Yeah I can get 6 or 7 miles per kWh in an i-MiEV. I wonder what I'd achieve in an ZSEV.
Let's share "secrets"? I'll start, roughly in decreasing order of practicality:
- Inflate tyres, when cold, to 120% of guideline
- Slow acceleration (converting charge to power is more efficient with lighter pedal)
- Think ahead and glide as much as possible, avoiding regen and definitely avoiding braking
- Nice though radar cruise is, don't use it (especially in the MG)
- Draft double-decker buses (safely)
- Draft tall trucks (safely)
Well done sir. Though I tend not to draft trucks as I try and keep to between 60 to 65mph on MWAY. I think you would have to be too close at 56mph to have any noticeable affect.
Important not to stop If you can help it. Have a really long look at what is happening at roundabouts and try to approach them without losing too much speed. Traffic lights at roundabouts are a pain. I do drive with highest regen I can, but use a very light right foot to carefully control it. Going downhill at 50pmh can produce a lot of regen energy.
Cruise Control is nice, but not efficient and, as you say, very bad to use in the ZS EV as it turns off regen and uses the friction brake to slow the car!!!
Rapid acceleration is the killer of range, as are uphill gradients. Go quicker on a downhill gradient if you know you have an uphill gradient following it. This will allow you to build up a lot of energy to get up the other side - don’t let the car slow using regen going up the hill - unless of course you want to stop.
All slowing of the car should be with regen rather than the friction brakes. This means you have to be aware of what is happening in front of you and take early action to stop smoothly. You should only need the friction brakes at the very last moment to bring the car to a stop - the Nissan Leaf with its E-Pedal is brilliant at this.