me at level 5 - top level for driving efficiency.

Why then, am I only able to drive 40-45 miles per charge. Do the last 2 bars on the SOC give more "miles per bar" than the first 8?

I always use ECO mode, AUTO on climate control only when hot outside, and very conservative driving style.
I avoid the freeway (65 mph) and drive on surface streets but don't seem to get much more range by doing that despite lots of stop and go.
As an example - I charged to 80% Friday night, drove surface streets 10 miles Saturday with climate on Auto (A/C) and freeway 19 miles (at 65 mph) Sunday with climate on only one way (A/C - not heat) and am down to 3 bars on SOC. Total of only 29 miles.
My routes have very few changes in elevation, temperatures are moderate and wind is mostly non-existant.
I have nothing in the car other than myself (140 lbs).

I have checked the tire pressures and they are all at the PSI stated on the door jamb.

Am I the only one experiencing this short range per 80% charge situation?
Do I have a "bad" battery pack?

I fully expected to be able to drive the Leaf at least 70-75 miles per 80% charge but am getting no where near that figure.
Is 40-45 miles on 80% charge "normal"?

??

 

[Herm]

You are driving 45 miles, how many bars did you have when you started and how many did you have left when you stopped?

 

[tps]

I always use ECO mode

My brief experience with the Hertz rental LEAF was that ECO mode was probably worse for me. Too much regen when I lift my foot from the accelerator. Less regen & more coasting is generally better for economy.

Also, try 55 MPH.

 

[mwalsh]

I seem to do worse on city streets than I do at highway speeds.

 

[DeaneG]

If you start at 80% charge (10 bars of 12) and end at 2-3 bars (say 20% charge), you should expect about (80%-20%) or 60% of the EPA's range figure of 73 miles. That's about 45 miles, the same range as I get.

 

[garygid]

Lets see how many bars you are really using:

From 10 to 3 LOOKs like using 7 of 12 bars, but it is closer to 7 of 13.5 (remember the 1.5 bars in the "hidden reserve"). Also, your 10th bar was not "full" at 80%, losing about another 0.3 bar.

So, maybe you are using only 6.7 of 13.5 bars, which is only about 50% of the battery.

The rather coarse granularity of the "e-fuel" gauge, coupled with the "hidden" bars, make it VERY difficult to do a good calculation. This is a very good example of why some LEAF owners are anxious to get our new SOC-Meter Kit.

Also, driving at 65 is less "economical" (will give noticably less range) than driving at 60 mph.

So, you are doing fairly well, all things considered.

 

[HIOJim]

Lets see how many bars you are really using:

From 10 to 3 LOOKs like using 7 of 12 bars, but it is closer to 7 of 13.5 (remember the 1.5 bars in the "hidden reserve"). Also, your 10th bar was not "full" at 80%, losing about another 0.3 bar.

So, maybe you are using only 6.7 of 13.5 bars, which is only about 50% of the battery.

I agree.

Like the OP, I typically charge to only 80% and see the same roughly 45 mile range or worse as much of my driving in non-freeway. I average about 4.5 miles/kwh and also drive in ECO mode all the time. I am dismayed at how quickly those bars disappear!

And yet, when I look at my Blink charging log, I see that my typical charge is on the order of 10-12 kwh when I deplete to 3-4 bars. If this data is accurate, it suggests that the SOC display is very conservative and that there is lots of capacity left when one hits 3 bars.

Because of this, I eagerly await a true SOC gauge that will tell me the real remaining capacity of my battery.

 

[smkettner]

When was the last time you charged to 100%? If you have not in a few weeks I recommend it.

 

[HIOJim]

When was the last time you charged to 100%? If you have not in a few weeks I recommend it.

Funny you ask, as I charged to 100% last night. I drove around with a grin on my face today seeing those 12 bars!

I drove 17 miles today and only lost 2 bars! That's some extra 20%...

 

[garygid]

As soon as the first SC-Meter Kit gets constructed, and I get the on-line instructions properly corrected (later this week), I will have more Kits available. See the "LEAF CANBus" subforum threads.

 

[davetex99]

As others have said, 65mph is fairly inefficient. I try to stay around 55 or so, even a little slower if I'm really trying to extend my range. Also, my AC seems to use less energy if I keep it on Auto. In ECO mode, it will reduce power to the AC once the car cools down. It only seems to do this when on Auto. I keep the temperature set on 77 or 78, so heat coming on is not a possibility (over 90 outside). I also run my tires at 40 psi.

To help with my driving, I usually keep the energy usage screen up. In watching it, I have found that the power usage dots are not real accurate (and the guessometer is next to useless). I can actually see, graphically, how much energy I'm using or putting back (as well as energy used by climate control and other accessories). I try to feather the accelerator and keep the enery usage at zero when I can rather than accelerating and regenning. I also try to keep the power as low as possible (under 20kw) when accelerating, but that's not always possible. With the hills here, I also find myself having to exceed 20kw just to maintain 50 mph going up hill.

Driving conservatively, I can usually get about 85 miles until I get the low battery alert. This is with a 100% charge and myself (240 lbs) and my wife (much lighter) in the car. With a 80% charge, I would expect the range to be around 65 miles or so, so that puts your 45 miles with still having two bars left to be about right.

Dave

 

[planet4ever]

I seem to do worse on city streets than I do at highway speeds.

I agree with this, at least for my highway speeds, which are around 60 mph, and my city streets, which have lots of stop signs and un-timed traffic signals. So with a combination of stop-and-go together with 65 mph WAM is putting the car at a disadvantage. Five to five and a half miles per bar is probably typical in that situation.

Also, as Gary said, you probably have about 1½ "hidden" bars after you drop to zero, so when you drop from three to two you still really have 3½ left, meaning somewhere between 15 and 20 miles with those styles of driving. Last week I drove 18 miles after I got the low battery warning, and I didn't get to turtle mode, but that was mostly rural driving at 45 mph. (Low battery warning comes after you drop to one bar but before you drop to zero bars.)

Ray

 

[JPWhite]

With an 80% charge I have gone as far as 60 miles without too much trouble. Went from 83% charge to 17% that day.

With me driving more aggressively I get only 45-50 miles with an 80% charge. I have found that I use much less on my commute to work than on the return.

I only used 16% of the charge on the way to work this morning, but used 30% on the way back. I was in more of a hurry and it was over 100 outside, so the AC was working much harder, fan speed stayed on high all the way home. I pre-cool the car prior to setting off to work in the morning, that apparently helps quite a bit.

JP

 

[tzzhc4]

Like the OP, I typically charge to only 80% and see the same roughly 45 mile range or worse as much of my driving in non-freeway. I average about 4.5 miles/kwh and also drive in ECO mode all the time. I am dismayed at how quickly those bars disappear!

Because of this, I eagerly await a true SOC gauge that will tell me the real remaining capacity of my battery.

Same here on both accounts.

 

[garygid]

I expect to post some SOC-Meter prices tomorrow (Kit and Complete) at:
www.wwwsite.com/puzzles/socmeter/

Note: Our "meter" just shows one of the LEAF's internal EV-CAN buss values, that APPEARS to be related to something like "SOC". But, their number might not really be the "true" SOC. The raw value goes from (near) zero to about 281 after a "really-full" charge.

So, our "meter" (version F1.07 firmware) displays percentage (100.0 at 281 raw), or the "raw" data. The Black push-button toggles between the "raw" and "%" format.

 

[DrRocket]

If you start at 80% charge (10 bars of 12) and end at 2-3 bars (say 20% charge), you should expect about (80%-20%) or 60% of the EPA's range figure of 73 miles. That's about 45 miles, the same range as I get.

I get the same results. I have a generally down hill to work and uphill back home. My Prius mileage was 50 tp 55 mpg going to work and 40 going home. So it all makes sense.

 

[TEG]

I expect to post some SOC-Meter prices tomorrow (Kit and Complete) at:
http://www.wwwsite.com/puzzles/socmeter/

Note: Our "meter" just shows one of the LEAF's internal EV-CAN buss values, that APPEARS to be related to something like "SOC". But, their number might not really be the "true" SOC. The raw value goes from (near) zero to about 281 after a "really-full" charge.

So, our "meter" (version F1.07 firmware) displays percentage (100.0 at 281 raw), or the "raw" data. The Black push-button toggles between the "raw" and "%" format.

The CAN bus seems to give access to EVSE pilot signal level, and charge voltage while charging.
Would it be hard to make the SOC meter show those when charging? (possibly just other items to cycle through when pushing the button?)