Decreasing Mile Range

Do you have the heat ob when you drive?

Does the prime have electric heaters?

 

bob, this is completely normal, and the worst is yet to come. cold has a major effect on battery charge, storage and discharge. also, increased friction when driving and all the fluids are thicker, including wheel bearing grease. even tyres are less efficient, so pump 'em up. this has been documented thousands of times here, over the years, even regular prius drop about 20% mpg in winter. just a fact of life. no worries, and pray for spring!

 

prime has a heat pump. much more efficient than resistance heaters, but still uses electricity, like the air conditioner.

 

didn't you read the second sentence?

 

the prime, like all cars, is tested at 72 degrees ambient temp by the epa. at that temp, they give it 25 miles range.

 

yes, the dash display is simply a calculation of past performance, not a measurement of battery capacity. the battery capacity isn't a good indicator of how many miles you can travel, because conditions and driving style have so much influence. for that matter, the range indicator is only accurate when you drive the same way all the time.

as for why your range went down in august, i can't speak to, except that there are so many potential factors, you would have had to document them all at that time.

 

It remembers the recent miles on the previous charges, and knows how much energy those required.

 

As mentioned, the guess-o-meter estimates future miles based on history.

Here’s a test you might consider. Go out tomorrow and do 10 flat out, foot to the floor, acceleration runs 0 to 60mph in EV mode / PWR mode. Then return home and plug in. I bet the guess-o-meter would be stupid low when the charge is complete because the car “thinks” that is going to be your new driving procedure. Switch back to ECO mode and drive sanely and you will be able to drive miles further than the guess-o-meter had indicated right after charging.

Craig

 

can't we just wait for spring? or is your God going to fast forward us into spring?

 

it might come sooner! i'm too old for waiting.

 

If the meter were an indication of battery capacity, I'd think it would be labeled as such. As it is, its a guess at how far the charge will take you.

Has the charge mile indicator been somewhat accurate in giving you the actual miles you get on a charge?

 

Go BO warming?

 

yes, i have been very appreciative of the warmer winters, might save me a fortune not going to florida.

 

Charge miles is the same as a distance to empty for the gas tank. Doesn't tell you how much is in the tank, just an estimate based on past burn rates.

Your tire pressure has dropped with the cold. Pump them back up, and you'll regain some range.

You probably started seeing the range decrease in August because of increased A/C use, then the temperature drop in fall came into effect.

This efficiency drop from cold is completely normal for all cars. You likely just weren't paying close enough attention to notice it before.

 

Excellent analogy!