Overlanding Range

[FutureBoy]

OK, I get that Australia has a lot of wide-open spaces with great distances between "services". And that while there is some of that here in the US, it's much rarer to have the same kind of remoteness. That being said, I like watching Ronny Dahl from Australia regarding normal off-roading, overlanding, etc.

So I was watching his video about the Most Important Off-Road Mods. Towards the end (I queued it up below for you), he is talking about adding extended fuel tanks. He mentions that he has added enough fuel capacity to be able to go 1700 to 2000 kilometers. That measures out as 1056 to 1242 miles. Now that is great range. I'm sure there are others out there with more range on their trucks but I do wish I could get a CT that could reach out that far. Range is my primary reason for getting a tri-motor.

Now, I'm sure I will be able to make do with 500+ miles. And I get that batteries are a completely different beast from liquid fuel. Most notably because the weight of the batteries does not drop as you lower the stored charge. This range though is a key reason why I am interested in ways to extend range using added battery capacity. Or in the worst case a backup generator (though it would really kill me to have such a thing).

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[Crissa]

Not alot of places you can get so many miles from power.

But the thing about EVs is that the slower you go, the further you go. So if you're only going 20mph landcrawling without rockclimbing (and pressing on the accelerator alot) you're not encountering any air resistance, really, so your range is double or so.

So the answer is, 'it depends'.

-Crissa

 

[myco.rrhizae]

toss a couple power walls in the bed and call it good.

 

[BillyGee]

You could always carry a few portable solar panels with you. I bet if you put them over the windshield and moonroof then you could even save some energy by not running climate control as much. Harbor freight even has linkable ones.

However, you'd need to be ready to camp for a few days to get to a full charge.

 

[DarinCT]

toss a couple power walls in the bed and call it good.

Powerwalls have a usable capacity of 13.5Kwh. Let's assume for a second that the mounting and connecting and charging are already solved. The dual motor will likely have somewhere in the 100 to 125Kwh battery pack. That would put two powerwalls roughly at 25% to 20% increase respectively. That's is, of course, total napkin math. For dual motor 300mile range, we're talking an extra 60 miles.

The improvement for the tri-motor would be less with the size and cost of the powerwalls being the same. However much I like the idea of powerwalls as jerrycans, I don't see it working practically. Also, the space, weight, and cost consumed by the powerwalls could be used for other purposes.

 

[Crissa]

Powerwalls aren't designed as jerry cans for electric cars.

This is more like a jerry can for an EV:
https://chargedevs.com/features/sparkcharge-launches-a-portable-and-scalable-dc-fast-charging-unit/

They don't need the AC charger/inverter that is in a powerwall, so are smaller.

In fact, if you're just adding it to a specific truck, and don't intend to remove it frequently, you could make it even smaller, because you could select a unit size which is more like a big tool chest instead of something man-portable. That would increase power density.

Now of course, you'll have limited charge and discharge capacity based upon the number of cells and the available cooling. But as a pack that's boosting your truck, it could trickle charge since it wouldn't need to power the traction battery directly.

-Crissa

 

[Tinker71]

You could always carry a few portable solar panels with you. I bet if you put them over the windshield and moonroof then you could even save some energy by not running climate control as much. Harbor freight even has linkable ones.

However, you'd need to be ready to camp for a few days to get to a full charge.

The problem with onboard solar panels is you have to park in the sun. When I camp in the summer I an usually trying to avoid the sun. Now if you could park in the shade and move your panels on some stands that might be ideal of course they would be bulky if significant wattage.

 

[BillyGee]

The problem with onboard solar panels is you have to park in the sun. When I camp in the summer I an usually trying to avoid the sun. Now if you could park in the shade and move your panels on some stands that might be ideal of course they would be bulky if significant wattage.

That's why I specified using solar panels as sun shields to mitigate climate control, especially if you're somewhere that shade is limited, like the desert or the outback.

Otherwise, yeah, just run ye olde extension cord as far as you need.

 

[rlhamil]

That's why I specified using solar panels as sun shields to mitigate climate control, especially if you're somewhere that shade is limited, like the desert or the outback.

Otherwise, yeah, just run ye olde extension cord as far as you need.

So what you want is a lightweight, collapsible and easily deployable solar carport.

 

[FullyGrounded]

Overlanding by my standards: I like to travel, then camp a few days in remote and beautiful country - then move on to the next, new area. This makes a great time to put out solar and soak up a few miles of range. Overlanding tends not to be just an ongoing car ride. It's truly about the process of discovery, then enjoyment. So, however you do those two things, I wish you the best. I know my CT, and how I set it up, will make this a wonderful thing. peace

 

[Diehard]

Can CT be put in neutral (disengage the wheels from motor)? I am reading all kinds of conflicting Info on Towing Tesla. It voids your warranty. You should be using flat bed. It is OK. You can charge it by towing. There are sites that say you can put your Tesla to Neutral by what they call Full-Pull or Half-Pull method. Can you tesla owners jump in and let me know? This is a biggie for me. If I am out with my Ice-Buddies and run out of juice or have other issues, and willing to deal with the crap they will give me for the next couple of decades, can they get me home or to a charger? In over-landing, this is even more important. Any ideas?

 

[Crissa]

No, Tesla can't be put in neutral.

The motors cannot disengage.

You can change the strength of the regen.

Which is why you can charge it by towing.

They don't want you to do that because yes, it might overload the battery or motors in rare cases something is damaged and the car can't adapt.

-Crissa

 

[ThomasG]

I don't think off-road expedition use is going to be the forte of the Cybertruck. Just because you are going slower off road does not mean you consume less energy. A battery you can pickup and toss in the bed is not going to have the capacity to get you very far, consumes cargo space and adds weight which decreases range. The amount of generation you can get with the number of panels you can put on the truck is going to take a long time to charge the battery and that's when it is sunny. Serious expedition folks do it rain or shine. EV's have tremendous advantages for some uses, but at this stage of development, off-road expeditions aren't where they will excel. EV's are turning into the killer app for daily use of under 200 miles/day with the possibility of charging overnight. They are becoming viable for long distance travel if one can afford to make a stop to charge every couple of hundred miles. Going hundreds of miles off road away from chargers is just not there yet. Someday probably, but not next week. Looking back 15 years, I think most would be astounded as to where we have gotten today. Hopefully, we will be shocked by how much more they will be able to do by 2035.

 

[Crissa]

Just because you are going slower off road does not mean you consume less energy.

This is not true. You lose twice as much energy (velocity squared actually) from going half again as fast.

So you use significantly more energy at freeway speed than at cautious road speed.

In stop and go traffic, an EV can go half again as far as it can on the freeway. On a country road, with no such constraints as traffic, you could double your range.

It's weird, I know, but slow is the new fast with an electric motor.

-Crissa

 

[BillyGee]

This is not true. You lose twice as much energy (velocity squared actually) from going half again as fast.

So you use significantly more energy at freeway speed than at cautious road speed.

In stop and go traffic, an EV can go half again as far as it can on the freeway. On a country road, with no such constraints as traffic, you could double your range.

It's weird, I know, but slow is the new fast with an electric motor.

-Crissa

this makes me wonder what the sweet spot is for an EV that has been optimized for aerodynamics. I've heard about people high-miling by driving their cars no faster than 55 and using cruise control extremely religiously. I'm sure there is a optimized curve for electric vehicle mileage much the same way as with ice cars.

Has anyone done a study on that? I bet with the suspension lowered and a reasonable freeway speed you can totally beat those stop and go numbers, my physics brain is itching to see some plots.