60 + miles CLUB

[slyastro]

Hello all !!

40 EV miles with a charge is too easy with the VOLT ... why not put the bar higher : 60 miles ??

I just made that distance yesterday: 60.6 miles !!

I just got my original VOLT «ECO» tires since I got my VOLT ... so I wanted to compare them with my winter tires (in Quebec, the earliest you can get your summer tires is march 15, and that's when I got them installed !!).

Here is the parameters:

1) Tires at 42-43 PSI.
2) Speed between 30-40 MPH
3) Flat road
4) Only 2 stops during the entire trip (and that included the 180° turn back home at mid trip)
5) Outside temperature between 10°C and 15°C during the trip

I missed the 100 KM mark by only 2.4 KM ...

But still ... 97,6 KM (60.6 miles) with only 10 KwH is something !!

For more info, please see my blog post (french) : http://roulezelectrique.com/?p=376

Please post your best score ... on flat surface and, of course, no mountain mode ...

SlyRecord1-18mars2012.jpg

[scottf200]

why not put the bar higher : 60 miles ??
<snip>
Here is the parameters:
1) Tires at 42-43 PSI.
2) Speed between 30-40 MPH
3) Flat road
4) Only 2 stops during the entire trip (and that included the 180° turn back home at mid trip)
5) Outside temperature between 10°C and 15°C during the trip

That is quite a feat on a flat road but it is essentially a lab test. Very few real world scenerios where you could do drive that speed for that far and rarely stop. I did 48 last weekend at similar speed but with a lot of stoplights and reasonable traffic. 50 is a pretty good highwater mark for real world conditions IMHO.

[Ross Buchan]

I'm shocked, shocked that you would drive your Volt just for fun.

Great job great post.

[tboult]

My best nearly flat land was 62.0. Done almsot exclusive with CC cruise control at 34 in D on country roads early morning. Tires at 45psi. 6 stops, all without every using friction breaks. No radio, no DRL, no fan. Moderately hilly area, did not make it back home so about 200ft in elevation lost (i.e. 200ft overall uphill left to get home). A bit of neutral costing on the more roller-coaster section until I got to more flat sections out east. (One of the roads is litterly called roller-coaster road :-)

I was going after honoristims 72.9 mile record, but was not even close . Since I do 50+ regularly and my personal best, including downhills, was 75, at the time was a disappointment not an accomplishment ;-( so did not even think of doing a pic. I was already thinking about where I lost energy and how to do better on my next try. But my wife was annoyed about me going out for a 2 hours "pointless" drive and wasting time and energy on it. That combined with how many people I annoyed, I decided would not try it again. I might squeeze 1-2 more miles but I still don't know how to squeeze 10miles more out without hills.. maybe a day at the track so I can have perfectly flat testing and no stopping.

[RScott]

I haven't hit 60, but got 57.2 last year. Nothing unusual about the trip, except that most of it was around 30-45MPH. Tires were around 35PSI, no AC/heat, no special techniques, and I did stop for a fair number of stop signs. It didn't seem unusually flat. This was before I started tracking data for my trips, unfortunately (otherwise, I'd be able to give exact details on stops, average speed, elevation, etc.). I wasn't intending to do so well, it just happened that way.

Hopefully, now that the weather is starting to improve, I'll be able to hit 60, and give all the details.

[Steverino]

I don't know about the rest of you, but my drive to work is a straight line, 35 MPH flat road that starts at my driveway and ends 50 miles later with no stoplights and no traffic, haha.

But seriously, nice work Sylvain!

I wonder what battery range driving at a steady 10 MPH would deliver? Obviously not practical, but is there anyone living on a salt flat that has 6 or so hours to spare? :-)

[DonC]

I can easily beat that driving downhill! But where I live? Not realistic. Most freeway driving and lots of hills. I get about 35 - 40 miles. If I make an effort to drive 60-65 MPH I can stretch it to maybe 45 miles.

[ari_c]

I wonder what the maximum someone could get by using a mountain. For example, say someone in Maui could use Haleakala. Start with a full charge and start to go uphill. Once the battery is nearly empty, use regen going downhill and when there is a sufficient charge, start going uphill again. Any guesses on the maximum all electrical range that is possible?

[Brian Loves Cars]

I'm shocked, shocked that you would drive your Volt just for fun.

Great job great post.

I drive my Volt just for fun all the time. Its a seriously pleasant car to drive.

I think I have an outside chance of making the 60 miles club. But it'll take some ideal conditions. I can make the low or mid 50's easily enough.

[2BeLivingGreen]

Well the best I did so far was 55.2 miles just a week ago, after having the VOLT almost a year. That was in a metro area with several stops. I actually was doing some running around (errands) in real world driving so I considered that quite good. To do 60+ I would have to do the rural cruse control mode at reduced speed attempt. But it could likely be possible.

I think another interesting thread would be, will take some time, is how many ownership years you can get while still getting over 50 miles of EV range.