Mountain Trip to Bear Valley

[Bassman]

Okay. Decided to take a little exploration trip after church. Rav4 was charged up to 100% and the range indicator showed 127 miles. Headed up Highway 4 from our house to see how far we could make and still make it back. Did 50 to 55 mph until the last 20 miles or so, then did 45 mph, as there was virtually no traffic on eastbound Hwy 4. Made it all the way up to Bear Valley with an indicated 55 miles driven and 52 miles of range remaining. Mind you, this is a 6000 foot climb (1500 feet elevation in Angels Camp to 7500 feet elevation at Bear Valley). Turned around and headed back down. Got to Angels Camp, 100 miles driven, and still had 42 miles of range remaining, so decided to take the long way home and drove over to San Andreas and then Mokelumne Hill and then back past San Andreas another 3 miles and then back into San Andreas. At this point, the Rav4 had 2 bars and 16 miles of range remaining with a low battery warning and an indicated 135 miles driven. Headed home down Pool Station Road to our house, 10 miles away at 35 mph the whole way (This is a 500 foot climb over the 10 miles). At 140 miles driven the Very Low Battery warning came on with only one bar showing and 8 miles of range remaining. Made it home just as the range indicator switched to "Lo" instead of a numerical value. Dropped off the wife and proceeded to drive another 3 miles before turtle came on at 148 miles driven. Pulled into the garage and plugged in. Total of 148 miles driven and a climb of over 6500 feet. The last 3 miles were driven around our ranch at 10 to 15 mph on gravel road, so at higher speed, turtle would probably have come on at 146 to 147 miles. Not a bad range at 45 to 55 mph most of the mileage driven. Average Efficiency was 3.0 miles/KWHr at the top at Bear Valley and 3.4 miles/KWHr for the total trip.

 

[khaliss]

Amazing! Thanks for posting this, I'll be doing my own experimenting soon.

 

[TonyWilliams]

The economy meter is way more accurate than the LEAF, making it easy to calculate 3.4 * 41.8 to get 142 miles (which you beat by several).

 

[Bassman]

The economy meter is way more accurate than the LEAF, making it easy to calculate 3.4 * 41.8 to get 142 miles (which you beat by several).

Yeah, I wouldn't push it in the LEAF. The furthest I've made it up Hwy 4 in the LEAF is Dorrington about 35 miles one way. I definitely was more confident with the range indicator and efficiency meter on the Rav4. I knew I could easily make it home with 2-3 miles less than the mileage needed to get back down the hill, as it was pretty much all downhill from Bear Valley to Angels Camp. Ended up just using 2 bars to cover 45 miles and range remaining went from 52 to 42 miles. If I had been driving in the valley, on flat terrain, I bet I could have covered 160 plus miles. You gotta love this car.

 

[Spiffster]

Interesting trip report!

Kinda gets me thinking... I really hope our RAV4 (That will be arriving in 3 days) will be able to make the treck from my house to Keystone ski resort. According to google maps, Keystone ski resort is 62 miles away with 5000 feet in elevation change at the highest point of the drive. I will be starting at 5900 feet. That sound doable in extended mode? It would be nice if they had a charging station or two at the resort, but they probably figure there are no EVs that could make the trip.

 

[Dsinned]

Okay. Average Efficiency was 3.0 miles/KWHr at the top at Bear Valley and 3.4 miles/KWHr for the total trip.

That's about right . . . 41.8kWh (est) x 3.4mi/kWh = 142 miles! I'd bet you could of pushed to 150+ miles, if you didn't have to go uphill on the last leg home. I wish the average efficiency readout was a bit more precise; two decimal places would be nice. On this trip, I think you demonstrated the effectiveness of regenerative braking as relates to maximum range.

Btw, the trip you took is a beautiful drive in ANY car! I use to go to Arnold to visit relatives a few years back. Driving there from further back along Highway 4, from Stockton to Angels Camp, was ALWAYS well worth the trip just to have a few really long stretches of nearly deserted highway to "open 'er up" in my Corvette. :mrgreen:

 

[occ]

Nice trip and report Bassman. Do you remember how many "bars" you have left right at the highest point? I like to estimate how much more distant you would be able to go from that point, but on flat terrain instead of going downhill.

Also were you able to gain any bars on your way down that you can see?

 

[occ]

Interesting trip report!

Kinda gets me thinking... I really hope our RAV4 (That will be arriving in 3 days) will be able to make the treck from my house to Keystone ski resort. According to google maps, Keystone ski resort is 62 miles away with 5000 feet in elevation change at the highest point of the drive. I will be starting at 5900 feet. That sound doable in extended mode? It would be nice if they had a charging station or two at the resort, but they probably figure there are no EVs that could make the trip.

I think you should be able to make it. I'm itching to try a similar profile trip like that, from my house to Snow Valley resort in the San Bernardino Mnts, 75 miles with 6000ft elevation. By my est. you would need ~2kwh/1000ft to be pessimistic, and then just make a normal calc on distant/khw.

For my trip, 6000*2=12kwh, and assuming my efficiency is 3mi/kwh, that's 25kwh, for a total of 37kwh. Close on extended charge.

So for you, 5000*2=10kwh, and assuming your drive is 3mi/kwh, that's 20.7kwh, for a total of 30.7kwh. Even doable on normal charge.

But I dont have a good feel for that 2kwh/1000ft est. yet.

 

[Dsinned]

I think someone should try to break Waidy's record - I think she did 175 miles in her RAV4 EV a few month ago. But, if I were ever to try for a new record, I would rent a portable gas powered generatior and take it along for the ride. :mrgreen:

 

[Bassman]

Nice trip and report Bassman. Do you remember how many "bars" you have left right at the highest point? I like to estimate how much more distant you would be able to go from that point, but on flat terrain instead of going downhill.

Also were you able to gain any bars on your way down that you can see?

Had 9 bars at the top and didn't gain any bars on the way down. It has some slight uphills on the way down from Bear Valley to Angels Camp, which eat up some battery. Ended up using 2 bars or so on the way down to Angels Camp.