125 mile one way trips

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technog0d

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
11
Location
New Jersey
I may have a requirement to travel 125-150 miles on the highway 2-3 times a week. I have DC fast charging all along the path. Anything else I need to consider. Additionally, what is the optimal speed for economy? Thanks.
 
A slow, steady speed is the best for maximum range, but to keep from getting run over on higher speed roads, that isn't much of an option! If you can keep it below 70mph, things will work better, and use your adaptive cruise control if you have it. Windows closed above 25mph is more efficient than leaving them open because of the added drag.
 
The i3 has liquid cooling for its battery pack. One reason why they say 80% in about 30-minutes is that that high inrush of current heats them, and to keep from damaging them, it slows down radically for that last 20%, which might take as long as the first 80%. Yes, the 'wear' on the batteries will be more, but unlike on say the TEsla, which, last I heard, cautioned about using their superchargers all of the time, it shouldn't be a major factor on the i3. Keep in mind that the warranty is 100K miles, 8 years, at least 70% left on the battery. These are not a laptop or phone battery cell...they are specifically designed to last longer. One recent story said that one of the original Prius' with 300K miles on it, there was no noticeable loss of battery and those use a less capable battery chemistry than the LiOn in the i3. More than one report of people with over 50K miles on their i3 with no discernable loss in battery capacity. Unlike the original Leaf, people living in the desert SW had premature failures...the i3's battery temp and liquid cooling (and heating for preconditioning in the cold) help keep the batteries in their sweet spot.
 
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