450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. -- efficiency info

thecoloradokid

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I drove 460 miles from Denver to Richfield, UT today with a 40lbs eMountain bike on the Porsche roof rack. Even though I picked up my 4s in the beginning of May, I am still experimenting with how it performs in all kinds of conditions. Today's drive was done on 20" Pirelli winter tires, and temps were anywhere from 20 degrees at higher mountain altitudes to 50 degrees in lower elevations in the afternoon. While in Colorado, I drove over two very high mountain passes, and in Utah there is one mountain range that peaks at almost 8,000 feet, so there was lots of elevation gain today.

I expected to experience less efficiency with the colder temps, and a size XL mountain bike on the roof - and the numbers bare that out. I would say that the vehicle was 15% to 20% less efficient due to the cold, and the altered aerodynamic profile of the vehicle.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image13
Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info IMG_0225


This was how I left this morning.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image10


This was my first charge stop in Frisco, Colorado.

A couple of scenic shots from my drive today.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image6
Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image4


I surprised was the charging speed I was able to achieve when it 30 degrees. Vehicle hit 200kw when I pulled in with 25% battery.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image3

I was able to add 50kw in a little more that 20 minutes in 30 degree temps. Not bad at all.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image1


Final stats for my drive today. 47kwh per 100 miles is about 13 kWh more than what I did on this drive in early October with no bike, and 35 to 40 degrees warmer temps.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image0


I am by no means a professional when it comes to understanding efficiency, or breaking down efficiency metrics, but the car handled very well today concerning the altered aerodynamic profile, and the colder tempetkres. As with any EV, these are the two greats impacts on range, so if you are going to make long distance drives in the winter make sure you charge a little more than what the vehicle suggests.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer.

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info image8
 

HK111

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Thank you for that interesting report!

Cheers,
Henrik

PS: We have freezing temperatures now, and for the first time since half a year or so the range indicator dropped below 400km at 100% SoC.
 

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I drove 460 miles from Denver to Richfield, UT today with a 40lbs eMountain bike on the Porsche roof rack. Even though I picked up my 4s in the beginning of May, I am still experimenting with how it performs in all kinds of conditions. Today's drive was done on 20" Pirelli winter tires, and temps were anywhere from 20 degrees at higher mountain altitudes to 50 degrees in lower elevations in the afternoon. While in Colorado, I drove over two very high mountain passes, and in Utah there is one mountain range that peaks at almost 8,000 feet, so there was lots of elevation gain today.

I expected to experience less efficiency with the colder temps, and a size XL mountain bike on the roof - and the numbers bare that out. I would say that the vehicle was 15% to 20% less efficient due to the cold, and the altered aerodynamic profile of the vehicle.

image13.jpeg
IMG_0225.jpg


This was how I left this morning.

image10.jpeg


This was my first charge stop in Frisco, Colorado.

A couple of scenic shots from my drive today.

image6.jpeg
image4.jpeg


I surprised was the charging speed I was able to achieve when it 30 degrees. Vehicle hit 200kw when I pulled in with 25% battery.

image3.jpeg

I was able to add 50kw in a little more that 20 minutes in 30 degree temps. Not bad at all.

image1.jpeg


Final stats for my drive today. 47kwh per 100 miles is about 13 kWh more than what I did on this drive in early October with no bike, and 35 to 40 degrees warmer temps.

image0.jpeg


I am by no means a professional when it comes to understanding efficiency, or breaking down efficiency metrics, but the car handled very well today concerning the altered aerodynamic profile, and the colder tempetkres. As with any EV, these are the two greats impacts on range, so if you are going to make long distance drives in the winter make sure you charge a little more than what the vehicle suggests.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer.

image8.jpeg
 

Tonytones

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Sorry for the double post ...
Thanks for the report.
For comparaison purposes ,
Which mode were you using during your trip ?
A/C on/off? Eco?
Seat/ wheel heating ?
 

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Nice drive. Thanks for the info. We just drove our Cayenne Hybrid from LA to Beaver Creek. 2 gas stops and 2 pit stops for the 925 miLe ride. Will be bring our Turbo S on the next trip, so the feedback is helpful. (we got the demo Taycan from Prestige Porsche in Denver.)
one terrific feature of the Taycan is the accurate mileage projection. (Tesla was the other way around!)
 


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thecoloradokid

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Just to wrap up this conversation, I drove from Vegas to Denver yesterday in one shot - 760 miles, or just a little over 1,200 kilometers. It was a very long day in a sporty EV. Since I had the rack and the bike on top of the car, which altered the aerodynamics of the car, and I was doing decent speeds when I could, I had to stop at 7 different chargers to recharge. Temps ranged from 45F to 10F and there was a lot of elevation gained - multiple mountain ranges in Utah and multiple very large mountain ranges in Colorado at night when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just for reference, I have a 4s with 20" inch Pirelli winters tires on the vehicle, I did not turn on the heat, and relied on the seat wormer and the steering wheel warmer. The car was pretty comfortable most of the time except when I was going over the high mountains in Colorado and it was 10 degree Fahrenheit.

I have 10,000 miles on my Taycan now since the beginning of May and have driven in all kinds of weather, all kinds of elevation changes, and now with a very large electric mountain bike on the roof. The car is all Porsche in regards to design, and driving capabilities, but it is still an EV, so, it suffers a near 20% efficiency hit as aerodynamics are altered and the weather drops.

Honestly, next summer when the day light is longer, I am want to drive to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles from Denver in a single drive - it is 1,032 miles. I did this once on my motorcycle, so I could earn my Iron Butt patch. I want make that drive with nothing on top of the car to push for maximum efficiency. I want to see if it can be done in the US in much warmer temps and truly testing the Electrify America charging network capabilities in summer time temps.

Anyway, get out and enjoy your car!


Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info IMG_0351
 

Tonytones

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Just to wrap up this conversation, I drove from Vegas to Denver yesterday in one shot - 760 miles, or just a little over 1,200 kilometers. It was a very long day in a sporty EV. Since I had the rack and the bike on top of the car, which altered the aerodynamics of the car, and I was doing decent speeds when I could, I had to stop at 7 different chargers to recharge. Temps ranged from 45F to 10F and there was a lot of elevation gained - multiple mountain ranges in Utah and multiple very large mountain ranges in Colorado at night when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just for reference, I have a 4s with 20" inch Pirelli winters tires on the vehicle, I did not turn on the heat, and relied on the seat wormer and the steering wheel warmer. The car was pretty comfortable most of the time except when I was going over the high mountains in Colorado and it was 10 degree Fahrenheit.

I have 10,000 miles on my Taycan now since the beginning of May and have driven in all kinds of weather, all kinds of elevation changes, and now with a very large electric mountain bike on the roof. The car is all Porsche in regards to design, and driving capabilities, but it is still an EV, so, it suffers a near 20% efficiency hit as aerodynamics are altered and the weather drops.

Honestly, next summer when the day light is longer, I am want to drive to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles from Denver in a single drive - it is 1,032 miles. I did this once on my motorcycle, so I could earn my Iron Butt patch. I want make that drive with nothing on top of the car to push for maximum efficiency. I want to see if it can be done in the US in much warmer temps and truly testing the Electrify America charging network capabilities in summer time temps.

Anyway, get out and enjoy your car!


IMG_0351.jpg
Very nice drive!! Thanks for posting the info!!
One question: when say ''I did not turn on the heat'', what do you mean exactly?
Was A/C and fan completely turned off? If so , how come did you not get foggy glasses?
Thanks for being more being more specific
 
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thecoloradokid

thecoloradokid

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Very nice drive!! Thanks for posting the info!!
One question: when say ''I did not turn on the heat'', what do you mean exactly?
Was A/C and fan completely turned off? If so , how come did you not get foggy glasses?
Thanks for being more being more specific

I may be a little more spartan than others, but I did not turn any climate control during my drive in an effort to save on battery usage. It did get a little cold when it was like 10 degrees Fahrenheit over Vail Pass, but my windows did not fog up. I have seen references to others having issues with foggy windows in cold weather, but I have not really experienced that issue yet.

I was certainly bundled up in the car for the drive through the high mountains, but was warm enough with the seat warmer and the steering wheel heat for my hands.

This drive was all about minimizing battery usage if possible since the car was already super inefficient with the bike carrier and the bike, along with the colder temps.

I hope this helps provide additional details for your thoughts. I will make this drive again when it warms again next March and April, since I am curious to see what the impact on energy consumption is with the bike on top in less cold temps. Also, I will also make a long drive in the cold, but without the bike on top. I just want to understand energy consumption in different scenarios since I like using my car as much as possible.
 


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I may be a little more spartan than others, but I did not turn any climate control during my drive in an effort to save on battery usage. It did get a little cold when it was like 10 degrees Fahrenheit over Vail Pass, but my windows did not fog up. I have seen references to others having issues with foggy windows in cold weather, but I have not really experienced that issue yet.

I was certainly bundled up in the car for the drive through the high mountains, but was warm enough with the seat warmer and the steering wheel heat for my hands.

This drive was all about minimizing battery usage if possible since the car was already super inefficient with the bike carrier and the bike, along with the colder temps.

I hope this helps provide additional details for your thoughts. I will make this drive again when it warms again next March and April, since I am curious to see what the impact on energy consumption is with the bike on top in less cold temps. Also, I will also make a long drive in the cold, but without the bike on top. I just want to understand energy consumption in different scenarios since I like using my car as much as possible.
Wild guess, but could it be that your windshield did not fog up because of relatively low humidity high up in the Rockies, despite the low temperature?
 
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thecoloradokid

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Wild guess, but could it be that your windshield did not fog up because of low relatively humidity high up in the Rockies, despite the low temperature?
Absolutely no clue. But, I went over two 10,000ft mountain ranges when it was 10 degree Farenheit with no climate control on and the windows did not fog up. Guess I may have gotten lucky.
 

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Just to wrap up this conversation, I drove from Vegas to Denver yesterday in one shot - 760 miles, or just a little over 1,200 kilometers. It was a very long day in a sporty EV. Since I had the rack and the bike on top of the car, which altered the aerodynamics of the car, and I was doing decent speeds when I could, I had to stop at 7 different chargers to recharge. Temps ranged from 45F to 10F and there was a lot of elevation gained - multiple mountain ranges in Utah and multiple very large mountain ranges in Colorado at night when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just for reference, I have a 4s with 20" inch Pirelli winters tires on the vehicle, I did not turn on the heat, and relied on the seat wormer and the steering wheel warmer. The car was pretty comfortable most of the time except when I was going over the high mountains in Colorado and it was 10 degree Fahrenheit.

I have 10,000 miles on my Taycan now since the beginning of May and have driven in all kinds of weather, all kinds of elevation changes, and now with a very large electric mountain bike on the roof. The car is all Porsche in regards to design, and driving capabilities, but it is still an EV, so, it suffers a near 20% efficiency hit as aerodynamics are altered and the weather drops.

Honestly, next summer when the day light is longer, I am want to drive to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles from Denver in a single drive - it is 1,032 miles. I did this once on my motorcycle, so I could earn my Iron Butt patch. I want make that drive with nothing on top of the car to push for maximum efficiency. I want to see if it can be done in the US in much warmer temps and truly testing the Electrify America charging network capabilities in summer time temps.

Anyway, get out and enjoy your car!


IMG_0351.jpg

I did a decent chunk of this route this weekend. I have a 4S with 20" Pirelli winter tires as well. Temps were similar to yours although there was a decent amount of variation during the course of the weekend. I averaged 41 kWh/100 miles. In other words, your consumption was about 13.4% higher than mine.

I did not have a bike rack on my car, did use the heat, and kept the car in normal mode the entire time. Obviously driving styles, temps, and the exact route varied, but it still is an interesting data point.

On a related note, at 41 kWh/100 miles, Denver to Vail and back could be a real squeaker in the winter if you don't top off the battery in Frisco or somewhere else. By my calcs, that would require about 88 kWh's. That doesn't leave much to spare. I have done that drive in the summer and had 40% of the battery left when I got back.
 
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thecoloradokid

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I did a decent chunk of this route this weekend. I have a 4S with 20" Pirelli winter tires as well. Temps were similar to yours although there was a decent amount of variation during the course of the weekend. I averaged 41 kWh/100 miles. In other words, your consumption was about 13.4% higher than mine.

I did not have a bike rack on my car, did use the heat, and kept the car in normal mode the entire time. Obviously driving styles, temps, and the exact route varied, but it still is an interesting data point.

On a related note, at 41 kWh/100 miles, Denver to Vail and back could be a real squeaker in the winter if you don't top off the battery in Frisco or somewhere else. By my calcs, that would require about 88 kWh's. That doesn't leave much to spare. I have done that drive in the summer and had 40% of the battery left when I got back.


Cold weather and EV's are not always a good mix, so extra planning and extra charging are key. The good news for us is the Frisco and Glenwood Springs Electrify America chargers are more reliable now that EA did a little work on them this past fall to improve availability.

I learned my lesson about carrying a large bike on the car in the cold, so when I head to Phoenix in January I will take my bike apart and put it in the vehicle. The combination of cold and altered aerodynamics make for a long day in the car when you drive 500 to 750 miles with a bike on top of the car since you have to factor in extra charging time to ensure you make it to the next charger. The last places I would want to be stuck with an empty battery are on I-70 between Grand Junction and Green River, or between Green River and Salina, UT.

I also have a '19 Cayenne e-hybrid that is an amazing road tripping car, but the Taycan is just so much fun to drive, and I enjoy the mental component of driving an EV. The mental gymnastics of figuring out battery level with distance to go makes the drive that more interesting.
 

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It’s a little hard to tell, but is that a Specialized Turbo Levo on your Taycan? If so we’re nearly twins! I’ve ordered a 2021 4S for March delivery and am looking forward to throwing my Levo on the rack (along with my Tarmac) and hitting the road. One question though: what kind of real world range are you experiencing with your Taycan and what’s been the reliability of the Electrify America network in your experience?

Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info EE906267-D119-40B9-9C7E-A343615FEE14


Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info A20F2217-24F4-46A4-998E-A6688F0C0EE6


Porsche Taycan 450 miles today with an eMountain bike on the roof, and cold temps. --  efficiency info 8AE692A0-31A0-4646-A60B-1678B15DD8FC
 
 




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