I was driving today in 36°F to work. The route is 25 miles of highway and 5 miles of city road. When I started from home, the estimated range was 401 miles. After driving the city roads and getting onto the highway, it showed 399 miles. By the time I reached my work, it was 352 miles. I drove in ECO mode, no heated seats, 5 minutes of heated steering wheel, climate set to 70°F, and fan speed at 2. I understand the elevation change between the city I live in and the city I work in is 100 feet, but 15 days ago, when the weather was 60°F, the estimated range usually dropped by 25-35 miles. What could be causing such a big difference in the estimated range?
The estimated range is based on past use and conditions. Actual miles driven versus the estimate can vary.
Dustin said:
The estimated range is based on past use and conditions. Actual miles driven versus the estimate can vary.
Yeah, the estimate doesn’t really mean much. It could warm up outside, and the estimated mileage could be higher when they get home than when they left work.
You’re running your heater, which relies on the cooling system of the internal combustion engine (ICE). So, the ICE has to run to keep the heater warm. Try to use the heated seats and steering wheel as much as possible and be conservative with the heater, but you’ll need to use it to keep the fog off the windows. Also, the battery doesn’t perform as well when it gets below a certain temperature.
@Aza
Yep, exactly. Since I park in a garage, my car’s interior temperature is usually fine. No HVAC heat, and just using the heated seat and steering wheel improves my fuel economy.
Same here. I have a 2021 model, and since it got cold, I’ve lost almost 10 mpg. I drive in eco mode on flat land, 18 miles to work and 18 miles back.
I’ve regularly started remote starting my vehicle, and it has improved my mpg drastically. I’m talking about a 10-20 l/100k improvement, down to about 6-7 l/100k.