HParkEV
Well-known member
Just wondering if anyone with some time to kill and maybe the Canion app would be willing to determine the most efficient speed* for the US/Canadian version of the i-MiEV?
With ice cars its quite easy - for most its the speed at which you get into the top gear that is most efficient, usually around 45mph (70km/h). What would it be for the i?
I know electric motors are generally most efficient at relatively high loads, around 75% or more, but at that load the i is going way too fast and too much energy is wasted on aerodynamic drag.
At very slow speeds on the other end, we run into having the base electrical load (that is not used to move the car) becoming a large portion of the total energy consumption, so I'm pretty sure the most efficient speed is not going to be just crawling speed.
It would be interesting to determine the most efficient speed with all accessories off, versus having the heater and lights on. How much difference would that make in the optimal speed? Because the heater load is so significant, I think it could make a significant difference in our most efficient speed.
* 'most efficient speed' - I mean the speed at which you can get the most distance traveled on a given amount of energy from the battery.
With ice cars its quite easy - for most its the speed at which you get into the top gear that is most efficient, usually around 45mph (70km/h). What would it be for the i?
I know electric motors are generally most efficient at relatively high loads, around 75% or more, but at that load the i is going way too fast and too much energy is wasted on aerodynamic drag.
At very slow speeds on the other end, we run into having the base electrical load (that is not used to move the car) becoming a large portion of the total energy consumption, so I'm pretty sure the most efficient speed is not going to be just crawling speed.
It would be interesting to determine the most efficient speed with all accessories off, versus having the heater and lights on. How much difference would that make in the optimal speed? Because the heater load is so significant, I think it could make a significant difference in our most efficient speed.
* 'most efficient speed' - I mean the speed at which you can get the most distance traveled on a given amount of energy from the battery.