How to lower kwh

[Outerspace]

I have a 2016 that I've had for 48 hours. So far, simply driving around town has drained the battery. I haven't even gone far out, but it looks like I'm using 11 Kwh. I've had the radio and air on, but it seems like this shouldn't be causing the drain. I don't want to be limited to driving within 20 miles of my house and if this is the case, I need to return this vehicle. Any help or suggestions on lowering the kwh would be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[JPL]

Don't use the AC!

Open the windows instead.

Drive in L all the time.

Try to don't floor it

Good luck.

 

[NORTON]

... I haven't even gone far out, but it looks like I'm using 11 Kwh.....
[/quote]
You didn't say how many miles used 11kWh.
At shutdown you get a trip pop up for that individual trip ( displayed in Mi/kWh ) and you can reset the actual trip meter to measure a full battery of trips.

Also the Leaf button shows the Energy Details page where you can see how much power went into AC usage.
The AC is really efficient! Just wait until winter, (if you have that where you live), and see how much Heat uses.... :?

I'd give it time. It IS one of the best kept secrets in short range EV's !!

Re: 'Driving in L' ,
there is no efficiency gains by adopting this '1 pedal' method of driving. If your accel and decel rates are the same why would there be?
The Spark EV has blended brakes, which means using the brake pedal is all regen until it maxes out, then the friction brakes add to the stopping.
Select the display style that show power in kW for accel and decel to play along.

The thing with Tesla promoting 1 Pedal driving as a feature is they don't have the advanced technology of Blended Brakes.
A brake pedal on a Tesla is simply an old school hydraulic brake pedal. To get regen on a Tesla they demand a driver to adopt this new style of driving , or select 'Min Regen', then most of the stopping is making heat with the brakes, old school style.

Re: 'Don't floor it'. Well,, it IS a fun car. I like to show others how much fun it can be at stop lights !! :lol:
Here's a physics question: What takes more total energy in this EV. 0-60 MPH in 7 .3 sec. or 0-60 MPH in 30 seconds?
And then assume the cruise is then set to 60 MPH and factor that into energy usage for a ~20 mile trip.
I don't know the answer. But I'm pretty sure we're talking a few cent difference, if any, in the cost for that trip.

 

[SparkE]

I have a 2016 that I've had for 48 hours. So far, simply driving around town has drained the battery. I haven't even gone far out, but it looks like I'm using 11 Kwh. I've had the radio and air on, but it seems like this shouldn't be causing the drain. I don't want to be limited to driving within 20 miles of my house and if this is the case, I need to return this vehicle. Any help or suggestions on lowering the kwh would be much appreciated. Thank you.

- Don't drive fast.

- use 'L' mode (more aggresive regeneration).

- let the REGENERATION slow down the vehicle, instead of the brake pads. (Drive in 'L' mode, and start slowing well before the stop sign/light by letting up on the accelerator - you will be going 4-8 mph when you get to the sign/light and have to use the brake, and a bunch of the electricity will have gone back into the battery).

- Don't use the heater (the heater *really* uses up electricity)

- Don't use the A/C (not as bad as the heater, but it does use up electricity)

- "Remote start" the vehicle *while plugged in* to run the A/C or heater to make it comfortable inside BEFORE leaving. That will pull (as much as possible) of the electricity for cooling/heating from the wall (EVSE) instead of the battery. ((Read the manual to figure out how to do this - it involves setting the air/heat controls where you want BEFORE turning off the vehicle the last time you drove it.))


If you are using 11 kWh to go about 20 miles, something is WRONG. You should be getting somewhere around 5-6 miles per kWh (around town). To figure it out :

- Do a 100% full charge (just this one - not all the time) and leave plugged in for 30-60 minutes after the car says it is full.

- reset the stats (set " m / kWh " and trip odometer screen to zero) - visible on the drive console/odometer/speedometer behind the steering wheel

- drive around town normally for a few days until you have used up 50-60% of you battery. Every time you turn off the vehicle (BEFORE you open the driver door) the car tells you how many m/kWh you got on that drive, and the trip odometer tells you the same thing for all usage since you last reset it.

 

[NORTON]

- use 'L' mode (more aggresive regeneration).

- let the REGENERATION slow down the vehicle, instead of the brake pads.

Again, the Spark EV has Blended Brakes and you can get all the regen available up to the max with just the Brake Pedal, driving normal style.
Watch the power meter.

Use the Brake Pedal to come to a stop from highway speeds. Don't max out the regen. Get out and check,,,, the brake discs are cold.
The Brake Pads only start working when the regen is maxed at 60kW.
I'm at 65k miles and my brake pads look like new. I never drive in L.
You don't want 'aggresive' regen. You want to be a smooth driver.

It's not an old fashioned Tesla when it comes to the Brake Pedal. It has High Tech Blended Brakes.
You don't have to drive it the herky-jerky '1 Pedal' style.
You'll probably be a more efficient driver using D than in L. Definitely a more comfortable driver for your passengers.

This discussion is never ending in the Volt forum.... :roll:

 

[scrambler]

Just a small clarification, the Spark does have blended brakes where the first portion of the brake range is regen and the end is mechanical.

That said, "The Brake Pads only start working when the regen is maxed at 60kW." is incorrect.

The mechanical brakes will engage as soon as you press the brake pedal far enough and regen is no longer producing enough speed reduction, not based on a regen level.
The reason for that is because regen level depend on how much momentum the car has, and you would only reach 60kW regen if you had a lot of momentum.
If you are driving 30 miles per hour and press the brake pedal all the way to get to a stop, you will never reach 60kW regen, but you will be engaging the mechanical brakes at one point.

 

[NORTON]

....The mechanical brakes will engage as soon as you press the brake pedal far enough and regen is no longer producing enough speed reduction, not based on a regen level.
The reason for that is because regen level depend on how much momentum the car has, and you would only reach 60kW regen if you had a lot of momentum.
If you are driving 30 miles per hour and press the brake pedal all the way to get to a stop, you will never reach 60kW regen, but you will be engaging the mechanical brakes at one point.

I agree with your statements.
Isn't the 'max available regen' the same in L as it is with the Brake Pedal in D?

If your using the Brake Pedal as a variable regen pedal,, if something happens and you need 'real brakes',,, you are already there.

 

[scrambler]

Isn't the 'max available regen' the same in L as it is with the Brake Pedal in D?

I believe it is.