My wife has small feet. (AKA I'm a LeadFoot)

[jray3]

So, I've known for quite some time that my wife's steady-as-she-goes driving style consumes fewer Wh/mile than my over-analyzed driving-with-load, speed-shifting from N to B-Mode, momentum-preserving, regen-maxing, pulse-and-gliding OCD-ness....

HowEVer, yesterday was the first time that she did a solo return electric commute from my office. This is the route that I have fretted over, explored every alternative, and tried every technique on, and since it's 16 miles, gives me a fresh RR number for comparison of EVery trip. The uphill return home is the worst, with no regen potential beyond red lights... I go slow on the back roads, and she takes the longer, faster highway route home.

BUT- I got in the car this frosty morning after her return commute, in which the car rolled over 13,000 miles, fully replenished on the 120V 8 amp EVSE overnight, and see 86 RR, with the seat heater and defroster left on!
Oh the shame....
The best RR I usually see in the summer after a leisurely drive is 81 or 82.
But I enjoy driving, and to her it's just a chore...

 

[peterdambier]

It could be your weight?

I discovered shifting is no good idea. The car does the same in every gear except it does it differently. Living half way up the other side of a hill I have finally decided to stay in "B" all the time.

"D" feels a bit like a "normal" car but our i-MiEV is no normal car. "C" is for the highway and I rarely take the highway.

Good thing about "B" is it prevents accidents in city traffic. In an emergency lifting the foot begins breaking. You dont lose time switching pedals and hitting the break.

"B" is more more stress keeping your foot form jumping and adjusting very slowly and very carefully.

Riding like the albatros flies might be optimum. Constant speed might be less than optimum. Insulating against the cold also keeps the noise down and I lost the feeling how fast our car goes. It feels like it needs fewer kilowatts but it got me a ticket for speeding.

Without moving your foot you get constant torque. Speeding downhill and starving uphill, like the albatros flies.

http://www.wfu.edu/biology/albatross/atwork/dynamic_soaring.htm

I am told even albatrosses might get seasick and they dont use the paperbag that you find in an airplane in case the pilot tries dynamic soaring :mrgreen:

Cheers
Peter and Karin

 

[jray3]

It could be your weight?

Ok, now I'm EVen more embarrassed!

Those few kilos might be a factor, but I've since extracted a confession from her- she also made a run to the grocery store- all level ground at 35 mph! :roll:

 

[sandange]

I've found that taking a slower back road that has many traffic lights/ stop signs and or traffic - involves a lot of braking and accelerating that can cost you more energy, even it the route is shorter.
It may often take longer as well and if you are using the heater it can cost you more energy.

The high way with traffic is some times a better choice.

The best routes I have found to conserve energy are the service roads to the highway (Running parallel) that have no stops lights/signs and a slower speed limit.

 

[Don]

But I enjoy driving, and to her it's just a chore...

A 'chore' she's quite good at, as it turns out :lol:

Don