Hypermiling "bragging rights"

[fooljoe]

I'm 'Ravvy', usually getting around 3.4-3.6. I average about 3.8 for my commute to work and back, but sometimes I let my wife drive it too... :lol:

Can't tell you where I'm ranked though, because my ECO dashboard feature doesn't work. The ECO score thing is a joke, as it doesn't work in 'B' mode (I drive in B mode all the time and apparently it's not hurting my efficiency); just pay attention to miles/kwh.

 

[TonyWilliams]

This rav 4 Ev is amazing. This morning April 24 2014 the GOM says I will get 157. Two days ago it said 144 and I actually drove it 165. It is the gift that keeps on giving. I do not know why they are not all sold out months ahead.

165 miles on one charge is fantastic. I think the best I've done is 151.8, however I've done about 150 miles regularly at 50-55mph steady.

 

[madcow]

I tried hard at first to drive efficiently. I live up on a hill and driving the 4 miles to work I average anywhere from 5 to 7mi/kwh, depending on how many lights I catch and how far I can coast down the hill before having to stop. The drive home (uphill) I average about 1.7-1.9mi/kwh. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to average much more than 2.8 or 2.9 for the month.

When my wife drives it (longer commute) she does much better averaging 3.2. I've basically given up trying to drive efficiently because it's not as fun as driving it a bit more aggressively. I love the fact that the RAV4EV is so unsuspecting. I tell my friends that it's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

[Dsinned]

It is nearly unimaginable that the RAV4 EV is selling so poorly and its saving grace as essentially a performance oriented all electric SUV is so understated. It has the longest battery range of ANY other all electric car on the market other than the much higher priced Model S. It's not much to look at - no SUV is - but with such a roomy "family size" car interior and ample cargo carrying capacity, it wins hands down in purely practical terms. Sadly, Toyota really has redefined what it means to be a "compliance car" in the worst possible marketing connotation.

 

[TonyWilliams]

It is nearly unimaginable that the RAV4 EV is selling so poorly and its saving grace as essentially a performance oriented all electric SUV is so understated. It has the longest battery range of ANY other all electric car on the market other than the much higher priced Model S. It's not much to look at - no SUV is - but with such a roomy "family size" car interior and ample cargo carrying capacity, it wins hands down in purely practical terms. Sadly, Toyota really has redefined what it means to be a "compliance car" in the worst possible marketing connotation.

Just wait for the hydrogen car!!!! 1/3 the cars, all the headaches of a car that can never leave a certain area because there's no hydrogen stations.

They also get 3 times the CARB-ZEV credit for those 1/3 volume of cars. I call that Compliance Plus (TM).

 

[n3ckf]

i'd like to know what people do to get those really high avg km/mile other than drive really slowly (ie. 45mph or something).

I mostly get 3.1 to 3.4 mi/km depending on where i drive. I regularly get 3.5mi/km when i drive from my house in the mountains back to the Bay Area (elevation drop 3000' along the way), but its 2.8 to 2.9 the other direction...

Elevation change has a big effect, however i dont drive enough at a constant elevation to really know if i could get 3.4->3.5 on the flat.

So what do people do that raises your range/KWH? Draft trucks?

 

[fooljoe]

Most of my driving is rush hour commuting on the 405, so my speed is effectively limited for me. I also do what I can to avoid the accelerate / slam on the brakes cycle that so many other rush hour drivers practice. I leave a lot of room in front of me and try to anticipate when there's slowing ahead. Doing this I can get as high as 5 miles / kwh on my way home.

On long drives if I need the range I will try to draft behind trucks or other large vehicles and keep it at around 60 or less, but that can get a little nerve-wracking. If I don't need the range I'll just drive normally, and driving around town on the weekends in sport mode doesn't help the overall average at all.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Elevation change has a big effect, however i dont drive enough at a constant elevation to really know if i could get 3.4->3.5 on the flat.

Yes, you can, at 65mph.

For hills, one kilowatt hour = 2,655,224 pound feet of energy.

Driving your 4000 pound Electric vehicle up a 1000 foot elevation requires 4000 * 1000 = 4,000,000 foot pounds of energy divided by 2,655,224 equals 1.5kWh of energy to lift the car.

1.5kWh of energy at an economy of 4 miles per kWh (250 watts per mile) = 6 miles of range used to drive up 1000 feet for a Nissan LEAF type car.

For a 5000 pound EV (with all occupants and baggage) equals 5 million foot pounds to go up 1000 feet.

5 million divided by 2,655,224 equals 1.883kWh of energy to lift the car.

1.833kWh of energy at an economy of 3 miles per kWh (333 watts per mile) = 5.5 miles of range used to raise the car 1000 feet.

 

[Bassman]

Averaging 3.2 to date. Hills have a significant affect on efficiency and I live in the hills.