5 ms·

Isn't it counterproductive to drive a model s at high speeds cross-country? You get an extra ~40 miles of range by going 65 instead of 75.

protomyth 13y ago
Going 65 on a 75 highway is going to be a problem since your speed difference with most cars is what causes the problems in highway driving. Breaking flow of traffic is not a good idea. I can assure you that doing 65mph on I-90 through South Dakota is a really, really bad idea. Its listed as 75mph and that would be the low-end for what people do. Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range.
- encoderer 13y ago
  Aside from perhaps Montana/etc I've never seen a highway with a single 75MPH speed limit. There is always a lower limit for big trucks, usually 55 or 65mph. You in a Tesla driving 65 in the right lane is not going to affect traffic much. In the wide open spaces, there's enough room it doesn't matter. In cities, there's enough traffic to push realized speeds below posted limits anyway.
  - protomyth 13y ago
    "Aside from perhaps Montana/etc I've never seen a highway with a single 75MPH speed limit" Well, South Dakota I-90 where Tesla put their chargers is a single 75mph on a very busy two lane interstate with a lot of truck traffic. Minnesota is a single 70mph on I-90. Thinking about it, I haven't seen a split speed limit in the upper plains. "You in a Tesla driving 65 in the right lane is not going to affect traffic much." "In the wide open spaces, there's enough room it doesn't matter." You are going to be a nice blocker in traffic that generally flows along at 75 - 85 mph. It is a very busy truck corridor and you going 65mph is going to be a problem.
  - pnathan 13y ago
    Utah has an 80 MPG speed limit north-south. It's really quite fun rolling along at 80-85. I would hate to come across someone rolling at 60, it starts to become a hazard at that kind of delta between vehicles.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- 001sky 13y ago
  Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range This is a good point, I wonder what the energy burden is going to be from that. You also need to factor in the impracticality of travel in the winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) in the east, or the very cold desert west of the Continental divide, particulalry at night (which is also extended in the winter).
  - protomyth 13y ago
    > winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) It gets into the negatives for a lot of the winter. As I type this, it is -4F in Sioux Falls (just off I-90) with a mild 5-10mph wind with an expected low of -8F tonight. There are a lot of windmills near I-90 since you can pretty much guarantee a constant wind.
    - 001sky 13y ago
      Interesting visualization of wind-energy across USA http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html
001sky 13y ago
Its pretty much a wash on the math. you save 400 miles of navigation when you gain 10/mph for 40 hours (a typical navigatin time). This probably costs you 1x extra stops, if you are stopping every 280 miles (=10 stops in 2800 miles). If you are getting 240 you are stopping = 11 times), but you are taking 1 extra hour for that stop. You would have to drive the 400 miles in that one extra hour to make up the difference. At least on my napkin, maybe I am wrong.
notatoad 13y ago
When the supercharger stations are at fixed points, an extra 40 miles isn't much help. You charge where the charging point is, not where you run out of juice.

protomyth 13y ago

Going 65 on a 75 highway is going to be a problem since your speed difference with most cars is what causes the problems in highway driving. Breaking flow of traffic is not a good idea. I can assure you that doing 65mph on I-90 through South Dakota is a really, really bad idea. Its listed as 75mph and that would be the low-end for what people do. Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range.

encoderer 13y ago
Aside from perhaps Montana/etc I've never seen a highway with a single 75MPH speed limit. There is always a lower limit for big trucks, usually 55 or 65mph. You in a Tesla driving 65 in the right lane is not going to affect traffic much. In the wide open spaces, there's enough room it doesn't matter. In cities, there's enough traffic to push realized speeds below posted limits anyway.
- protomyth 13y ago
  "Aside from perhaps Montana/etc I've never seen a highway with a single 75MPH speed limit" Well, South Dakota I-90 where Tesla put their chargers is a single 75mph on a very busy two lane interstate with a lot of truck traffic. Minnesota is a single 70mph on I-90. Thinking about it, I haven't seen a split speed limit in the upper plains. "You in a Tesla driving 65 in the right lane is not going to affect traffic much." "In the wide open spaces, there's enough room it doesn't matter." You are going to be a nice blocker in traffic that generally flows along at 75 - 85 mph. It is a very busy truck corridor and you going 65mph is going to be a problem.
- pnathan 13y ago
  Utah has an 80 MPG speed limit north-south. It's really quite fun rolling along at 80-85. I would hate to come across someone rolling at 60, it starts to become a hazard at that kind of delta between vehicles.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
001sky 13y ago
Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range This is a good point, I wonder what the energy burden is going to be from that. You also need to factor in the impracticality of travel in the winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) in the east, or the very cold desert west of the Continental divide, particulalry at night (which is also extended in the winter).
- protomyth 13y ago
  > winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) It gets into the negatives for a lot of the winter. As I type this, it is -4F in Sioux Falls (just off I-90) with a mild 5-10mph wind with an expected low of -8F tonight. There are a lot of windmills near I-90 since you can pretty much guarantee a constant wind.
  - 001sky 13y ago
    Interesting visualization of wind-energy across USA http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html

001sky 13y ago

Its pretty much a wash on the math. you save 400 miles of navigation when you gain 10/mph for 40 hours (a typical navigatin time). This probably costs you 1x extra stops, if you are stopping every 280 miles (=10 stops in 2800 miles). If you are getting 240 you are stopping = 11 times), but you are taking 1 extra hour for that stop. You would have to drive the 400 miles in that one extra hour to make up the difference. At least on my napkin, maybe I am wrong.

notatoad 13y ago

When the supercharger stations are at fixed points, an extra 40 miles isn't much help. You charge where the charging point is, not where you run out of juice.