Just took a 450 intersate road trip in a standard range lightning. Never again

[Nikola 369]

Same Lightning SR, I agree with your points. However I’ve just learned to take things slower in general. I’m tired of being in a hurry all of the time. Weather (precip), wind, temperature, elevation, etc. can all affect your performance and range. I could easily do 185-200 miles of interstate in my SR depending on wind during warmer/fair days.

You are correct, 100%. Taking things slower is a gift all the way around. Americans have become used to driving around 100 miles in close to one hour! It’s really crazy. The SR lightnings have a lower HP rating than the ER’s. From my Motörhead days, torque drives launch from line and HP drives top end….Speed. My theory is the lower HP rating of SR’s make the problem of speed more exasperated. I set the cruise @65 and enjoy the ride and scenery. I usually get 2.2 to 2.7 like this, depending on conditions. Driving @ or above 70 mostly give below 1.9 and have even seen 1.3 in windy and cold conditions.

Sponsored

 

[Kit2874]

This truck should come with a disclaimer
*not meant for interstate use.

Driving at normal interstate speeds, going from 80% SOC to 20 % SOC took all of ~115 miles.
Stated average of 1.7 kWh, pencil came to about 1.55

Love it around town, average between 2.7 and 2.9. but this interstate travel is bananas. Contemplated driving 65 but would have still had to make 3 stops to charge, so went around 75mph.
Stopping every 2 hours for another 30-40 minutes is a big ask, added about 50% more time to the trip 6 hours vs 9 hours. Had to charge to 90% on the final charge- didn’t want to arrive dead.

Anyway, I suspected it would be a challenge, but didn’t expect it to be like this.

I may have opted for the extended range had Intaken a trip before purchase.
Again, love the truck and it fits my needs, was just a bit shocked how 240 mile range is actually about 115 miles when keeping it between 80% and 20% interstate driving.

On the plus side, had great luck with Electrify America charging stations.

I see this thread is a little bit older but I have found, That just like a gas car, if you can get ones foot out of the pedal, you can get better gas mileage/ KhW


On my three to six hunderd mile trips, in my xlt SR I find After 60 miles per hour, you lose one tenth to two tenth of a mile on KhW every 5mph faster you go

So the OP would have slowed down to say 65. You would add roughly 50 minutes to an hour on the trip.
aand could have easily got rid of one of the charges if not 2

A...It would have saved you money....B would literally be about the same amount of time getting there Just as going 75 with four charges.

I'm an over-the-road truck driver. I drive for a living. And in what my 20 years of driving a big semi has taught me when I set the cruise control to 65

1. I am less stressed.
2. Saves me a ton on money.
3. I enjoy the ride.

 

[PreservedSwine]

I see this thread is a little bit older but I have found, That just like a gas car, if you can get ones foot out of the pedal, you can get better gas mileage/ KhW


On my three to six hunderd mile trips, in my xlt SR I find After 60 miles per hour, you lose one tenth to two tenth of a mile on KhW every 5mph faster you go

So the OP would have slowed down to say 65. You would add roughly 50 minutes to an hour on the trip.
aand could have easily got rid of one of the charges if not 2

A...It would have saved you money....B would literally be about the same amount of time getting there Just as going 75 with four charges.

I'm an over-the-road truck driver. I drive for a living. And in what my 20 years of driving a big semi has taught me when I set the cruise control to 65

1. I am less stressed.
2. Saves me a ton on money.
3. I enjoy the ride.

I’m very happy that the spacing of chargers on your road trip work very well for you.
However, the math did not work out for me. That’s something you should have considered before this otherwise well thought out reply.
As an engineer, if anything, the charging stops may have been over thought.
However, as it was my first time road tripping the Ligjting, charging at stations that I had never been, I was conservative in my estimates, and charging at less than 20% was not on the table.
Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight I could have rolled into a station with 10% of charge remaining to squeeze out one charging stop, and knock an hour off the trip.
I do appreciate your input, and am very glad you are able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to turn every trip into an experience. Sometimes, you just need to get from A to B. The way chargers were spaced, for a first road trip, this was the most efficient drive within the 80% to 20% parameters (starting at 100% of course) I could find. Chargers aren’t always spaced for our convenience.
Had I taken my Jag, which gets roughly 450 miles a tank, the trip would have only taken 5 hours. In the lighting, it took all of 9. This wasn’t an “enjoy the ride trip”, as I had to turn and burn the next day. I don’t enjoy driving on road trips when there’s a limited amount of time to spend with family. I apologize if this is offensive, but I just don’t. I don’t enjoy cruises or Disney World either.

 

[Kit2874]

I’m very happy that the spacing of chargers on your road trip work very well for you.
However, the math did not work out for me. That’s something you should have considered before this otherwise well thought out reply.
As an engineer, if anything, the charging stops may have been over thought.
However, as it was my first time road tripping the Ligjting, charging at stations that I had never been, I was conservative in my estimates, and charging at less than 20% was not on the table.
Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight I could have rolled into a station with 10% of charge remaining to squeeze out one charging stop, and knock an hour off the trip.
I do appreciate your input, and am very glad you are able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to turn every trip into an experience. Sometimes, you just need to get from A to B. The way chargers were spaced, for a first road trip, this was the most efficient drive within the 80% to 20% parameters (starting at 100% of course) I could find. Chargers aren’t always spaced for our convenience.
Had I taken my Jag, which gets roughly 450 miles a tank, the trip would have only taken 5 hours. In the lighting, it took all of 9. This wasn’t an “enjoy the ride trip”, as I had to turn and burn the next day. I don’t enjoy driving on road trips when there’s a limited amount of time to spend with family. I apologize if this is offensive, but I just don’t. I don’t enjoy cruises or Disney World either.

Spacing on the Chargers don't mean Jack. Because you wouldn't have been as low on your state of charge. So it wouldn't take you as long to charge up.

But you do you. Take your jag. I don't mean to offend.

 

[PreservedSwine]

Spacing on the Chargers don't mean Jack. Because you wouldn't have been as low on your state of charge. So it wouldn't take you as long to charge up.

But you do you. Take your jag. I don't mean to offend.

Not at all. And I do.
I’m glad we at least have common ground. Your suggestion of driving at 60 or less is one of the points of the thread, and why “interstate” is in the thread title, and sparsed throughout the thread. I love the truck, but (as stated several times) it’s a flat out hog on the interstate.

 

[Kit2874]

Not at all. And I do.
I’m glad we at least have common ground. Your suggestion of driving at 60 or less is one of the points of the thread, and why “interstate” is in the thread title, and sparsed throughout the thread. I love the truck, but (as stated several times) it’s a flat out hog on the interstate.

Hmm, I never suggested driving 60 or less, but you have a nice day.

 

[PreservedSwine]

Hmm, I never suggested driving 60 or less, but you have a nice day.

My bad. You said 65

For the record-I would challenge your assertion about spacing of interstate chargers doesn’t matter, but it seems we’re getting off on the wrong foot

I will have a nice day, and “keep doing me.”

Thanks for bringing up my old thread, my son and I still joke about this trip from time to time.

 

[JRT]

It's more then spacing, it's availability. I did a similar trip for Christmas in my XLT ER from Northen AL to Easg coast FL. Rolling into Bolt clogged EA stations in Wal-Marts in Atlanta with family was the first eye opening experience. You want to drive then charge then drive, not drive, wait an hour, then charge.

The fans of EV and SR have their use case and it works. I've found reality in the SE isn't the same and can feel the pain even with a ER.

Sponsored