The people I know with Leafs have similar experience as Ed, greater range if they drive around town at lower speeds than if they drive on the highway at higher speeds. My experience with my conversion is the same. I consistently use about 240 Wh/mile at 60 mph and about 180 Wh/mile at 35 mph, both on approximately level terrain, confirmed by data logging battery current and voltage, as well as just checking energy use after a trip.
I generally get around 10% of energy used on a trip returned by regen. Usually get about 50 -55% of kinetic energy back into the batteries during braking, and about the same percentage of vehicle potential energy back going down hill. You have to remember that the some of the KE and PE is used to do work against rolling resistance and drag forces when coasting downhill and braking with regen. I posted quite a bit of data on this here: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showpost.php?p=366384&postcount=20 Maybe Peri drives on more hills in city driving than on the highway? As far as the main topic, I would prefer a larger pack, one that gives 150 mile range at 60 mph on level ground at 75F ambient, to my current 65 mile range at those conditions. I have been driving a small car for several years (Suzuki Swift) in an area where at least 40% of cars are large pickup trucks (quite a few dual wheel) and large SUVs like Escalade and Excursion. Doesn't bother me. I think a small light car with a tough, strong shell could be quite safe - bounce off a big truck intact, like an electron off an argon atom. :^) 'Course being smashed between two large vehicles would be a different story. Ian Wright (original designer of the Tesla drive train) and founder of Wrightspeed, said he didn't think Musk would sell any electric cars because they were too expensive. That's why he left and designed a system for heavy commercial vehicles where there is much greater fuel cost savings. High end, high quality, sexy cars was likely the only way for Musk to be successful, and likely something Wright didn't foresee, or doubted they could pull off - pretty unusual for a startup to make such a highly acclaimed car right out of the chute. -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-The-Big-EV-Debate-Go-for-Small-or-Big-Battery-Pack-tp4677803p4677846.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
