Hey everyone, took my new 85D (just crossed 1200 miles) on its first trip from Cincinnati to Columbus and back today and wanted to share an experience I had. Essentially, I noticed a pretty big discrepancy between the estimated mileage the car showed and how the progress went as I was driving.
First, some necessary information.
I was driving from Columbus to to Cincinnati.
I was going from Exit 100 on I-71 through Ohio and the 18 miles into KY. 118 miles total.
It was about 32F outside during the drive this evening.
I never drove over 70 MPH. When the speed limit was 70, I went 70. When it was 65, I went 70. When it was 55, I went 60.
Using Autopilot the majority of the time.
Temp was set to 70F in the cabin.
I came from the east side of Columbus and went to the Supercharger at exit 100, knowing I need some juice.
I waited for the car to charge to 200 miles estimated range. (Note this is WELL after the notification showed up about the car having enough power to make the rest of my trip, using the in-car nav.)
I looked at the trip meter with the destination set and it indicated I would have 22% battery remaining when I got home. Great!
As I was driving home I just keep noticing that the miles I was actually driving were less than the range coming off the car. I started to pay attention. I noticed the battery level estimate (at the end of trip) drop to 20%, 18%, 16% and then 14%. I started to get worried. The line on the trip screen was trending well under the grey line that represents the original estimate at the start of the trip.
Here is picture I took when the car said it had 100 miles left on the range. Remembering that I charged at the SC to a 200 mile range, that gave me a good way to measure the accuracy of Tesla's info.
I had been driving just 69.1 miles at that point, giving me an error of 30.9 miles or 30.9% (!!!) on estimated to actual mileage.
I still had 49 miles to go on the trip so I started to get really worried. How would I possibly run out of juice on a 118 mile trip with a 200 mile estimated range? I turned down the heat a couple degrees, turned the seat heaters off (they were on 1)...
As I got closer to Cincinnati the speed limit dropped a bit to 55, so I went to 60 MPH, and that seemed to help quite a bit. (Maybe the last 15 miles.) I ended up getting home with 35 miles on the estimation. Doing the math again, with a 200 mile initial projection, and a 118 mile actual trip, gives us a 46 mile range error. Definitely closer than I was after the first 100 miles, but still a dramatic discrepancy.
I get that it was cold outside...but the car knew that and I would have though Tesla would have taken that into consideration.
The drive from Columbus to Cincinnati is pretty damn flat, as anyone that has done it can tell you.
I was the only passenger and I had only a backpack as cargo.
I know it will get better when it warms up again, but I live in KY and we have winter.
Anyone have thoughts on this? Or similar / difference experiences? I thought I had charged at the SC to a point where I would have zero range anxiety on the way home, but clearly that wasn't the case. What if I had left the SC when the software told me I had enough juice to get home? It's very possible I would have been stranded.
For a car that I am otherwise in love with, consider me somewhat concerned.
First, some necessary information.
I was driving from Columbus to to Cincinnati.
I was going from Exit 100 on I-71 through Ohio and the 18 miles into KY. 118 miles total.
It was about 32F outside during the drive this evening.
I never drove over 70 MPH. When the speed limit was 70, I went 70. When it was 65, I went 70. When it was 55, I went 60.
Using Autopilot the majority of the time.
Temp was set to 70F in the cabin.
I came from the east side of Columbus and went to the Supercharger at exit 100, knowing I need some juice.
I waited for the car to charge to 200 miles estimated range. (Note this is WELL after the notification showed up about the car having enough power to make the rest of my trip, using the in-car nav.)
I looked at the trip meter with the destination set and it indicated I would have 22% battery remaining when I got home. Great!
As I was driving home I just keep noticing that the miles I was actually driving were less than the range coming off the car. I started to pay attention. I noticed the battery level estimate (at the end of trip) drop to 20%, 18%, 16% and then 14%. I started to get worried. The line on the trip screen was trending well under the grey line that represents the original estimate at the start of the trip.
Here is picture I took when the car said it had 100 miles left on the range. Remembering that I charged at the SC to a 200 mile range, that gave me a good way to measure the accuracy of Tesla's info.
I had been driving just 69.1 miles at that point, giving me an error of 30.9 miles or 30.9% (!!!) on estimated to actual mileage.
I still had 49 miles to go on the trip so I started to get really worried. How would I possibly run out of juice on a 118 mile trip with a 200 mile estimated range? I turned down the heat a couple degrees, turned the seat heaters off (they were on 1)...
As I got closer to Cincinnati the speed limit dropped a bit to 55, so I went to 60 MPH, and that seemed to help quite a bit. (Maybe the last 15 miles.) I ended up getting home with 35 miles on the estimation. Doing the math again, with a 200 mile initial projection, and a 118 mile actual trip, gives us a 46 mile range error. Definitely closer than I was after the first 100 miles, but still a dramatic discrepancy.
I get that it was cold outside...but the car knew that and I would have though Tesla would have taken that into consideration.
The drive from Columbus to Cincinnati is pretty damn flat, as anyone that has done it can tell you.
I was the only passenger and I had only a backpack as cargo.
I know it will get better when it warms up again, but I live in KY and we have winter.
Anyone have thoughts on this? Or similar / difference experiences? I thought I had charged at the SC to a point where I would have zero range anxiety on the way home, but clearly that wasn't the case. What if I had left the SC when the software told me I had enough juice to get home? It's very possible I would have been stranded.
For a car that I am otherwise in love with, consider me somewhat concerned.