Charging Down Route 66

[rkarl89203]

Hmmm...good point. I will attempt to post those RR numbers...
Only about 2500 miles to go!

 

[JoeS]

Rick, perhaps show your fuel gauge bars accompanying your RR? As you remember, hilly terrain and winds can significantly alter the correlation between the two.

Trip Data Spreadsheet updated for the return trip.

 

[rkarl89203]

Day 2 of the return trip. Awoke and had a great breakfast at Comfort Inn
San Clemente. Left with 23RR and 4 bars. Did a quick carwash on the way to the DCQC. Arrived at DCQC with 12 RR and 3 bars. Left DCQC with 63RR, ($9) and drove to Holiday Inn in Oceanside with 33RR left. The DCQC was broke. couldnt charge. Drove to the Vista CA DCQC, arrived with 13 RR,
And 4 bars. ($9). Left Vista CA DCQC with 49 RR and 13 bars. Arrived Escondido L2 charger (Blink-$2). With 35 RR and 6 bars. Had Lunch while charging. Left 2 hrs later with 57 RR and 14 bars. Arrived for dinner with friends in Escondido with 57 RR and 14
Bars. Left with 56 RR and 14 bars.
Arrived at Harrahs Rincon Blink L2
With 33 RR and 8 bars. ($1.05).
Left Rincon with 44 RR and 11 bars.
Arrived at Quality Inn Temecula with 20
RR and 4 bars. I drove 108 miles today!

 

[JoeS]

Rick, thanks for that. Wow, perhaps I've asked you for too much of a blow-by-blow. :?

The RR represents your previous 15 miles of driving, and my rule of thumb is that all is well when RR=32 and 8 bars. At the lower end, your 4 bars varied between 13RR (a bit low) to 20RR (about right if you're driving conservatively).

Not to worry, your RR and fuel gauge readings are in-line for 'normal' conditions, and it's crazy winds and mountains that make for some 'interesting' divergences. Maybe only focus on those extremes so as not to consume too much of your time with datataking?

As an aside, DCQC stops at almost exactly 80%. In your case, it hovers on the border of 13 and 14 bars, quickly dropping down to 13 bars. I haven't used CHAdeMO for a few months and need to check this the next time I do it, as I thought in my case it was on the border of 12 and 13 bars, quickly dropping to 12 bars. Like I said, my memory is foggy as I'm probably wrong and I should review the entries here on the forum - anyone else?

 

[PV1]

My car auto-stops at 80.5% on a DCQC. Initially, the car will have 14 bars, but because the threshold is 80%, you'll likely not even make it out of the parking lot before dropping to 13 bars.

Just as a reminder, here are the thresholds for the first few bars:

16th disappears at 92%
15th disappears at 85%
14th disappears at 80%

What is interesting, but expected, behavior is that if you drop a bar, then regen back above the threshold and shut the car off, you'll gain a bar when you restart the car. I can do this regularly on my drive to work as my preferred route has a 1/4 downhill stretch followed by heavy regen to slow down for the driveway. I usually drop to 14 bars right before this and am able to regenerate the .5-1% to get back above 85% charge. When I start the car to leave, I'll have 15 bars even though I arrived with 14 showing (SoC being 85.5%).

 

[rkarl89203]

Day 3 on the return trip. (Btw thanks for the SOC info, guys!). I left Quality Inn in Temecula CA with 19 RR, 4 bars.
Arrived at DCQC at nearby Nissan dealership with 15 RR, 3 bars. It was a Chargepoint DCQC and the cost was $2. I left there with 50 RR, 14 bars. Drove to Menifee DCQC. Arrived with 33 RR, 8 bats. Crispy Creme store yum!
Finished EVGO DCQC ($9) with 50 RR and 13 bars. Switched to EVGO L2 ($2).
Topped up, left with 61 RR, 16 bars.
Arrived at Moreno CA city hall L2. Arrived with 57 RR, 13 bars. Charged to full. Left Moreno with 78 RR, 16 Bars.
Bought Ice and water for entry to high
Desert at top of Cajon Pass. Arrived at San Bernardino Public Schools Bldg just below Cajon Pass. Arrived with 52 miles RR., 12 bars. I left to go up the pass at full, 16 Bars, 77 RR. This was to be the steepest, longest yet in the imiev. I Arrived at Dennys in Hesperia at the top of the pass with 27 miles RR,
8 bars. Awesome! On the other hand i spent 50 RR to go about 24 actual miles. Decided it was a long tiring day
And arrived at the Hesperia Econolodge with 27 miles RR, 7 bars.
I drove 96 miles today!

 

[rkarl89203]

Today (Day 4) the easy part of the Mojave!

 

[JoeS]

... Arrived at San Bernardino Public Schools Bldg just below Cajon Pass. Arrived with 52 miles RR., 12 bars. I left to go up the pass at full, 16 Bars, 77 RR. This was to be the steepest, longest yet in the imiev. I Arrived at Dennys in Hesperia at the top of the pass with 27 miles RR, 8 bars. Awesome! On the other hand i spent 50 RR to go about 24 actual miles. ...

The passage from San Bernardino to Hesperia starts at 1207ft, climbs to 4253ft at mile 21, and drops to 3500ft at mile 27. Good example for interpreting RR and fuel gauge bars - in this case, you started with a high RR because you had driven very efficiently prior to your last charge; subsequently, recognizing you had a significant climb, you drove conservatively, so that when you arrived in Hesperia you were just about at your 'normal' RR at half-tank. No drama.

Have a great day, but do try not to let the car sit fully charged undriven in the upcoming heat.

 

[BenBrown]

I'm late to the party, but truly this is a historic trip. If I was in charge of the universe this would be listed in EV Currents or Sierra Club or National Geographic. I am SO charged up about this.

Ben

 

[rkarl89203]

On the other hand i am charging in Barstow for $35. Says he has to pay the electric bill. LOL.
Shoulda just had the car towed AAA to Ludlow. Even with a tip to the driver it would be cheaper.

 

[JoeS]

On the other hand i am charging in Barstow for $35...

Predictable, as both RV campgrounds in the area do not have good reviews on PlugShare. Remember what I wrote on your outbound passage:

Looking ahead to Barstow, the campgrounds don't look too promising, but I see three welding shops - hope you brought some adapters, as they should all have 240vac.

https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/82799 is definitely a campground to be avoided. :evil:

 

[Don]

Yeah, reselling you $2 worth of electricity for a $33 profit makes me think maybe he has a pawnshop on the premises too - You never know, he might have offered you $35 for your $500 camera so you could afford the recharge! :lol:

Don

 

[rkarl89203]

Haha!
Oh well it kept me on the move anyway.
On the DOWN side, i heard that rte 66
From ludlow to amboy may be closed.
That would be a tow truck moment.
Cant get to Goffs without Amboy.
And it would all be freeway.
Will check it out.
And to think i just confirmed charging at amboy.

 

[rkarl89203]

It all straightened out for tomorrow .
The road IS open. So charge to full tonite, charge to full at Amboy, then drive to Goffs. Charge at the museum there. Then drive to Needles. Free L2 charging in Needles. Unbelievably cant find a room in needles due to a Laughlin motorcycle event. Weird. Been a long time since I slept in my car.lol.
I WILL get home!

 

[JoeS]

I was already looking ahead. Amboy to Goffs via the freeway is 57 miles, with a net altitude increase of 1962ft. The problem is the huge climb, but the saving grace would be the downhill. Still, it's further than Route 66 and has that extra 600ft hump to get over.

As it is, Amboy to Goffs via Route 66 is 50 miles, a climb with almost no downhills.

Edit: did a little homework, and here are the altitude changes for these two routes -

Via Route 66 (your best bet) -

Via freeway -

I'd keep the speed way down on this uphill and the secret on the downhills is to also keep the speed way down using regen, so there is minimal aerodynamic drag and all the retarding energy is dumped back into the battery using regen.

There are a couple of gas stations in Fenner that might be of help.

Rick, regarding optimizing range going downhill we have two writeups on this which you might review:

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1685 (first post)

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=287&start=20#p19947 (this specific post)

Once again, in order to maximize range on the downhills keep the speed really low (<35mph if you can do it safely) using regen. If your speed picks up too much, then gently touching the brakes to increase regen is ok.

I realize I'm preaching to the choir, as by now you are the reigning expert on long-distance travel in the i-MiEV.

Have you checked your tire pressures lately?

Good luck to you as I think this may be a tough one, and be sure to carry plenty of water.

 

[rkarl89203]

Made it actually quite easily. Did i also mention the 30 mph headwind? Charged to 88 RR all bars at Amboy.
Had to take the freeway as rte 66 is closed just east of kelbaker road.
By the top of the grade i was actually Down 4 RR below what I needed to get to Goffs.
Then, the long downhill began. 1 mile before the GOFFS road exit I was up 14 miles RR over what i needed. Then i hit the uphill after the exit to Goffs. I arrived at Goffs with a flashing 3 miles RR and no bars. It 4 hours to recharge to 60RR at Goffs. I left Goffs and it was all downhill to Needles. I arrived at my motel room with 64 RR and 14 bars.
Awesome car!

 

[JoeS]

... arrived at Goffs with a flashing 3 miles RR and no bars...

Rick, you took the route shown on the second graph, which we knew ahead of time was going to be really iffy. Congratulations!

 

[rkarl89203]

Yep...i had to because of the closure
Another day another challenge met.
No turtle on this trip.

 

[rkarl89203]

Dont know if I posted actual Day 4 total info. Left Econolodge at Hesperia CA with 53 RR 13 Bars. Drove to Victorville L2 ,arrived with 55 RR and 12 bars. Left Victorville L2 with 79 RR and 16 Bars. Drove to "Shady" lane RV park where i
Was gouged $35. Previous posts describe this. Left "Shady" place with 76 miles RR and 15 bars. Decided to stop to do laundry at Newberry Mountain RV Resort. Arrived with 51RR, 10 bars. Left with 76 RR and 15 Bars. Total cost $10(charging AND laundry). good people at THIS RV park.
Arrived Ludlow CA motel with 51 RR , 10 bars...Charging L1 for free. Drove 101 miles today

 

[rkarl89203]

Day 5 was a critical day...the deep remote Mojave through Amboy and Goffs through to Needles. Left Ludlow Motel with 84 RR and 16 bars. Arrived Amboy CA with 68 RR and 13 bars. Charged to full at Amboy by special arrangement at Post Office, did not add to Plugshare. Met an amazing sort of Gruff fellow named Farrell Hastings at Roys, one of the proprietors and talked a lot of local history with him. Was honored to meet and talk with him.Left Amboy with 88RR 16 Bars.
My trip to Goffs is chronicled in a previous post. I arrived at Needles with 64 RR. Had dinner, charged at the new L2 chargers next to Quality Inn. Added them to Plugshare. As i will top off there in the morning will skip the tiny bit of charging I did there. I drove 117 miles. On to Kingman on Day 6.