Real life experience question

[Dan C]

I think it would more depend on the weather. Empty on the highway at under 60 degrees I get 1.7 to 1.9 miles per kwh. At 65+ I get closer to 2.5. So to be safe with a small trailer I would take off 40%. That gets you a minimum of 88 miles from 100% with er battery. Generally I end up getting a little over 260 miles not towing. These numbers aren't leaving 20% they are full to empty. I would like to be more positive but this is the reality

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[JerEazy]

A level 1, 120v charge, will give you 1.2KW. 1.2/98= 1.2% per hour of charging. If you need an extension cord, it must be 12 gauge.

You provided no information about how long you would be charging, nor what speed you would be driving.

Go to the ABRP (A Better Route Planner) website, pick the SR, and put in your round-trip. You will see if it has a chance. Note that the date of the trip can matter due to temps.

I think the answer will greatly depend on the amount of charging you do.

And lose the attitude.

Thank you. The charging wasn’t really the question. The question was more around real life experience of towing smaller loads/smaller trailers. The 100mile trip example was just to make math easy.

Also, I was as polite as I felt I needed to be towards someone with two curt answers to questions that weren’t asked.

 

[duncanmaio]

That is my assumption, but my only towing experience is with a trailer that is both light and pointy.

OTOH, when I put a pallet of wood pellets in the bed, which weighs more than the trailer and sticks up over the cab, range seems to be significantly reduced - but I only drive about 10 miles with the pellet load.

 

[duncanmaio]

I think it would more depend on the weather.

This is also true, and may catch you by surprise during a Florida cold snap. My seasonal numbers are much the same as Dan's and my playground is Rhode Island to southern Vermont.

 

[PreservedSwine]

Appreciate that. Not really asking a charger question. But i guess it is part of the question.

Where my curiosity comes from is (let’s say) the standard has an actual usable range of 200miles unladen; I’m going 100 miles with a golf cart and a small utility trailer. I have read no where of actual experience with just light towing. All the test videos and articles are pulling 5000-10000lb travel trailers.

My thought with the level 1 was I won’t need a top off to get back the other direction if towing impact of the lighter load only cut say 10-20% of range off. I just need a day or so lift up.

You don’t have a guaranteed useable range of 200 on an SR. You might in the right conditions, or you might not. I personally never go below 20%. It’s a little confusing. Most almost never charge to 100%, unless a planned road trip and the extra few percent charge can take a charging leg off the journey Interstate and towing have a severe impact on range.

something that I didn’t grasp when I bought the vehicle, is that the stated range is something you will never achieve on the interstate. No one will go from 100 to 0. I go from 80% to 20%. Which is only 60% of the range, so about 144 miles on my standard range. Assuming the conditions are good, I don’t have to worry about that. But if it’s unusually cold, or interstate driving, I will not achieve that.
I’ve learned that this truck is the best in town, city and local highway driving vehicle I’ve ever driven, and that includes my Jaguar, Cadillac, MercedesGL, among others. It’s the most quiet, powerful, refined ride you’re going to find. But on the interstate, it’s a flat out pig. You will not come close to 200 miles under normal conditions of interstate driving without going from essentially 100% to zero%, and doing that will have a long-term effect on the lifespan of the battery. I hope that helps.
Sorry for the grammatical errors, using speech to text just wanted to get it out

 

[JerEazy]

I think it would more depend on the weather. Empty on the highway at under 60 degrees I get 1.7 to 1.9 miles per kwh. At 65+ I get closer to 2.5. So to be safe with a small trailer I would take off 40%. That gets you a minimum of 88 miles from 100% with er battery. Generally I end up getting a little over 260 miles not towing. These numbers aren't leaving 20% they are full to empty. I would like to be more positive but this is the reality

so taking 30-40% off of highway range with a smaller trailer would likely be a rule of thumb. I’m in FL, so elevation changes aren’t really much of a thing

 

[JerEazy]

You don’t have a guaranteed useable range of 200 on an SR. You might in the right conditions, or you might not. I personally never go below 20%. It’s a little confusing. Most almost never charge to 100%, unless a planned road trip and the extra few percent charge can take a charging leg off the journey Interstate and towing have a severe impact on range.

something that I didn’t grasp when I bought the vehicle, is that the stated range is something you will never achieve. No one will go from 100 to 0. I go from 80% to 20%. Which is only 60% of the range, so about 144 miles on my standard range. Assuming the conditions are good, I don’t have to worry about that. But if it’s unusually cold, or interstate driving, I will not achieve that.
I’ve learned that this truck is the best in town, city and local highway driving vehicle I’ve ever driven, and that includes my Jaguar, Cadillac, MercedesGL, among others. It’s the most quiet, powerful, refined ride you’re going to find. But on the interstate, it’s a flat out pig. You will not come close to 200 miles under normal conditions of interstate driving without going from essentially 100% to zero%, and doing that will have a long-term effect on the lifespan of the battery. I hope that helps.

this is VERY helpful. Thank you.

 

[RickLightning]

Thank you. The charging wasn’t really the question. The question was more around real life experience of towing smaller loads/smaller trailers. The 100mile trip example was just to make math easy.

Also, I was as polite as I felt I needed to be towards someone with two curt answers to questions that weren’t asked.

Answering questions that aren't asked is the norm in forums...

so taking 30-40% off of highway range with a smaller trailer would likely be a rule of thumb. I’m in FL, so elevation changes aren’t really much of a thing

Ding, ding, ding... Totally new info. Florida is flat, and generally warm. Efficiency achieved in Florida is unlike much of the US, so someone saying "I got 1.6" when they live in the Midwest is totally non-comparable to you.

Yes, aerodynamics of trailer are a HUGE impact on range. HUGE. A big box front will kill range. It also limits the size of the trailer (see manual at owner.ford.com).

 

[JerEazy]

Answering questions that aren't asked is the norm in forums...



Ding, ding, ding... Totally new info. Florida is flat, and generally warm. Efficiency achieved in Florida is unlike much of the US, so someone saying "I got 1.6" when they live in the Midwest is totally non-comparable to you.

Yes, aerodynamics of trailer are a HUGE impact on range. HUGE. A big box front will kill range. It also limits the size of the trailer (see manual at owner.ford.com).

thank you. Helpful as well

And yes it’s the norm in forums. I find it’s best to be polite the first time and direct the second. Neither are an attitude, just redirection.

 

[Zprime29]

I haven't towed with mine, but reading other's reports I'll reinforce that shape of the trailer (or what you are towing) will make 90% of the impact on your range.

You can plan on using 100% of the battery if you plan on arriving at home and have a good EVSE to charge back up. I charged on level 1 for over a month while waiting for my FCSP to arrive and be installed. It's not ideal, but it is not useless as many will claim. As long as you have realistic expectations and plan accordingly, it will work just fine. I use level 1 while visiting grandparents, I'm there for several days and top up to 100% without a problem for the return trip. Yes, it is slow (1.2kW as stated) but it at least something if that's your best option. The key is to make a plan.

Non towing freeway experience is 10-15% range hit at 70mph. Closer to 20% at 75mph (wind makes a big difference here as well). That should give you a starting point or best case scenario (assumption that the trailer has no impact). Towing in a SR is absolutely doable, you just need to be good at planning and set expectations accordingly.

 

[Dan C]

Hills make less of a difference than speed. When you go up you also go down. You worst economy is on the highway with the cruise control on. I also have a Chevy bolt. My daughter drives on and off the accelerator and gets much better economy than I do. Regen is your friend. Even wieght you can gain momentum. No momentum in wind resistance.

 

[grange]

I love the truck but have been very disappointed in published range vs real life. if you drive over 60MPH.....you will lose sig range. if the weather is below 40 F.....you will lose range. people here go as far as barametic pressure and air density. I have extended range. in the summer months MN. i travel 150 miles and still have 50% left on my battery. in the winter months at only 10 F i arrive with less than 10%. whatever you expect in range.....cut it in half.

 

[RickKeen]

With a small and light trailer, you can probably make the 100 miles one way in the SR. (Presuming its warm enough where you are going that you don't mean ice-fishing.)

You can slow down somewhat to achieve the mileage necessary to achieve the desired range.
You will need to charge an SR on 110v 15 amp outlet (1.2kW) for almost 4 days days days to get back from 0 to 100%

Good excuse to to turn the fishing trip into a 4 day weekend to let the battery charge.

Or look for a fast charger within 50 miles of your end destination (midway in your one-way trip). That will make it work.

 

[TaxmanHog]

My longest tow is up to the Homosassa river at just about 100miles. And I’m sure the extended range would make it round trip without issue. Trying to see if the standard gets it done with maybe a stage 1 plug in while I’m fishing. I’m still researching and learning about EVs in general; so excuse the newb level.

All the posts above have pretty well analyzed the potential of an SR 200 mile round trip.

A word of advice, research the charging options for a mid-trip boost, there are many stations in the vicinity of the Gulf side of the Homosassa river, if your rig won't make the round trip, stop and pick up enough of a boost to facilitate the trip, any level-1 charging you can get at the destination is gravy.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Remember to expand a user's profile to see the details they might provide, helps minimize the assumptions folks add to a post that aren't relevant.