# Freeway speed distance survey



## Double A (Jan 10, 2009)

Let's put together a list of how far you have actuallyhave gone at freeway speeds (60mph) no estimates or calculations. Looking for real experience here.

Info needed:
Vehicle:
Vehicle weight:
Motor:
Controller:
Volts:
Battery:
Terrain:
Distance:
Cruising speed:
Volt's used to maintain speed:
AMP's used to maintain speed:

Let's not make this to complicated, let's just put our facts down. If I'm missing some other factor(s) let's add it.


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## Powered By DC (Jan 3, 2009)

Ok I guess I'll get this one started, here are the numbers from our trip yesterday. We took our Rav4 EV conversion from my house 20miles outside of Olympia Wa, to the LCEVA meeting in Longview Wa. The one way distance is 87 miles and our round trip with stops for coffee and food was just about 190 miles. We charged for 7 hours while we were in Longview. We drove at a constant speed of 60-65 miles per hour and the freeway has lots of small to moderate hills. 

Vehicle - 1996 Rav4 conversion
Vehicle weight - 3600 lbs
Motor - Warp 9
Controller - Synkromotive (Beta unit)
Volts - 156v nominal
Battery - Thundersky LFP 200AH
Terrain - mixed flat freeway with lots of small to moderate hills
Distance - 90 miles or so still had 10+ left
Cruising Speed - 60-65 constant
Volts to maintain speed - Depends on acceleration but around 150 average
Amps to maintain speed -also depends on acceleration but about 100 -125 average up to 350 climbing some of the hills

Dave Kois
Powered By DC, LLC
www.poweredbydc.com


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

Subscribing... I'll add my data in a couple more weeks when I know it.


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

Vehicle: Honda S2000
Vehicle weight: 3200 lbs converted
Motor: ADC FB1-4001
Controller: Curtis 1231C
Volts: 144 nominal
Battery: Thunder Sky 160Ah x 45
Terrain: hills
Distance: 80 miles (80% DOD)
Cruising speed: 55-65 mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: 140-144 (usually rests at around 150)
AMP's used to maintain speed: 150 avg to maintain 65 mph


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

subscribing.....


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

Real range data with vehicle speed and DoD! Great! Could we specifiy motor input voltage and current, battery voltage and current if possible?


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## mmark666 (Feb 21, 2009)

Brian,

that are 21kw or 29 HP to maintain 65 mph with your S2000. Isn't this kind of high? I was hoping / thinking that it was closer to 15kw for a small car like the S2000...
What did you estimate before you build your car?

Nevertheless, nice car!!!


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

mmark666 said:


> Brian,
> 
> that are 21kw or 29 HP to maintain 65 mph with your S2000. Isn't this kind of high? I was hoping / thinking that it was closer to 15kw for a small car like the S2000...
> What did you estimate before you build your car?
> ...


It does seem high, but that's what I'm getting. Just this morning I installed a standard shunt to get a second point of reference for the amps. The setup I'm using from TS using some inductive coil setup and I was thinking it wasn't accurate.

I'm hoping once I replace the high performance tires I can drop this number quite a bit, we'll see.


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

Being convertable doesn't help. Maybe that could be part of the reason?


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

I get 0.8*160*3.2*45 = 18.43 kWh used in 80/60 = 1.33 h (60 mph ave speed), and 18,430/(1.33*746) = 18.6 HP, and about 307 Wh/mile which seem reasonable, but this assumes 100% efficiency - all that stored energy went into doing useful work to move the car. I would have thought some of that 18.43 kWh of energy would have been dissipated in Joule losses in the batteries/connections and motor/controller losses, so range would have been less.

Tom


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

david85 said:


> Being convertable doesn't help. Maybe that could be part of the reason?


Yeah I've debated getting the hard top option now. I figured that would help some since the top would be smooth. Either way the car is designed for down force and the wind resistance just isn't design for MPG


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## david85 (Nov 12, 2007)

Haven't thought about downforce, but you are right. That won't help either.


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

Hi Brian,
I'm confused. An average voltage of 142V times 150A is 21.3 kW. You drove at an average speed of 60 mph for 80 miles, so for about 1.33 h. 21.3 kW times 1.33 h is 28.3 kWh. But your pack is nominally 3.2V/cell times 160Ah times 45 cells, or 23 kWh, and you report 80% DoD which would be 18.4 kWh.

Tom


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

tomofreno said:


> Hi Brian,
> I'm confused. An average voltage of 142V times 150A is 21.3 kW. You drove at an average speed of 60 mph for 80 miles, so for about 1.33 h. 21.3 kW times 1.33 h is 28.3 kWh. But your pack is nominally 3.2V/cell times 160Ah times 45 cells, or 23 kWh, and you report 80% DoD which would be 18.4 kWh.
> 
> Tom


Hey Tom,
Yeah sorry I didn't do any math, this is some eye-ball numbers. I just glanced down a few times to see voltage sag and amp draw at 60mph.

I haven't driven 80 miles on a charge yet. I've driven 40 and looked at what my kWh meeter showed that I used and it turned out to be about 40% of my pack. I figured it should be able to then go 80 miles at 80% DOD. My eye-ball numbers for voltage sag and amps are obviously not as accurate as my kWh gauge of the 40 mile trip so I'd only trust those. 

I really need to get more scientific and get some hard numbers but haven't had the chance. Sorry for the confusion.


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## ZeroGasoline (Jul 30, 2008)

Vehicle: 1994 Toyota Tercel
Vehicle weight: 2000 lbs converted
Motor: D&D ES-15A 
Controller: Alltrax 7245 (72 vdc/450 amp)
Volts: 72
Battery: NAPA 6x 12v 105A @20hr
Terrain: mostly flat with 1x .5 mile hill
Distance: 9
Cruising speed: 55mph for 50%, 30mph for 50%
Volt's used to maintain speed: 65v 
AMP's used to maintain speed: 125-150 avg @55mph, 25-75 @25mph


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## Zemmo (Sep 13, 2007)

Vehicle: 1984 Ponitac Fiero SE
Vehicle weight: 3400 lbs converted
Motor: Advanced DC 9"
Controller: DC Power 600
Volts: 120
Battery: Trojan 20x 6v 240Ah @20hr
Terrain: mostly flat, regular inclines for overpasses
Distance: 50 miles round trip
Cruising speed: 60mph for 85%, 45mph for the other 15%
Volt's used to maintain speed: 110v (not sure how low my voltage sagged)
AMP's used to maintain speed: 125-135 avg @ 60mph; 65-85 avg @ 45mph
DOD: 50%

I've driven to Dallas and back for our EAA meetings without recharge. The last few (2 or 3) miles on the interstate was hard to not sag the pack voltage past 105 volts. Once off the interstate the last 5 miles was easy at 45 mph. I can't do this any more, my battery pack is getting old and has too many weak batteries in the pack. Would love to go to a LiFePo4 Pack at 144 Volts, just don't know if I could convince the wife.


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## rfengineers (Jun 2, 2008)

Vehicle: Pontiac Sunfire
Vehicle weight: 3350 lbs
Motor: Netgain WarP-9
Controller: Curtis 1231C/7701
Volts: 120
Battery: 10 x US12V XC
Terrain: Mostly flat
Distance: 41 Miles
Cruising speed: 50 to 60 mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: started at about 120 gradually dropped to 105. 
AMP's used to maintain speed: 80 to 115


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## bblocher (Jul 30, 2008)

My amp draws seem to be higher than everybody else. Guess I need to get rid of these performance tires... at least I hope that will help a bit.


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## madderscience (Jun 28, 2008)

Vehicle: 1985 Toyota MR2
Vehicle weight: 3400 lbs
Motor: ADC 9"
Controller: Curtis 1231C
Volts: 126
Battery: 21 x Trojan T-105 Batteries were about 8 months old at the time.
Terrain: Mostly flat, one 1 mile, 5% hill (best guess)
Distance: 55 Miles on freeway, another 10 on side streets under 35mph
Cruising speed: 50 to 60 mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: about 120
AMP's used to maintain speed: 80 to 100
80% DOD.

This was my best distance ever on a charge during an EV range rally.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

Vehicle: 2003 Mazda Protege5
Vehicle weight: 3000 lb
Motor: Warp9
Controller: EVNetics Soliton1
Volts: 128V nominal
Battery: TS LFP160AH x 40 cells
Terrain: Flat
Distance: 60 miles
Cruising speed: 70-75 mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: 128V
AMP's used to maintain speed: 100-200 , average 170 amps


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## etischer (Jun 16, 2008)

Vehicle: 2001 VW Passat
Vehicle weight: 4010 Lb
Motor: Siemens / Ford 
Controller: Tischer AC90
Volts: 312
Battery: Optima D34M Blue top AGM
Terrain: Slightly hilly with 3.5 mile 6% grade to get up and over
Distance: 25 mi to 35% dod
Cruising speed: 65
Volt's used to maintain speed: 290
AMP's used to maintain speed: 75 on flat ground (200A up hill @65 mph)

Looks like bblocher, dimitri and I are all within 0.2 kw of each other on the freeway.


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## jyanof (Nov 11, 2008)

Vehicle: 89 Toyota Corolla
Vehicle weight: 3700 lb
Motor: Impulse 9
Controller: Revolt/Cougar Open Source Controller
Volts: 144 nom
Battery: US2200's, 24x6V Golf Car Batteries
Terrain: Mild hills for overpasses
Distance: 52 mi round trip, ~40 of which are highway
Cruising speed: 55mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: Starts at 142, ends between 136 and 132
AMP's used to maintain speed: 80-120, depending on the shallow grades

In 95F weather, ending voltage at 80 amps was 136V. In the recent 50F weather, ending voltage has been lower, around 132V - I'm assuming that temperature is the main cause here. Hills are a killer with the heavy vehicle, it takes 200A to maintain 55 up some of the overpasses. I don't think I could make my commute if I didn't have the AZ weather and flatness.


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## MJ Monterey (Aug 20, 2009)

Subscribing,

Any additions or updates?

And bringing it back up the list.


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## rmay635703 (Oct 23, 2008)

Vehicle: 81 Comutacar
Vehicle weight: 1450 lb (she's a little on the heavy end for some reason)
Motor: D&D ES-40b-9-rw
Controller: Curtis 1209b
Volts: 72v nom
Battery: Trojan T-875's, 9x8V Golf Car Batteries
Terrain: Mild hills with constant mild inclines and declines
Distance: 38 mi round trip, ~24 of which are highway
Cruising speed: 50mph (or as fast as the damn thing goes, I hit 60 down)
My ammeter has marks but no values, no clue what I am really drawing

In 58F weather, ending voltage at 68.1v.

(this is historical, car only goes about oh 5 miles now and I'm told if my batteries weren't burnt up crap it would have gone 55mph, mine were dried up & melted then brought back with EDTA when I bought the car and now really need replacement)


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2010)

There are no freeways close to me but there are some places I hit 70 mph or more and just hope there are no cops or deer. Vehicle: 1984 X19. Weight 2800 lbs. Motor: advance 9 inch. Controller: curtis. Volts:144. Batteries:18 T875 8 volt Trojan. Terrain: very hilly. Distance: 37 miles round trip. Speed: 25 - 70 mph. Volts used: Volt meter drops as low as 120 on a couple of the real steep hills. Amps used to maintain speeds: 125 - 350 average. Voltage still in the 140's at end of trip.


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## gabl136 (Nov 15, 2010)

So from what i can gather from here, 150W per km or 240W per mile should be enough for a small sized car?


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## EV_dub (Aug 30, 2010)

Vehicle: volkswagen golf mk2
Vehicle weight: 1280kg
Motor: 9" adc
Controller: zapi h3d 800amp
Volts: 120v
Battery: trojan 1275 (150ah 20hr) (80ah 1hr)
Terrain: hilly
Distance: 28miles to roughly 80%dod
Cruising speed: 40-65mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: fully charged in coldish conditions= 114v at 70amps
AMP's used to maintain speed:40mph= 45amps, 50mph= 60amps, 60mph= 75amps 65mph= 85amps
one hour rating of my pack is 120v*80ah =9600wh
9600wh/28miles= 342wh per mile


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## ElectriCar (Jun 15, 2008)

Vehicle: 1991 S10
Vehicle weight:4147
Motor:ADC9
Controller:Curtis 1231C
Volts:144
Battery:US2200XC
Terrain:Hilly
Distance:34
Cruising speed:65
Volt's used to maintain speed:?
AMP's used to maintain speed:75?
Belly Pan 40%
Parallel 1/0 cable most of the way


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## lou-ace (Jul 21, 2009)

ouch! you Lipo guys are killing me.


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## lou-ace (Jul 21, 2009)

ouch you Lipo guys are killing me.

Vehicle: 1994 Mazda b2300 PU truck.
weight: 3800lbs. 
motor: ADC 4001b
curtis 1231c
voltage 120 nom.
batt. Crown GC 220 ( new seem to be getting stronger)
terrain: hilly
speed 55-60 struggles.
Amps 200
voltage 106-110
range 20 miles ( doubles + @25mph)
2-0 welding cable, top mount copper conectors ( never melted or hot)
some of these other lead stats seem unrealisticly high or I'm still having some drag/driveline issues.


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## PTCruisin (Nov 19, 2009)

Vehicle: 2001 PT Cruiser
Vehicle weight: 3100 lbs
Motor: Warp 9
Controller: Logisystems 750A
Volts: 120V
Battery: 38s TS100Ah LiFePO4
Terrain: Flat, gentle hills
Distance: 35-40 miles
Cruising speed: 55 mph
Volt's used to maintain speed: 110V
AMP's used to maintain speed: 150A


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## rblack (Oct 3, 2010)

Info needed:
Vehicle:Toyota Yaris
Vehicle weight:2750
Motor:AC 25
Controller:Azure Dynamics DMOC 445
Volts:333
Battery:Kokam
Terrain:Level (Portland OR to Longview WA)
Distance:100
Cruising speed:55
Volt's used to maintain speed:300, not sure
AMP's used to maintain speed:55 amps


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