Sand Driving

[lazjen]

I am trying to get some indication of the change in mileage for the Lightning while doing soft sand (e.g. beach) driving. Anyone got any data on how this affects range? My searching hasn't turned up anything useful yet.

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[RickLightning]

I am trying to get some indication of the change in mileage for the Lightning while doing soft sand (e.g. beach) driving. Anyone got any data on how this affects range? My searching hasn't turned up anything useful yet.

When driving on sand, wouldn't you be going very slow? And, since the tires shouldn't be spinning if you do it properly, your efficiency would be the same as driving slow on pavement, no?

 

[lazjen]

Maybe. Yes, you're driving slow, but I think there's probably extra effort to "push" through the sand, versus what you would normally expend on hard surfaces.

But I don't know.

 

[RickLightning]

Maybe. Yes, you're driving slow, but I think there's probably extra effort to "push" through the sand, versus what you would normally expend on hard surfaces.

But I don't know.

Are you planning on driving a significant number of miles on sand?

 

[lazjen]

Yes, at least 70 kms, but maybe more as there are some sandy tracks off the beach as well. An extra hassle is that there's about 50 km of road from the last charger to the beach access point. Plus, while I can start the trip from home at 100%, getting to that last charger will drop me to 80% (according to ABRP), and charging back to 100% from there is the worst part of the charging curve. I don't want to spend too much time at the charger (coffee break basically) but I might have to, since ABRP suggests I'll lose another 20% getting to the beach access point. There's a positive that at the exit point of the sand driving there are chargers within a short distance (10 to 30 kms). And home from there is about another 40kms (ABRP suggests about 15%, so I don't need much recharge after the sand driving is complete).

So, I'm going to hit the beach with at best 80% charge, but more likely 60 to 70%. My gut feeling is that I will have enough, but I'd like to have more concrete info to work with to be sure.

 

[Henry Ford]

Unless you are racing across Baja your efficiency should be pretty good...unless you get stuck.

The question you should be asking is how does a 7000lb truck handle sand.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

I drive on sand 2-3 times a week. It all depends on the sand conditions. Last trip down the national seashore at low tide, mileage as good as on pavement. However, if you get in deep sand, you can drop well below 1 mile/kWh. (You will have to do the conversion!).

I tried to get to Port Mansfield once. It's 30 miles from my house to the last pavement, then 60 miles to Port Mansfield on sand. The first 15 can sometimes be done in a 2wd. Then it gets deep. I made it 55 of the 60 miles, then stopped when the dash showed 55%. I used the same amount of energy coming home, so I got back with 10%.

If you are in true 4wd conditions, churning along at 10-15 mph, plan for 0.7 mi/kWh. I definitely saw that at times. To be expected. Same ratios with a gas powered vehicle. Good luck and have fun.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

Unless you are racing across Baja your efficiency should be pretty good...unless you get stuck.

The question you should be asking is how does a 7000lb truck handle sand.

Really, really well. I was shocked how well it did, and I have driven maybe a dozen capable vehicles in sand.

 

[lazjen]

At 0.7 mi/kWh, I think it would be a bit tight on margin, but I also think I would not be at that level for the whole 70 km.

It's a while off before I want to do this, but I might do some tests on real world usage to at least the beach access points first. We have to pay a permit to access (it's in a national park), so I'd like to make the most of it if we do it.

 

[lazjen]

I drive on sand 2-3 times a week. It all depends on the sand conditions. Last trip down the national seashore at low tide, mileage as good as on pavement. However, if you get in deep sand, you can drop well below 1 mile/kWh. (You will have to do the conversion!).

I tried to get to Port Mansfield once. It's 30 miles from my house to the last pavement, then 60 miles to Port Mansfield on sand. The first 15 can sometimes be done in a 2wd. Then it gets deep. I made it 55 of the 60 miles, then stopped when the dash showed 55%. I used the same amount of energy coming home, so I got back with 10%.

If you are in true 4wd conditions, churning along at 10-15 mph, plan for 0.7 mi/kWh. I definitely saw that at times. To be expected. Same ratios with a gas powered vehicle. Good luck and have fun.

What type of tires do you use? AT?

 

[MM in SouthTX]

What type of tires do you use? AT?

I have always put BFG All Terrain KO's on my vehicles after the first set wears off. I have the stock General Grabbers on this truck. It does well enough, and I can't compromise on highway mileage with heavy tires.

Ford must have perfected the wheel slip computerization on this vehicle. I have never needed any off road setting or rear differential lock. It just goes.

If you do have any trouble in soft sand, air down to 15-20 psi in the tires. You have to go below 20 to see the difference, and the difference is dramatic. You increase the surface area on the sand by airing down, and also soften the angle of attack on the hill of sand ahead of the tire. Makes a huge difference. You just have to be careful on pavement until you can air back up.

 

[RickLightning]

I have always put BFG All Terrain KO's on my vehicles after the first set wears off. I have the stock General Grabbers on this truck. It does well enough, and I can't compromise on highway mileage with heavy tires.

Ford must have perfected the wheel slip computerization on this vehicle. I have never needed any off road setting or rear differential lock. It just goes.

If you do have any trouble in soft sand, air down to 15-20 psi in the tires. You have to go below 20 to see the difference, and the difference is dramatic. You increase the surface area on the sand by airing down, and also soften the angle of attack on the hill of sand ahead of the tire. Makes a huge difference. You just have to be careful on pavement until you can air back up.

I got invited with my wife to the Lightning factory launch (back of my head was on the evening news). When we went to drive the Lightning, it was pouring rain and there was about an inch or more of standing water on the test track. We got to drive straight say 1/4 mile, then turn around and drive straight back.

Between 90 and 100mph, I felt the tires independently adjust to the water, and keep the vehicle straight. I went "wow, that's a neat feeling". The Ford engineer in the passenger seat was beaming with pride at how it work.

Yes, the computerization of the wheel slip technology is amazing.

 

[s3mamill]

I just drove about 40 miles on the beach at OBX (20 miles per trip over 2 trips). I used my stock platinum wheels (22 inch wheels with grabbers) dropped to 25 PSI (the beach recommends 20 but most tires don't have normal PSI of close to 45 so I split the difference a little). Drove between like 8-15 MPH in off-road mode while on the beach. It was 10 miles of 35 MPH driving to get to the beach access and was like 3.5m/kWh to that point and the sand just wrecked my efficiency. I got maybe 0.7-0.9m/kWh on the sand. Hope this was useful.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

I just drove about 40 miles on the beach at OBX (20 miles per trip over 2 trips). I used my stock platinum wheels (22 inch wheels with grabbers) dropped to 25 PSI (the beach recommends 20 but most tires don't have normal PSI of close to 45 so I split the difference a little). Drove between like 8-15 MPH in off-road mode while on the beach. It was 10 miles of 35 MPH driving to get to the beach access and was like 3.5m/kWh to that point and the sand just wrecked my efficiency. I got maybe 0.7-0.9m/kWh on the sand. Hope this was useful.

Good corroboration. This morning‘s drive looking for leftover hurricane surf. Beryl pushed a bunch of stuff up to the dunes.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

I just drove about 40 miles on the beach at OBX (20 miles per trip over 2 trips). I used my stock platinum wheels (22 inch wheels with grabbers) dropped to 25 PSI (the beach recommends 20 but most tires don't have normal PSI of close to 45 so I split the difference a little). Drove between like 8-15 MPH in off-road mode while on the beach. It was 10 miles of 35 MPH driving to get to the beach access and was like 3.5m/kWh to that point and the sand just wrecked my efficiency. I got maybe 0.7-0.9m/kWh on the sand. Hope this was useful.

And yes, the less side wall you have the less effect airing down has. That’s why the off-roaders like 18’s. It still helps with low profile tires though.

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