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Honda EV+ Electric Vehicle Drivers (Not connected to Honda Motors)

Day Trip to Big Bear Lake in the Honda EV+ April 19, 1998

Leaving Center for Regenerative Studies at CSU Pomona 9:AM April 19, 1998 with one passenger (two seats empty)	Mile 0 elev. 800 ft.	100% (ten bars of power + 2 reserve bars)	For the Freeway stretch, I drove conservatively, drafting RV's and trucks and keeping speed down to about 55 mph if possible. We now have lots of experience with power consumption at different speeds. I used the vent rather than the A/C, but accidentally overshot the Waterman exit by 2 miles and had to go back. Nice to be able to recover from small mistakes because battery has such large reserve.
Carousal Mall near the San Bernardino Civic Center 10:AM	Mile 39.3 elev. 1200 ft.	7 bars displayed (6.2 est.); Recharge to 9 bars by Noon	I drive directly to the Electric Vehicle charging stations. There are two inductive (EV1) and two conductive (everyone else) spots. I park and connect the vehicle. Both chargers seem to be working but cannot check the inductive units (I always check, 'cause sometimes there's one out). Clean car, get breakfast and camera supplies. Return to the car just before Noon. Car is at 90% charge. The talking charge connector announces that we charged for 1 hour and 49 minutes, knew that already.
Running Springs 12:30 PM	Mile 62.0 max. elev. 6200 ft.	4 bars displayed	I drive conservatively up the mountain to Running Springs, watching every elevation sign, and the very low range projections (which stays at 10 to 25 "miles predicted"). My estimate has been one extra bar for each 1500 ft., in addition to the power spent on traversing the distance. Nevertheless, I am very relieved to have arrived here with this much power. Because I know the elevation gain and appx. distance to Big Bear, I am certain the car will make it on only 2 of the remaining 4 bars, not counting the reserve.
Big Bear Lake 12:45 PM	Mile 74.3 elev. 6600 ft.	2 bars displayed	Maximum elevation at the pass beyond Snow Valley is 7100 ft. I drive as quickly as conditions allow around Arctic Circle to the Dam and then on to the cabin. The weather is beautiful, with full sun and termperatures near 60 degrees. There is much more snow than I had expected this late in the season, but no chain requirements.
1:PM At the cabin	Mile 80.7 elev. 6900 ft.	2 bars displayed (1.7 est.)	A special plug is installed for the vehicle. Naturally, we use the electric car to go to the local Big Bear "Butcher's Block" Hardware Store! We can be profligate with power, since we have so much charge left. Several carloads of skiers do double takes, one asks us how it is, the clerk comes out to look at it. Other EV users will also be able to use our plug, which is on the leeward side of our cabin.
Leaving Big Bear 5:15 PM	Mile 0 elev. 6900 ft.	4 bars displayed	Knowing the substantial elevation drop down the mountain will add the equivalent of about 20% charge, I decide not to charge more than 4 bars (40%). I drive confidently down the mountain. The energy drops to three bars at Running Springs, then rises back to 4, then 5 bars. When we get to the base of the mountain, I start taking the freeways. However, traffic got dense as we entered Ontario, so I left the freeway for city streets. I pull into the Center with 10% charge remaining, at 77 miles since leaving Big Bear.
Pomona (CRS) 7:30 PM	Mile 77	1 bar displayed	Based on estimates of the battery's actual state of charge (to within 1%) and assuming the lower driving speed brings the equivalent flat driving economy to 13 miles per bar (130 miles range without the reserve, 156 miles with the reserve). I figure that descending 6000 feet added about 40% or 45 miles to the Honda's range. Conversely, ascending 6000 feet appears to have consumed about 40% of the range. For future driving reference, this tells us that with elevation change, every 1,500 feet of net climbing cost about 1 bar (10%) of the battery energy. This indicates that the theoretical maximum height the EV + could climb is 15,000 feet on one charge (ignoring the reserve). So we could get to Mammoth easily.