[KBHend]

Yes, the Solterra car is truly a mistake for anyone attempting to try cross state/province driving or anyone who rents and needs to use DC Charging since they can not charge at home. Couple that with a loss of 25-35% of range when the weather is 0c to -15c (quite typical temps in even mild Canadian winters) and the number of broken DC chargers found just about everywhere, and you have a car unsafe to be used for even moderate driving in harsher -20c weather even for ranges under 250kms (ie to Toronto and back). All of this information was withheld by the dealer and Subaru. Yet people here keep defending it. Meanwhile the press claims current ranges are "fine" so I am must have "range anxiety"!

To work in Canada especially in rural areas and in harsher climates when range falls so dramatically, a nice weather range of 700kms is needed with fast DC charging and lots more actually working DC chargers built.

Subaru should be ashamed for limiting the number and speed of DC charging and not revealing how unsuitable that actually makes the car for most rural, non-city users, especially in colder weather climates.

 

[BillLin]

^^^^ All this. I just drove from Tarrytown, NY area to Buffalo, NY. This trip takes 8 hours usually with an internal combustion engine car. I knew fast charging would add some time so I wasn't expecting an equivalent. Was expecting 11 hours or so. Ended up being 12+ hours.

Why? After fast charging twice, I wasn't able to get that 3rd fast charge (<20% SOC each time). I was maxing out at 11 kwh , stuck an hour outside of Buffalo, sitting in a cold car in a little gas station with a cold dog.

It is ridiculous that Subaru (nor the dealership honestly) tells potential leasees/owners of this "cap" that Toyota and Subaru have agreed to. I don't expect the Solterra to be a road trip car, I make this drive maybe 3 times a year and it's by far my farthest drive. I DO expect to be told of major limitations such as this. Now for my drive back, I've decided to stay the night half way through because I don't want to sit and slow charge for hours only 1-hr away from home.

I'm not even going to start on the whole "can charge up to 100 kwh advertised but only does 50 kwh realistically" bit.

FYI, trying to help your situation, not justify anything...

If you have to make that trip again in the Solterra, you can try things to mitigate the total amount of DC charging that you have to do. Did you start with a full battery charged via other means? (L1/L2) Did you precondition? For the 370 or so miles, you should be able to make that without butting into the daily DC charging limits I would think.. I don't know since I haven't tried it myself in the Solterra, so I'm only guessing. If you are able to drive at about 65 MPH max and minimize cabin heat (run it at a lower temperature), I would hope you won't need an additional 2 full charges to make the distance.

For the veteran Solterra drivers, what's a reasonable distance to drive on 1 full charge in winter, using efficient EV driving techniques? 150 miles? Less? Would 80% charge from the DCFC stops be sufficient for the next legs of a winter trip? i thought the daily DCFC charge limits amounted to about 2 charge sessions up to 80%.

update: Ah, I see @jg's post with rough estimate of DCFC throttling. adding as a reply...

 

[BillLin]

You get about 3 1/2 charges on DC from 10% to 80% in a 24 hour period (in some weird Toyota speak) which should amount to about 265 kWh pumped into the battery (around 800 driving miles at a little over 3 miles per kWh) before the DC charging gets throttled.

 

[jg.]

(L1/L2) Did you precondition? …

There’s no such thing in the Solterra. Vague statements were made about better battery heating in future models. The only thing you can do now is keep it plugged in before driving.

I thought the daily DCFC charge limits amounted to about 2 charge sessions up to 80%.

The major software update was supposed to give you about 3.5 fast charges.

 

[BillLin]

There’s no such thing in the Solterra. Vague statements were made about better battery heating in future models.

Right, but certainly starting with a warm cabin helps... Thanks.

add: As for battery heating before DCFC, I've seen reports of journalists or other car reviewers using aggressive driving to boost the battery temperature. That's only a consideration if EV range isn't an issue and I certainly wouldn't try in a Solterra/bZ4X with the DCFC charge limits, but an interesting concept nonetheless.

 

[jmwk]

FYI, trying to help your situation, not justify anything...

If you have to make that trip again in the Solterra, you can try things to mitigate the total amount of DC charging that you have to do. Did you start with a full battery charged via other means? (L1/L2) Did you precondition? For the 370 or so miles, you should be able to make that without butting into the daily DC charging limits I would think.. I don't know since I haven't tried it myself in the Solterra, so I'm only guessing. If you are able to drive at about 65 MPH max and minimize cabin heat (run it at a lower temperature), I would hope you won't need an additional 2 full charges to make the distance.

For the veteran Solterra drivers, what's a reasonable distance to drive on 1 full charge in winter, using efficient EV driving techniques? 150 miles? Less? Would 80% charge from the DCFC stops be sufficient for the next legs of a winter trip? i thought the daily DCFC charge limits amounted to about 2 charge sessions up to 80%.

update: Ah, I see @jg's post with rough estimate of DCFC throttling. adding as a reply...

Whose winter? My reasonable US Mid-Atlantic winter where highs are mostly in the 40s or 50s? or those really cold ones with highs in the single digits? We need to be clear when helping out.

I'm about to do some long haul (mid-atlantic) driving - 4 trips of 250-280 miles each - and will report my results in a week or so. I shouldn't hit even the old 24 hour "fast" charge limit, though. Last summer I regularly got 1.6+ miles per percent of charge.

 

[BillLin]

Whose winter? My reasonable US Mid-Atlantic winter where highs are mostly in the 40s or 50s? or those really cold ones with highs in the single digits? We need to be clear when helping out.

You're absolutely right, @jmwk. Only drivers with REAL winters need reply. just kidding...

 

[Nange]

There’s no such thing in the Solterra. Vague statements were made about better battery heating in future models. The only thing you can do now is keep it plugged in before driving.


The major software update was supposed to give you about 3.5 fast charges.

> The major software update was supposed to give you about 3.5 fast charges.

(Sorry no idea how to quote) I called the local Subaru dealer in Buffalo and they offered to run a diagnostic, but didn't seem to have any idea what I was talking about when I asked about DCFC throttling. Makes me wonder if it's worth it brining it in before my drive back to see if there's an update? Only issue is they're so booked that they said they can only look at the car in between scheduled appointments, and I have to leave my car with them for a few days.

 

[Nange]

FYI, trying to help your situation, not justify anything...

If you have to make that trip again in the Solterra, you can try things to mitigate the total amount of DC charging that you have to do. Did you start with a full battery charged via other means? (L1/L2) Did you precondition? For the 370 or so miles, you should be able to make that without butting into the daily DC charging limits I would think.. I don't know since I haven't tried it myself in the Solterra, so I'm only guessing. If you are able to drive at about 65 MPH max and minimize cabin heat (run it at a lower temperature), I would hope you won't need an additional 2 full charges to make the distance.

For the veteran Solterra drivers, what's a reasonable distance to drive on 1 full charge in winter, using efficient EV driving techniques? 150 miles? Less? Would 80% charge from the DCFC stops be sufficient for the next legs of a winter trip? i thought the daily DCFC charge limits amounted to about 2 charge sessions up to 80%.

update: Ah, I see @jg's post with rough estimate of DCFC throttling. adding as a reply...

No problem. I appreciate any sort of feedback.

I started my trip with 82% charge from my previous day (I can't charge at home due to apartment rules).

• Drove 120 miles to charge from 9% SOC to 81%.
• Drove 111 miles to charge from 22% SOC to 78%.
• Drove 83 miles to charge from 37% SOC when the throttling began (went from >30 kwh to 11 kwh in 15 minutes). Ended up using 2 chargers (thought my car was broken lol) to get it to 50% and limped into Buffalo with 21%.

I regularly drove 65 to 70 mph and tried to keep the heat off as much as possible (toes were freezing at one point, and put my dog in a jacket after the first leg). Temperatures were hovering slightly below or above freezing. Roads were pretty hilly especially for the first leg before I switched to the Thruway by the last 2 legs.

What I learned is that (a) don't trust the miles estimator, and (b) if you use the miles estimator, give use a safety factor of 2.

Not sure if there's anything else I can do to get better mileage?

 

[BillLin]

Understandable limitations due to apartment situation...

That second leg of 111 miles looks fairly efficient. The 3rd isn't so bad either. Can you determine the miles/kWh you were getting once the battery was sort of warmed up from driving? .. or maybe for the overall trip?

The run down to 9% was ideal, and in retrospect, the efficiency isn't far off from the other segments. I'm thinking in terms of having you run your return trip through ABRP ( a better route planner ) and plug in what you know now about your car's efficiency and see if the stops can be more optimized, i.e. charge from a lower state of charge, at least initially at each stop. You would only get a slight boost of shortened charging time, but everything helps, right?

If you can, try to ignore the range estimator and work off battery percentage, and use what you know about your efficiency on the trip out.

re: dog with jacket - I've always wondered if the dogs get cold, especially within tolerable temperatures for humans. My wife is always trying to put a wrap on our cockapoo. I think they're fine down to below freezing. But there's no point to freezing either you or your companion unnecessarily, so maybe put the heat pump at 60 degF or so. (I don't know what the min setting is...) Also try using recirc once in a while when it is very cold out.

re: limp charging mode - 11 kW is still pretty good, so do what you have to do to get there, even staying on DCFC unless there is some L2 charging available. I know it can take an emotional toll if you feel you're in the way of someone else needing a faster charge.

 

[davidsmartin]

Has your car gotten the software update that was supposed to increase the amount of DC charging before throttling? It is the same update that adds the percentage state of charge.

 

[BillLin]

Oh, just thought of another thing to try. Assuming you're committed to a long day of driving anyway, how about starting by sitting at a public L2 charger for a while to warm the car up and also get some opportunity charging in. Get the trip started with >80% charge and be more comfortable as well.

 

[Nange]

Oh, just thought of another thing to try. Assuming you're committed to a long day of driving anyway, how about starting by sitting at a public L2 charger for a while to warm the car up and also get some opportunity charging in. Get the trip started with >80% charge and be more comfortable as well.

Just curious - does warming the battery up make a big difference in driving efficiency? Is there a way to know when the battery is warm enough for efficient driving?

 

[Nange]

Has your car gotten the software update that was supposed to increase the amount of DC charging before throttling? It is the same update that adds the percentage state of charge.

I just picked my car up 1.5 months ago so I figured I had the latest software update, but I definitely don't see a % SOC on my dash. I have to open up the app to see this. Is there a firmware # that I can check my car for? I assume there's some buttons I can press on my screen to see the current firmware...

 

[BillLin]

I haven't been concentrating on warming the battery other than incidentally. As @jg said, no explicit battery warming we can do that we know of for now.

Just getting the cabin warmed up without using battery capacity was the thought behind my most recent post, along with starting the trip with the most charge possible. That way, you won't use your limited DC charging until the stops on the trip.

Actually, charging even with L2 should warm up the battery a little, so any charging you do just before the trip starts helps to allow your battery to accept DC charging when you need it later. The first leg of the drive may already provide as much battery warming as you can expect anyway, so not really part of the cabin preconditioning.

So all of the above is in consideration of not having home charging, and for when far afield with a likely cold car without a way to plug in overnight.

 

[Nange]

Understandable limitations due to apartment situation...

That second leg of 111 miles looks fairly efficient. The 3rd isn't so bad either. Can you determine the miles/kWh you were getting once the battery was sort of warmed up from driving? .. or maybe for the overall trip?

The run down to 9% was ideal, and in retrospect, the efficiency isn't far off from the other segments. I'm thinking in terms of having you run your return trip through ABRP ( a better route planner ) and plug in what you know now about your car's efficiency and see if the stops can be more optimized, i.e. charge from a lower state of charge, at least initially at each stop. You would only get a slight boost of shortened charging time, but everything helps, right?

If you can, try to ignore the range estimator and work off battery percentage, and use what you know about your efficiency on the trip out.

re: dog with jacket - I've always wondered if the dogs get cold, especially within tolerable temperatures for humans. My wife is always trying to put a wrap on our cockapoo. I think they're fine down to below freezing. But there's no point to freezing either you or your companion unnecessarily, so maybe put the heat pump at 60 degF or so. (I don't know what the min setting is...) Also try using recirc once in a while when it is very cold out.

re: limp charging mode - 11 kW is still pretty good, so do what you have to do to get there, even staying on DCFC unless there is some L2 charging available. I know it can take an emotional toll if you feel you're in the way of someone else needing a faster charge.

Per the car computer, I was using 2.6 miles per kWh (if I remember the units correctly). It really is disappointing to see that number. Switching to the Thruway (flatter terrain) probably really helped the efficiency.

re: dog with jacket - I think the bigger the dog, the more cold resistant they are. I have a corgi so he is hardy but when it's 2 hours in the chilly weather, and my toes were frozen, I figured a jacket was the best solution. A malti-poo definitely would bundle up earlier given their lower body mass. Well, that's what I think at least - cause clearly your wife and I are on the same page about keeping dogs warm. lol

re: limp charging mode - oh yeah, I feel the shame/awkwardness of taking up a fast charger's spot when other cars are waiting around haha.

 

[BillLin]

[erased incorrect info]

edit: cleaned up a bit

start	end	miles	kWh	miles/kWh
80%​	9%​	120​	51.12​	2.3​
81%​	22%​	111​	42.48​	2.6​
78%​	37%​	83​	29.52​	2.8​
50%​	21%​	53​	20.88​	2.5​

I tried calculating based on your posted info.

added at 4:43 pm Eastern: Oh, you ready for this? One other suggestion is to make sure your tires are properly inflated.

 

[jg.]

Per the car computer, I was using 2.6 miles per kWh (if I remember the units correctly). It really is disappointing to see that number...

The dealer software update that gives you the battery percentage on the dash will boost the indicated miles per kWh. Evidently Toyota subtracted around 10% from the used electricity to account for losses when charging. Kind of like they are trying to correlate your electric bill to the miles you drove (which of course would assume no charging outside your home).

 

[RoyG]

.....
I regularly drove 65 to 70 mph
.....
Not sure if there's anything else I can do to get better mileage?

If at all possible reduce that speed. 70 mph = 113 kph. I find my '21 Outback suffers range if I push over 104 kph indicated (100 true) and increases greatly if I can bring speed down to 90 kph.

I don't get the Solterra until tomorrow but I suspect speed to affect range even more so that an ICE.

 

[FelineFreddie]

The faster one goes, the more energy it takes to propel the vehicle.

Friction plays a role. So does wind resistance, which increases non-linearly as speed increases. Almost any vehicle will go further at a speed of 70 Kmh than it will at 110 Kmh.

The laws of physics will not be denied.