LEAF Guess o Meter GOM comparison to Tesla

[sp4rk]

Having "experienced" the Leaf's "Guess-O-Meter" ... for a few weeks.

I am very interested in how Tesla is doing this?

We'll not know I assume before test drives become commonplace or deliveries?

Anyone gotten any early ideas or knowledge yet?

[bonnie1194]

So assuming you mean range indicator (I haven't seen the guess-o-meter term before), I've found the Roadster range to be pretty accurate. I have both ideal range information (if I were driving conservatively) and estimated range information (based on how I'm currently driving). I would assume the same for Model S and Model X.

[stopcrazypp]

Having two numbers like the Roadster does, is probably the best approach. The ideal number only varies with capacity and not with the road conditions. So it's a reliable ideal number.

You would have to ask existing Roadster owners if the other estimated number is accurate.

[dhrivnak]

I have found the Roadster to be very accurate. Now in normal mode, not ideal, it can vary a lot as it is based on power used over the last 30 miles and that can vary a lot when you start off with a full battery. But then it settles down and is quite accurate by the end.

[Sparrow]

I find my Leaf's range estimate to be very disconcerting. In comparison our Roadster set to ideal miles is very accurate and even gives you something to shoot for while you are driving. As others have mentioned even the estimated range accuracy in the Roadtser is much better than the Leaf's.

[jerry33]

If the Roadsters range indicator was inaccurate, you'd see all kinds of posts on the forums just like you do on the Leaf forums. My assumption is that it's accurate enough to not cause complaints.

[ChadS]

I think if the Roadster's estimated miles display was all we had, there would be complaints. It definitely takes a long time to adjust if you change how/where you're driving; although it does seem less variable than the Leaf's.

But combine the Roadster's estimate with the ideal miles display (which is what I really use almost all the time), and it's just fine.

The Leaf's guess-o-meter, combined with a very coarse SOC display, causes range anxiety. I just had lunch with a friend that recently bought a Prius--he'd tried the Leaf (and it would have been perfect for him!), but was scared off by the wildly fluctuating GOM. I hear that sort of story all the time. The only "scary" incident my father has had in his Leaf was because of the GOM, even though I'd warned him not to trust it.

[TEG]

The range estimate gauges tend to have a proprietary algorithm that takes into account various things including battery pack voltage, recent driving energy usage, speed, and such.
Whatever they calculate, they tend to "smooth it" (average it) and pick an update frequency so that the gauge doesn't bounce up and down too frequently.
I think Nissan has acknowledged that they could do better, and plan to have improved readings in future models.
Tesla seems to have done a good job even with their first effort.
None of the manufacturers seem to be in a big hurry to explain exactly how they calculate this.

3rd party efforts like upcoming LEAFscan will help LEAF drivers get more information even if they can't get it from Nissan.

[vfx]

Leafscan reminds me that many Rav4 owners had a palm pilot mounted with full readouts as well.

When will EV makers realize that a certain segment want to see everything you can possible know about the cars energy use and generation. Whatever they include, someone will want something different. Just include it somewhere in the readouts. The early adopters of these cars are techies you know.

[VolkerP]

So assuming you mean range indicator (I haven't seen the guess-o-meter term before).

I'm late to this discussion but want to point to one of Tom Saxton's blog entries for anyone with questions what the Nissan LEAF has as a range indicator and what owners do about it.