Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:46 pm
The OP (cmwade77) was claiming better range due to using B mode. It then came to light that he was driving downhill to work, and claiming the benefit from that was from using B mode. Nerys is now chiming in that gravity doesn't add range or energy to the pack, only B mode does that. I blame this on standardized testing...
Anyway, a short summary:
* When you drive downhill, gravity pulls the car along the road, eliminating some or all of the need for using the motor. The car acquires more momentum, and thus more kinetic energy. This increases range, especially if you don't apply the friction brakes, but also even if you do. Regenerative braking, whether from B mode, Eco mode, or from just lightly applying the brakes, "harvests" the additional energy provided by gravity and sends it to the pack. Heat and friction losses in the motor/generator and electronic controls, along with chemical inefficiency in the pack, result in roughly 40% of this energy being returned to the car as kinetic energy. Coasting, OTOH, has only the same friction and aerodynamic losses the car is experiencing anyway, and is so much, much closer to 100% efficient. What B mode does is collect some of the energy that is normally lost as heat in stop and go driving. It is NOT as efficient as coasting, but it is safer and more convenient.
That's enough from me.
Scarlet Ember 2018 Leaf SL W/ Pro Pilot
2009 Vectrix VX-1 W/18 Leaf modules, & 3 EZIP E-bicycles.
BAFX OBDII Dongle
PLEASE don't PM me with Leaf questions. Just post in the topic that seems most appropriate.