Long road trip? Drive faster for less total travel time

[Thebandit]

Just for fun, I asked Claude to estimate how long it would take to do a 2000 mile road trip in the R2 at various speeds. I used a pretty reasonable efficiency curve (3.15 mpk at 65, 2.74 at 75, 2.39 at 85) and charging speed (30 minutes 10-80%) as assumptions.

Turns out that, taking charging into account, you're better off driving faster. Total travel time decreases steadily up to over 100 mph. Less efficiency at higher speed means more charging stops, but you make up for it in actual driving time.

So if you're doing a shortish trip and trying to just get there without having to charge, then go a bit slower. But if you really want to eat some miles, forget about the efficiency vs speed and just go as fast as you're comfortable.

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[Mos Eisley]

Just for fun, I asked Claude to estimate how long it would take to do a 2000 mile road trip in the R2 at various speeds. I used a pretty reasonable efficiency curve (3.15 mpk at 65, 2.74 at 75, 2.39 at 85) and charging speed (30 minutes 10-80%) as assumptions.

Turns out that, taking charging into account, you're better off driving faster. Total travel time decreases steadily up to over 100 mph. Less efficiency at higher speed means more charging stops, but you make up for it in actual driving time.

So if you're doing a shortish trip and trying to just get there without having to charge, then go a bit slower. But if you really want to eat some miles, forget about the efficiency vs speed and just go as fast as you're comfortable.

Did you ask Claude to factor in odds for speeding tickets, delays due to being pulled over and the cost of tickets and or court fees?

 

[B_Wagon136]

Did you ask Claude to factor in odds for speeding tickets, delays due to being pulled over and the cost of tickets and or court fees?

Nor is it simply "30 minutes from 10-80%." Its time getting off the freeway. Finding the stall. Getting your adapter out. Initiating charge in app or p.o.s., time getting back on the freeway, etc.

I love studying stuff like this, so not trying to be a hater. But I'd venture to say every "30 min 10-80%" dream is closer to 45 min when its said and done.

 

[tivoboy]

Driving faster will almost certainly yield shorter trips and to optimize one should drive in the 10-70% SOC range, and do more stops vs. Longer stops.. assuming quality charging on the road the charging curve Is between between 5% and 50%.. and a stop like that might take 10-12 minutes, and then back on the burn.

 

[asellus]

No need to rope in an LLM to do this level of basic number crunching, use your meatbrain.

Even using butt-numbers on the back of a napkin the math maths. The same's true for ICE vehicles.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Same has been discussed and concluded before, before a single R2 existed. Better long distance strategy is to have shorter faster stints between stops, which also keep charging sessions shorter, and is also potentially better for battery chemistry (less SOC delta between starting and finishing %).

 

[VSG]

We'll if I had to travel 2000 miles, and if I prioritized speed over everything else, I would fly. And beat you there. And have a couple of days of free time more than you when I get there.

Point is, the equation changes drastically when your goal is something other than to get there as soon as possible.

 

[tivoboy]

We'll if I had to travel 2000 miles, and if I prioritized speed over everything else, I would fly. And beat you there. And have a couple of days of free time more than you when I get there.

Point is, the equation changes drastically when your goal is something other than to get there as soon as possible.

I did 2680 in 36 hours once. So you’d only have a day and a half on me.

(Or my me 31 years ago. ;-)

 

[WoodChips]

I did 2680 in 36 hours once. So you’d only have a day and a half on me.

(Or my me 31 years ago. ;-)

I bought a vehicle on the NJ coast and drove a uhaul trailering the car back home, over 2500 miles on three days. I had to get back for a business trip. I had just enough time to return the rentals and shower.

A few years before that trip I bought a dune buggy on the CT coast and drove it back in four days. I had more time so I brought some tools and had myself an adventure. Looking back I can see what others were thinking, four days cross country in a home made vehicle build in someone garage., lol. That was before smart phones, I did the whole trip with paper maps.

 

[emk]

If I recall, this was even the case in the Bolt with it's 50 kW charging rate. The extra charging time rarely exceeds the saved time from speed, assuming the chargers are really getting the expected charge rate and are conveniently located (both very close to the route and the correct spacing to allow the start of charging at fairly low SOC).

 

[Dasoss]

Did you ask Claude to factor in odds for speeding tickets, delays due to being pulled over and the cost of tickets and or court fees?

There are long stretches of I15 in Utah with speed limit of 80 MPH.

 

[WoodChips]

There are long stretches of I15 in Utah with speed limit of 80 MPH.

Same in Idaho but it's not like charging stations are on the side of the road and you can go from 80-0, charge and back to 80mph without any extra time loss.

 

[Dasoss]

Same in Idaho but it's not like charging stations are on the side of the road and you can go from 80-0, charge and back to 80mph without any extra time loss.

Good point Ihave the impression that charging stations along those stretches are in short supply. You have to divert to a town to find one.

 

[SwampNut]

This has been tested and documented many times. I drive the speed I want to drive, I don't pay attention to efficiency at all. The dollar cost difference is noticeable, but also not huge. Now, towing or having a tall load in the bed changes everything and makes a massive difference, so I slow down for those trips.

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