The range thread

[ChrisB]

Got to say I hadnt noticed much range issues up until today, which mainly I think is due to adjusting my charging and only really using it right after charge meaning the batts are sat at snug 15-20C , where as I checked this afternoon and they where sat at a mere 6C

It has been mentioned that covering the Rad with cardboard (only the battery cooling side mind you as its a split rad) helps improve things.

As for switching out the pumps I have a feeling the controller might see this and call time and say theres a fault and shut down

ChrisB

[ChrisB]

Well yesterday I had a little play in the Blingo Electrique, recently I had been a tadge concerned as the range was looking like it was dropping off.

Anyhow as I didnt need to whiz about so I changed my driving style some what, I felt I returned to how possibley I use to drive it last year and low and behold the range in proved.
Managed to travel 7.5miles before the needle left the 100% mark

I think its quite easy to start to relax as you get more confident with EV driving and start to waste a lot of power, I didnt change my habits that much just thought I bit harder about pulling away and stopping, reading the road ahead etc I was still driving at the same speed as other traffic and I certianly wasnt holding folk up but I was being careful.

It was a shame as I think yesterday could have been a good 60+ miles on the range but as I didnt have any further to go than 15miles it seemed a bit pointless just driving about for the sake of it.

I know it sounds very obviouse but its very easy especially if you are doing a lot of journeys that are well within your EV's range I found I had got into some very energy wasteful habits
Moral of the story is if you think your range might be getting less, step back look at your driving style and see if you have got into bad habits.

ChrisB

[Flying John]

It is easy to slip into bad habits. I took the "mother-out-law" home the other night (15 miles each way) and I left home with about 80% on the E meter. I ran out of juice about 5 miles from home. I had to call up and get a charge lead bought out to me and I blagged some juice from a shell garage for about 40minutes and that was enough to get me home.

Of course it would have been better if I was able to control the flow of verycold water through the batteries, so I think a summer winter switch on the water pump is still a good modification - or do you think a sheet of card infront of the rad would be a better solution.

John

[ChrisB]

Its so easy to get into those bad habits, especially if you swop between an ICE vehicle and a EV I find.

Dunno about shutting the pump down on the coolent, you may find the controller will see that and not power up, also the batts really dont hold that much coolent and if you did start to cook one I suspect it could all go horribley wrong very quickly, whats needed is some sort of bypass valve I recon that is temp controlled , bit like a ICE's thermostate.

Dunno how you'd do it mind you.................bit of cardboard it is then

ChrisB