97 miles on single charge with 2012 Mitsubishi iMiEV (US model)

[Aerowhatt]

Bradley's questions are hard to answer- but we can be confident that the driving mode makes absolutely no difference in energy use during steady-state cruising, it only differs during acceleration and deceleration.

But it does matter. If you have canion get mi/kWh (not summary, but instant) on one of the trip panels. Find a nice hill to coast down in N once you figure out what the steady state N coasting speed is. Start at the top at that speed (holding steady speed) in D and check the instant mi/kWh depending on the grade and magnitude of the SS speed, it will be an impressive number like perhaps 16 mi/kWh. Now drop it into N and it will increase by 8 or 10 fold well over 100 mi/kWH. Even on flat ground and low speed utilizing N as much as possible (but hardly practical) there is a 6% advantage to intermittent N usage.

Aerowhatt

[JoeS]

Aerowhatt, I completely agree with you and practice what you preach when I'm aiming to extend the i-MiEV's range (and a carryover from my Gen1 Insight practice). Popping the car into N when coming down every little bump in the road is such a habit that I reflexively do it all the time even if I'm not trying to hypermile. Still haven't worn out the D<-->N shifter.

Your preceding quantitative descriptions have given me food for thought and the realization that I haven't been paying enough attention to CaniOn's instantaneous readings. I'll switch out of metric mode and see how our numbers compare.

As an aside and the debate we were having (a year ago?) whereby I contended that slowing the car down through regeneration would be more efficient than simply coasting in N because of lower aero losses, I simply haven't found a hill steep enough, long enough, and with a steady slope to attempt to prove my point. Your point about the significant power decrease (or miles/kWh increase) when in N may well negate any benefit I had been hoping to derive.

Bradley, I found that a separate dashboard-mounted specific GPS is a very good tool to be able to judge how you're doing during the trip from an efficiency perspective, especially during a long trip. See this post:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=566&p=32038#p25993

[bradleydavidgood777]

Aerowhatt,

Thanks so much for the awesome detailed answers! I drove to work this morning using D and N and sometimes B....and I already found myself practicing some of the things you described, like on a very slight downhill I was bumping between D and N and cycling 5mph and I felt like it was very efficient. All of what you wrote helps very much and I think the most important thing is like you said, make everything gradual and to know what tools you have available and to try them and I felt like I could feel when I was being efficient or not.

[bradleydavidgood777]

Bradley, I found that a separate dashboard-mounted specific GPS is a very good tool to be able to judge how you're doing during the trip from an efficiency perspective, especially during a long trip. See this post:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=566&p=32038#p25993

Thanks Joe. I've considered other gadgets but I've kept coming back to keeping it simple and using just the phone, and even on that as little apps as possible. Less updating, charging, and fiddling and all that.

[JoeS]

Bradley, I found that a separate dashboard-mounted specific GPS is a very good tool to be able to judge how you're doing during the trip from an efficiency perspective, especially during a long trip. See this post:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=566&p=32038#p25993

Thanks Joe. I've considered other gadgets but I've kept coming back to keeping it simple and using just the phone, and even on that as little apps as possible. Less updating, charging, and fiddling and all that.

bradleydavidgood777, I found it very calming to be able to, at any time during a trip, simply glance at the DTG (Distance To Go) number on the GPS and compare it to the RR on the i-MiEV instrument panel. You might peruse Why I Don't Have Range Anxiety

I don't touch the phone when driving but I do have a mounted Android tablet showing only CaniOn.

[Aerowhatt]

Route consideration is super important too. All the data I have been referring to so far. The routes start and end point are at the same location. More importantly the elevation change total is 0 ft for the round trip even if I climb do 5000 ft and then roll back down it.

I did head towards Santa Fe once but ended up bailing out at (the 60% of the way) DCQC that was offline (of course their app said it was online even after I spoke with customer service). Anyway more to the point, the drive is less than 60 miles but it is all freeway and 75mph speed limit. Unfriendly (wide open visibility) to setting up police radar traps, the traffic is often going faster. The clincher is that Santa Fe is about 2,500 ft higher in elevation than Albuquerque. The best most efficient driving is not going make that trip on that highway on a single charge in an iMiev! Long story short, the elevation difference between starting point and ending point matters and matters a lot! Could I make the reverse trip (down 2,500 ft) on the same highway . . . probably.

Aerowhatt

[bradleydavidgood777]

Thats a good point. In this case home is about 300 ft above the shore and its very flat all the way.
So that does mean that it will be harder to get home from the shore. And the wind usually would be against me coming home also. But I have 5 chargers in Glassboro so I should be able to make it there. I think I have to try for the Hippie's place first (72 miles) before trying for Dan Green's (88.5).

[Aerowhatt]

Thats a good point. In this case home is about 300 ft above the shore and its very flat all the way.
So that does mean that it will be harder to get home from the shore. And the wind usually would be against me coming home also. But I have 5 chargers in Glassboro so I should be able to make it there. I think I have to try for the Hippie's place first (72 miles) before trying for Dan Green's (88.5).

That's not bad, only 300 ft elevation. But it does have an impact. By the time you calculate in system inefficiencies it takes almost an extra 1/2 kWH to go back home. Smart to have backup and work your way up to longer distances.

Aerowhatt

[bradleydavidgood777]

an extra 1/2 kWH to go back home. Aerowhatt

Thanks, good to know. That probably means I'm going to have to stop on the way back.