Stuck in traffic questions

[TheSimpsonsMan]

I've never had an issue running out of gas in my life but this will be my first EV so I wanted to ask a question regarding traffic. I might be driving in some *sugar* traffic this week (bumper to bumper) due to labor day weekend and hurricane traffic and I wanted to ask all of your experiences in this.

As in do I need to make sure i'm over 50% at all time because I won't know how much battery will be getting used in bumper to bumper traffic.

This is my first EV and i've watched and read a bunch of questions similar to this but figured id ask everyone on here because im assuming a few of you all have been in similar situations.

Thank you.

 

[TesraY]

I feel bumper to bumper traffic is "best" for EVs as in my experience I use very little battery in NYC traffic versus me speeding around on the highway.

 

[E90alex]

Very little battery is used sitting still. You’re basically just running the climate and infotainment system. Maybe 1% an hour depending on the temperature.

 

[chan_man]

The motors use >95% of the battery compared to climate or infotainment. There was an article right after some big snowstorms where many ICE vehicles ran out of gas and compared to EV that can survive a day or so stuck in the snow. guess you would have to turn the heat down some to make sure but you should not need a tow

 

[ATPMSD]

On an average 70F day, a Model 3 with resistance heating consumes about 2,100 watts/hr. while a heat-pump version consumes about 735 watts/hr. Not a model Y of course, but the values should be similar

A comparison of a Tesla Model 3 with a heat pump to one without shows impressive results

We compare a newer Model 3 that has a heat pump with an older one that doesn't, and the former shows impressive results.

electrek.co

 

[tradosaurus]

EV's excel in heavy stop and go traffic.

 

[Black306]

Unless you're stuck in a stopped-for-many-hours-long bumper-to-bumper traffic, don't worry about it. Unlike ICE cars that are efficient at ~60mph, an EV is typically most efficient at ~20mph. Link and graph is for a Model S, but the concept is the same.

Model S Efficiency and Range | Tesla

www.tesla.com

 

[Bouba]

If it’s cold use the seat and steering wheel heaters rather than the cabin heater....if you think about it, those cars with stop start in traffic capability use a lot smaller battery

 

[damageprone]

Very little battery is used sitting still. You’re basically just running the climate and infotainment system. Maybe 1% an hour depending on the temperature.

I can confirm. I was stuck in 115 F heat with a tire blown out during the summer on my way home from Vegas for 3.5 hours. The battery only dropped 3% with running A/C the entire time.

 

[Chisale]

I live in the north and the corollary to this is all the EV skeptics who say I'm going to freeze to death in a blizzard in the winter. Yes, like others have said, all things being equal, you'll be happily motoring on long after ICE cars have run out of gas.

 

[animorph]

Driving in rush hour L.A. traffic across southern California in the summer resulted in my lifetime Model X longest driving stint, both in miles driven and time taken. I was able to skip our planned SC stop and make one much further on. We've had a few other long traffic waits while travelling, after starting with just the usual 15% remaining at destination extra charge margin, with no noticeable range impacts.

A much bigger effect is encountering an unexpected rainstorm just after charging. We've had to pull out all the hypermile tricks to compensate for a few of those.

Our best advice for travel has always been to slow down if the charge at destination drops below your safe level. You can save a lot of range just by going 3 MPH slower. You save even more when slowing for traffic.

 

[damageprone]

Typical LA commute for me I get 240 wh/mi. Typical non traffic driving I net 350 wh/mi

 

[TheSimpsonsMan]

Ok, that is great then. Thank you all for clearing that up for me! This is why I LOVE this community!

 

[cbdream99]

This should comfort you.

A Tesla driver details how he survived a 14-hour traffic jam in snowy weather with 50 miles of battery range to spare

The driver said he was grateful that he was in an EV during the I-95 gridlock and posted a picture of himself watching Netflix in the traffic jam.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[TheSimpsonsMan]

This should comfort you.

A Tesla driver details how he survived a 14-hour traffic jam in snowy weather with 50 miles of battery range to spare

The driver said he was grateful that he was in an EV during the I-95 gridlock and posted a picture of himself watching Netflix in the traffic jam.

www.businessinsider.com

oh nice!

 

[BitJam]

I've never had an issue running out of gas in my life but this will be my first EV so I wanted to ask a question regarding traffic. I might be driving in some *sugar* traffic this week (bumper to bumper) due to labor day weekend and hurricane traffic and I wanted to ask all of your experiences in this.

As in do I need to make sure i'm over 50% at all time because I won't know how much battery will be getting used in bumper to bumper traffic.

This is my first EV and i've watched and read a bunch of questions similar to this but figured id ask everyone on here because im assuming a few of you all have been in similar situations.

Thank you.

If you are (still) worried about this, I suggest getting a sun screen for the roof and windshield. You can also get a set of insulated sun screens for all the other windows. Insulating and screening the glass can make a big difference to how much energy is needed to keep the cabin cool or warm.

The two piece roof screens work much better than the one piece.

 

[Bouba]

If you are (still) worried about this, I suggest getting a sun screen for the roof and windshield. You can also get a set of insulated sun screens for all the other windows. Insulating and screening the glass can make a big difference to how much energy is needed to keep the cabin cool or warm.

The two piece roof screens work much better than the one piece.

And get the white interior

 

[johnny_cakes]

On an average 70F day, a Model 3 with resistance heating consumes about 2,100 watts/hr. while a heat-pump version consumes about 735 watts/hr. Not a model Y of course, but the values should be similar

A comparison of a Tesla Model 3 with a heat pump to one without shows impressive results

We compare a newer Model 3 that has a heat pump with an older one that doesn't, and the former shows impressive results.

electrek.co

I think you meant "watts", not "watts/hr". A watt is already a rate (1 watt = 1 joules/second), so 2,100 watts/hr doesn't make sense. So the consumption is simply 2,100 watts or 2.1 kW or 2.1 kWh/hr.

 

[Amanfromconn]

I bet EV would be perfect for police car, or Taxi in big city with heavy traffic. Since the police are not allowed to turn off their engines. Plus they'd get instant torque chasing the bad guys.

 

[ATPMSD]

I think you meant "watts", not "watts/hr". A watt is already a rate (1 watt = 1 joules/second), so 2,100 watts/hr doesn't make sense. So the consumption is simply 2,100 watts or 2.1 kW or 2.1 kWh/hr.

With respect, no.

”In a nutshell, watt-hours measure amounts of energy for a specific period of time, and watts measure rates of power at a moment in time. A common analogy for watts and watt-hours is speed and distance.”