# Mini-hypermiling experiment



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

My youngest is going through a stage where she simply won't sleep, so I figured I would drive her around the neighborhood in the dark and it did the trick.

While at it, I found a very low speed varying between 13-17 MPH does wonders for range. I'm not sure I have the patience (and time) necessary to see just how far this car can go on one charge though.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> While at it, I found a very low speed varying between 13-17 MPH does wonders for range


Given that there is just a single reduction gear, each electric vehicle will have an optimum speed for efficiency. The less "base load" a vehicle has (that is, power needed to run the computers & other systems even when the vehicle is not moving), the lower that speed will be.

For a Model S, that's around 22mph.









It looks like someone has figured that out for the Chevy Bolt as well - it's also around 22 mph.









The Nissan Leaf has always been great in this regard. It's around 12mph (see note included on this chart).
It sounds like the Model 3 has been improved a great deal from the Model S.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> My youngest is going through a stage where she simply won't sleep, so I figured I would drive her around the neighborhood in the dark and it did the trick.
> 
> While at it, I found a very low speed varying between 13-17 MPH does wonders for range. I'm not sure I have the patience (and time) necessary to see just how far this car can go on one charge though.
> 
> View attachment 7942


when I rented the Turo a few weeks ago, I came home and plugged it into my year old yet to be tested WC and proceeded in driving around rural roads, some freeways and some neighborhood roads at normal speeds, I was right under 200 Wh/mi  (down from something like 350 average when I picked it up since it prior charge) so with the majority of my typical commute being in the 13-17mph range for a freeway speed, I should be able to keep it around 200 most days


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

@SoFlaModel3 - since my reply earlier, I was thinking of what differences your drive around the neighborhood could have than how I was driving (up to freeway speed+) to get a similar Wh usage.... I would expect your area would be pretty flat, while I have hills any direction and on any type of road... I had the car set to the higher regen option, tried both sport and standard steering... I had it before chillax came around (but would not have tried it anyway).
do you use creep?


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

MelindaV said:


> @SoFlaModel3 - since my reply earlier, I was thinking of what differences your drive around the neighborhood could have than how I was driving (up to freeway speed+) to get a similar Wh usage.... I would expect your area would be pretty flat, while I have hills any direction and on any type of road... I had the car set to the higher regen option, tried both sport and standard steering... I had it before chillax came around (but would not have tried it anyway).
> do you use creep?


You're right about flat - it's all we have 

I had the car in sport, highest regen, and never use creep nor chill mode. I could definitely get that number lower!


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

Back a few years many Hypermilers(mostly driving hybrids I think) would maximize range/mpg by tailgating 18 wheelers to reduce drag within the slipstream of the semi. This requires being extraordinarily close to the rear of the semi. I never had the guts/stupidity to try it, but find myself wondering about it using EAP on the model3. I haven't even ventured any closer than the 3 setting on TACC follow yet. How close does a 1 setting get you to the vehicle ahead? It seems like EAP is the perfect instrument to use in 18-wheeler tailgating. Has anyone tried it, is anyone interested in trying it? Perhaps we should locate our oldest living Model3 owner and enlist his/her help?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

FRC said:


> Back a few years many Hypermilers(mostly driving hybrids I think) would maximize range/mpg by tailgating 18 wheelers to reduce drag within the slipstream of the semi. This requires being extraordinarily close to the rear of the semi.


I would sometimes "draft" a large truck when driving my Leaf. While getting ridiculously close increases efficiency immensely, I found that staying back several car lengths still brought a noticeable amount of benefit. I tried to pick a distance where you could feel the wind from the trailer buffeting my car a little side-to-side. I think that setting Autopilot distance to 1 would work just fine.

But, I'm never going to do this in my Model 3. Trucks kick up a lot more little stones that other vehicles. This is what the front bumper of my Leaf looks like now right after cleaning it. It's just completely peppered with little pock marks.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

I don't suppose that the front of my white P3D would look too swift after trying it, huh?


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## Frank99 (Aug 3, 2017)

Well, they dimple the surface of golf balls to make them fly further, maybe you'd end up with a better wh/mi!


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