Today, using about the last of my "safe" battery charge (until the cable comes, promised for Monday) I drove very gently to the library, the store, and home, and then to the drugstore and home. If my calculations are correct I got 373 wh per mile.
I'd say that's acceptable performance for a car that was not engineered: I am sure Paul uses off-the-shelf components. And its roughly what my much lighter Zap Xebra gets.
The problem is that I was supposed to have a 225 v system and 125 miles of range. I'm thinking he just could not fit enough batteries in the car.
Note: I think I misspoke before: I may have said he promised a 256 volt system. The contract says 225 v. I apologize for my error.
Re-gen can make a big difference in hilly terrain, or when there are lots of stops and starts. On the freeway (which is where I am concerned about range) it does no good at all.
Another problem with re-gen is getting it to work the way I would want it: I think re-gen on the go-pedal is a very bad system. I want my car to coast, not brake, when I take my foot off the go pedal. I want a car to use re-gen only when I step on the brake pedal, instead of using the brake pads. But that requires a very sophisticated system with computer control and assurance that the brake pads will be used in a panic stop or if the re-gen or the computer fails. The Prius has such sophistication (though it also uses re-gen when you lift off the go-pedal).
Given my flat terrain, my dislike of re-gen on the go pedal, and my need for range only on the freeway trip to Coeur d'Alene, I think Paul was right in recommending against re-gen.
Today I figured out how to use the radio, which sounds VERY nice, and the moon roof, which is cool.
I'd say that's acceptable performance for a car that was not engineered: I am sure Paul uses off-the-shelf components. And its roughly what my much lighter Zap Xebra gets.
The problem is that I was supposed to have a 225 v system and 125 miles of range. I'm thinking he just could not fit enough batteries in the car.
Note: I think I misspoke before: I may have said he promised a 256 volt system. The contract says 225 v. I apologize for my error.
Re-gen can make a big difference in hilly terrain, or when there are lots of stops and starts. On the freeway (which is where I am concerned about range) it does no good at all.
Another problem with re-gen is getting it to work the way I would want it: I think re-gen on the go-pedal is a very bad system. I want my car to coast, not brake, when I take my foot off the go pedal. I want a car to use re-gen only when I step on the brake pedal, instead of using the brake pads. But that requires a very sophisticated system with computer control and assurance that the brake pads will be used in a panic stop or if the re-gen or the computer fails. The Prius has such sophistication (though it also uses re-gen when you lift off the go-pedal).
Given my flat terrain, my dislike of re-gen on the go pedal, and my need for range only on the freeway trip to Coeur d'Alene, I think Paul was right in recommending against re-gen.
Today I figured out how to use the radio, which sounds VERY nice, and the moon roof, which is cool.