It is all in the data logger box

[scottf200]

It is all in the data logger box : Uwe Winter - January 27, 201
http://opel-ampera.com/wp_en/2012/01...ll-in-the-box/

We engineers are already working on the next generation of the Ampera. In order to fine tune the car even better to customers’ needs and utility profiles, we’d like to know what the Ampera driver’s behavior looks like on a day-to-day basis. We get help with this from so-called data loggers in the test cars. Over 40 electric cars equipped with this little box have been in operation in Germany, Dubai, Arizona and Michigan for around two years. Mostly colleagues from the areas of battery development, energy management, powertrain control, endurance testing and quality control gather this valuable field data. I also have one of these small boxes in my company car. I regularly drive to our research center in Mainz-Kastel to “unload” the data, easily and comfortably over W-LAN.
<snip>

[frankydude]

Interesting article, Scott!
Thanks for pointing to it.

One thing that was even more spectocular to me in the article are the last lines of text:

"One data logger insight that is a good tip for the efficiency fans among Ampera drivers:
more energy can be saved with the air conditioning regulator than with the way the gas pedal is used."

By your personnal experience, would you support or negate that statement?
Francois

[scottf200]

IOne thing that was even more spectocular to me in the article are the last lines of text:"One data logger insight that is a good tip for the efficiency fans among Ampera drivers:
more energy can be saved with the air conditioning regulator than with the way the gas pedal is used."

By your personnal experience, would you support or negate that statement? Francois

You're very welcome.

The logical side of me says how could I argue with that statement especially in the context of them doing empirical data logging and analysis!?!

HOWEVER, my experience over some pretty hot days (90s) in Chicagoland this summer showed/verified that the A/C seemed to be very good and it seemed amazingly efficient. I hardly noticed an affect on range.

Now if they made that same statement about CLIMATE/COMFORT then I see obvious impacts on range.

Perhaps both of these are blurred because batteries are just much more efficient in heat than cold.

[DonC]

Nice article Scott. I join Francois in thanking you for the link.

I'm thinking accelerator pedal comment is permission for us to indulge ourselves!

[Cord]

The graph was very interesting.

http://opel-ampera.com/wp_en/wp-cont...-Histogram.jpg

[scottf200]

The graph was very interesting.

I agree. Not sure how I would explain it in words though. Green/yellow areas look like correspond to the eco-ball. kM scale on left. Others please give it a shot.
Opel_Ampera_Power-Speed-Histogram-grid-grey.JPG

~26 mph = 42 km/h
~30 mph = 48 km/h
~45 mph = 72 km/h
~62 mph = 100 km/h
~90 mph = 144 km/h

[DonC]

I interpreted the frequency/colors as showing how often a driver was driving at a given speed and using or recovering a given amount of kW. For example, at roughly 72 km/h you have maximum regen. At lower speeds you generate progressively less. But you're more likely to regen when driving 48 km/h, which is when the green above the 0 energy use line starts in earnest.

[saghost]

I think DonC is probably right about how to read this chart.

Based on that, the frequent regen line at the low angle probably corresponds to D mode with feet off both pedals, and the higher streak to L mode off the pedals (and the third highest streak is pretty clearly max regen when using the brake pedal.)

It looks like their drivers mostly dont exceed ~50kW for acceleration - and when they do, they pretty much floor it. If that's representative of our driving style too, it could suggest that a traditional PHEV with 50-60 kW of power would do very well - like the Fusion Energi, Volvo V70/XC and VW Golf prototypes.

Peak power also occurs lower than I was expecting - ~45 km/h where most of the available document suggested it should be ~43 mph - ~70 km/h - which confusingly is where the peak regen occurs. I'm not sure what to make of that just yet.

[scottf200]

Nice points guys. "FREQUENCY" colors certainly is related to the number data points. The kW scale with regen braking on the top and acceleration on the both is really cool since both can be interpreted with the km/h speed.

~26 mph = 42 km/h
~30 mph = 48 km/h
~45 mph = 72 km/h
~62 mph = 100 km/h
~90 mph = 144 km/h

[tboult]

Interesting data. The most frequent spot other than right at 0, is 45km/h (about 30mph) and then another at about 60km/h.

I find the yellow max-accel sub-curve quite interesting as well as the fact that there are point beyond that curve. (Maybe those are road-/wind induced variations)

Now if only they would release enough data for us to collect such data without a $500+ dashdaq.