Winter Range

Discussion in 'Hyundai Kona Electric' started by Ed V, Oct 19, 2021.

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  1. Ed V

    Ed V New Member

    Had the first chilly day here on Long Island. I turned on the heat and saw my 220 mile range estimate drop to about 170. My question is how accurate is this estimation? Will the longer I keep the heat on affect the range further? Or is the initial estimate correct? I would just use the seat warmer if it was just me, but I will be visiting colleges upstate N.Y with my wife and my daughter, and I don't know how much they will let me freeze them : )
     
    electriceddy likes this.
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  3. The car estimates the range if you leave the heater in that particular setting.

    You can certainly only turn it on for a few minutes, then turn it off again. Or turn it down so it doesn't get cold as quickly. That will preserve some extra range.

    Obviously there are other factors affecting your range as well.

    I compared two exact same drives during summer and winter:
     
    Ed V likes this.
  4. Ed V

    Ed V New Member

    Thank you. Very informative. I will be driving in an area that does not have a ton of chargers, so I want to plan accordingly.
     
    Esprit1st likes this.
  5. NRH

    NRH Active Member

    Perhaps this goes without saying, but always pre-condition the car while plugged in, when possible.
    We get about 200 miles of comfortable range in the winter.
     
    electriceddy and Ed V like this.
  6. Welcome to the EV world of reduced range when the temperatures fall below optimum.
    Lots of winter driving reduced range threads to read on this forum, particularly when those temps fall below freezing.
    Not sure if you have the heat pump system which reduces that loss quite efficiently (to certain temperature lower limits) which can help. Even with that, I have lost 50 km of range (in the last few weeks) during an unusual ambient drop, which I fully expected (this being a fairly temperate climate).
     
    mho likes this.
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  8. Genevamech

    Genevamech Active Member

    Greetings fellow Long Islander! Yeah for a moment there it almost felt like autumn!

    I've found the estimation to still be pretty accurate, and will improve over time as the car "learns" your driving habits. A ~50 mile drop in range seems more than I experience? I typically go from ~230 to ~200 miles (80% max charge). A lot of things factor into it though.

    Most obvious is to check if the "Driver side only" button is active. If you're the only occupant in the vehicle, using this feature will reduce energy use as it adjusts the climate control system to focus on just your side of the cabin. (Note this doesn't apply to window defrost - obviously it will still clear the entire windshield not just the driver's half!)

    Turn down the heat instead of blasting it. I set it to 72F in the winter. Turning down both the temperature setting and especially the fan speed will have a noticeable impact on range. An old habit I think lots of people have from their gasoline days is to blast the heat at max until the car gets uncomfortably warm then turn it down, but with the ability to preheat and not having to wait for a massive lump of iron we call an "engine" to warm up, it's not necessary. I find the car is pretty good at modulating itself to maintain the set cabin temperature.

    By the way if you park outside like I do, the preheat means never having to futz with an ice scraper in the morning. I do wish there was an easy way to have the car plugged in for preheating without it trying to charge though - best I've managed so far is to constantly fiddle with the charge timers. (Wish they had a setting to disable charge timers if above x% or something)

    Also heated seats, and steering wheel if equipped. My hands and feet usually get cold long before by butt does so I keep forgetting that heated seats are a thing, but headed into my second winter with the car I'm mindful to try it out more. The heated seats use so little energy it doesn't even register on the GOM.
     

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