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Highway Driving Mode for Maximum Battery

3440 Views 23 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Lance Boyle, 3 mo ago

Commander Zoron

Discussion Starter · 10 mo ago

When driving on the highway what is more efficient to use, D or One Pedal mode?
I can't find any info on this, but if this has been posted before, please point me to that thread.
My thought is on the highway in D one can coast and not have to keep pressing the accelerator, and use the Regen Paddle to brake when going down hill (or to slow down when coasting).
Any experience with this?

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1nterceptor

· #2 · 10 mo ago

I don't think it matters much which mode you use.
Actual speeds will make more of a difference. The
slower you can go - the better mileage you'll get.

Reactions: 5

MikeH

· #3 · 10 mo ago

What 1terceptor said. Use cruise control if you have it. I just set and forget.

Reactions: 1

jefro

· #4 · 10 mo ago

I guess it could be possible to hypermile on the highway. When I do that I go slower uphill and coast downhill. Slightly easier for me in D. The cruise control don't know about energy use as such but maintains speeds even if it has to apply brake downhill.

Commander Zoron

Discussion Starter · #5 · 10 mo ago

1nterceptor said:
I don't think it matters much which mode you use.
Actual speeds will make more of a difference. The
slower you can go - the better mileage you'll get.

I appreciate the answer. I'll keep that in mind. I may do some experimentation and report back with the results.

cwerdna

· #6 · 10 mo ago

See the 2 Tesla links at Techniques for improving range.

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/16/drive-755-kilometers-one-charge-opel-ampera-e/ has been pointed out. Their average speed works out to be about 18.4 mph. 755 km is about 469 miles.

Voldar

· #7 · 10 mo ago

The best is D + Sport mode. Enjoy 😍😍

Reactions: 2

GJETSON

· #8 · 10 mo ago

Commander Zoron said:
When driving on the highway what is more efficient to use, D or One Pedal mode?

Either is exactly the same, if you are in CC. Set the speed you need to average, and stick to it, as much as possible. I try to judge if I am gaining on somebody, and pull left to pass. If there is a car coming up behind in the left lane too fast, I wait, slowing to stay behind the slower car until it is clear to pass. This way I avoid ticking off people who are too important to drive close to the speed limit.

Reactions: 1

EV Trek 37604

· #9 · 10 mo ago

I’ve driven both ways and not seen any significant difference, so I just put it in L and on the highway use the cruise control as much as possible. On the highway in cruise control it will never really get into the braking in L mode, the regen takes care of the deceleration going down even the mountains around here. It’s much more relaxing than having to manually use the regen paddle or brake pedal to slow down going down a mountain.

Reactions: 3

wesley

· #10 · 10 mo ago

cwerdna said:
See the 2 Tesla links at Techniques for improving range.

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/16/drive-755-kilometers-one-charge-opel-ampera-e/ has been pointed out. Their average speed works out to be about 18.4 mph. 755 km is about 469 miles.

It's been known for some time that driving somewhere around 20-30mph is optimal for the purposes of hypermiling, but driving at 18.4mph on average on a highway sounds rather infeasible unless there's a big congestion.

As for the driving mode, I'll echo what others said. Mode (D vs. L) is not really an issue as long as you're able to maintain constant energy consumption during the trip. Although technically there's some gain to be had for micro-managing with foot control, I find that just putting the car on the cruise control is nearly as good and far less stress inducing.

Reactions: 1

cwerdna

· #11 · 10 mo ago

Agree with all the above. The 18.4 mph was to illustrate the the optimum speed for range on an EV is very low and when people say things like 65, 60, 55 mph or whatever speeds like that are the "best" for range, no they are not.

If one does want to mico-manage when it comes to slopes, look at Beating the EPA - The Why’s and How to Hypermile under "DWL: Driving w/ Load".

Reactions: 1

wesley

· #12 · 10 mo ago

The best highway driving speed for maximizing range is the lowest the others will tolerate. On Korean expressways, I find that to be around 80km/h (50mph) because that's the legal speed limit for trucks and trailers on a standard 100km/h (62mph) road.

Reactions: 2

PLP

· #13 · 10 mo ago

Commander Zoron said:
When driving on the highway what is more efficient to use, D or One Pedal mode?
I can't find any info on this, but if this has been posted before, please point me to that thread.
My thought is on the highway in D one can coast and not have to keep pressing the accelerator, and use the Regen Paddle to brake when going down hill (or to slow down when coasting).
Any experience with this?

No difference.

Drive slower. The slower you go, the farther you get.

Reactions: 1

Commander Zoron

Discussion Starter · #14 · 10 mo ago

Thank you, all, for the input. I'm a new EV owner so still learning the ropes.

Reactions: 1

XJ12

· #15 · 10 mo ago

Commander Zoron said:
if this has been posted before, please point me to that thread.

www.chevybolt.org

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My D vs L Efficiency Spreadsheet

I was curious what the efficiency difference is between driving with D vs L so I created a spreadsheet. For my 9.5 mile morning commute in Austin mostly at highway speeds I made a note of few things I thought might be relevant. The "mi/kWh Disp" column is the value displayed at the end of my...

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A Least One of the Final Statements on D vs L.

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Reactions: 1

Lance Boyle

· #16 · 10 mo ago

All L, all the time...except in delicate parking, where coasting is safer than jumping.

Voldar

· #17 · 10 mo ago

Commander Zoron said:
When driving on the highway what is more efficient to use, D or One Pedal mode?
I can't find any info on this, but if this has been posted before, please point me to that thread.
My thought is on the highway in D one can coast and not have to keep pressing the accelerator, and use the Regen Paddle to brake when going down hill (or to slow down when coasting).
Any experience with this?

Although I already replied above, let me tell you why I like more to drive in D while on highway.
As everyone else, I use the cruise control, right ? When I use it, my right foot isn’t on the acceleration pedal. Well, if I have to slow down at a moment, because someone in front of me drives slower, I disengage the CC from the steering wheel button and the car slows down by itself, in a very smooth way. My foot isn’t on the acceleration pedal yet. If I see the guy in front drives at a steady speed, lower than mine, I check if I have room to pass it and I engage the CC to the previous speed set. If I have no room, I just set the CC to match his speed. All this time I don’t touch the acceleration pedal. I only use the buttons on the steering wheel. Trying to do this in L is a pain, I would need to have my foot on the acceleration pedal to make the slowdown smooth. The same when I am driving at highway speeds and then need to slow down to get the exit. It’s a lot more easier to use D. IMO.

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Reactions: 4

Lance Boyle

· #18 · 10 mo ago

I use cruise control all the time in L and I use the buttons on the steering wheel, unless I need to slow down quickly. Then, unless it's an emergency stop, I use the regen paddle that disengages cruise and slows me quickly. When it's clear again, I use the resume/+ button. If it doesn't clear immediately, I either use the accelerator or I set the cruise control at the lower speed and inch it up with the resume/+ button. To each, their own.

Voldar

· #19 · 10 mo ago

Lance Boyle said:
I use cruise control all the time in L and I use the buttons on the steering wheel, unless I need to slow down quickly. Then, unless it's an emergency stop, I use the regen paddle that disengages cruise and slows me quickly. When it's clear again, I use the resume/+ button. If it doesn't clear immediately, I either use the accelerator or I set the cruise control at the lower speed and inch it up with the resume/+ button. To each, their own.

Indeed, it can be also good and I did that for a while.
What I dislike though is that when in L, getting off the cruise, the break lights are lit. When in fact it shouldn't be necessary for those precise situations. I hate to follow a car when the brake lights are on and off every minute. But that's just me.

Reactions: 1

Lance Boyle

· #20 · 10 mo ago

That is a downside to L, particularly at highway speeds with all of the F-150 nuts on the road in Texas. The last thing I want is hot lead coming through my window, after a testosterone cowboy takes offense of me brake-checking him.

Reactions: 2

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