Highway cruising

[KiwiEV]

The speed limit here in Slovakia is 130 km/h.
The speed limiter on the car is 136 km/h.
It's destiny...

https://www.facebook.com/KiwiEVadventures/videos/1503534403023224/



It was also very satisfying overtaking car after car with them seeing "Electric vehicle" as the red blur scuttled along. Although at that speed I only got around 40 kilometres before stopping to recharge! It was worth it though. Felt great!

 

[RobbW]

Just wanted to post that I'm really enjoying your videos! Quite well done. Brilliant!

 

[wmcbrine]

Maybe it's just me, but I find the handling of the car gets iffy at the high end of its speed range. It feels like I'm being pushed around by the wind of my own making.

 

[phb10186]

Maybe it's just me, but I find the handling of the car gets iffy at the high end of its speed range. It feels like I'm being pushed around by the wind of my own making.

I find that too, narrow tyres and high sides and a light vehicle make it more susceptible to cross winds, especially on open roads - I also find that the handling sensitive to front Tyre pressure, and of course the road surface.

 

[JoeS]

As one who now regularly drives the i-MiEV at its upper limit keeping with the flow of traffic on local freeways (a necessity in the HOV lane so as not to become a road boulder), I have a few observations -

1. Not much different than driving any small car and being buffeted by crosswinds or big rig backwash.
2. The minimal (zero?) toe-in makes the car susceptible to wiggling on longitudinal grooves in concrete roads. Perhaps something to do with the LRR tires as well?
3. Hitting a rough road patch on a long sweeping downhill curve activates ASC which is disconcerting the first time one experiences it (especially at high speed), but you get used to it.
4. The car is always fully controllable, no matter what. If one does stupid things, ASC kicks in.

Off-topic, but allied, the car's very low center of gravity makes it a joy to toss around twisty winding curvy roads, and I inevitably catch up to muscle cars that roar away initially...

I nowadays keep my tire pressure around 40-42psi, although still prefer the unacceptably-high 60psi overpressure for mountain road driving.

 

[phb10186]

As one who now regularly drives the i-MiEV at its upper limit keeping with the flow of traffic on local freeways (a necessity in the HOV lane so as not to become a road boulder), I have a few observations -

1. Not much different than driving any small car and being buffeted by crosswinds or big rig backwash.
2. The minimal (zero?) toe-in makes the car susceptible to wiggling on longitudinal grooves in concrete roads. Perhaps something to do with the LRR tires as well?
3. Hitting a rough road patch on a long sweeping downhill curve activates ASC which is disconcerting the first time one experiences it (especially at high speed), but you get used to it.
4. The car is always fully controllable, no matter what. If one does stupid things, ASC kicks in.

Off-topic, but allied, the car's very low center of gravity makes it a joy to toss around twisty winding curvy roads, and I inevitably catch up to muscle cars that roar away initially...

I nowadays keep my tire pressure around 40-42psi, although still prefer the unacceptably-high 60psi overpressure for mountain road driving.

Keeping the tyre pressures up high will increase the likelihood of ASC having to step in...

 

[rnlcarlov]

I've always driven small cars, and I admit I don't feel very confortable driving my C-zero at high speeds. When I make long highway stretches I usually keep within 100km/h. Above that the driving starts to feel less stable, not to mention range issues and battery heating as well.

 

[Jasmin]

I've had the Ion around 95kmh on rural roads, and it feels OK, but 80-90kmh is comfortable. No motorways around here. No rush Just enjoy the serene silence of the EV!