Orange Test Drive

[Kepesk]

I got to drive the orange FUV around today, and let me tell you, it was awesome!

After Eric let me take a peek at the factory, we took Orange for about a 20 minute spin around town, mostly side streets. The handling was super slick and they managed to make this FUV even quieter than the Alphas were after they got upgrades. It was impressive! We started off driving past the old shop and then onto one of the city's main streets. I got it up to about 35 in decently heavy traffic. And wow, having to cross three lanes in that traffic in the company's shiny new Signature Series vehicle was a LITTLE terrifying, but I pulled it off.

We swing by my father-in-law's work because he wanted to see it, but he was busy and couldn't cone out. Then we got back on the main road, and a traffic light changed unexpectedly causing me to break very quickly. I managed to do it ALL with the regent break, which was awesome. It still cannot hold you on a hill, but otherwise the regent break seems to be just as good as the hydraulic break now.

Then we went up the cross street nearest the AMP. That street is a MESS; I don't think it has been maintained in decades. Potholes the size of Delaware, several railroad crossings where the pavement is just crumbling between the tracks, the works. The FUV is a small lightweight vehicle so you're going to feel it in that situation, but it was no worse than driving that road in my sedan, which is pretty impressive.

A few other things I noticed/found out:

1. The orange color was chosen intentionally to be flashy because this is one of their marketing vehicles and they want it to be noticed. Mission accomplished! The next marketing vehicle is a similarly bright blue (it's the one in the background of the news segment that was posted a couple weeks ago).
2. The heated seats work and kept my butt very warm. The heated grips do not work, but ONLY because they haven't had a chance to install them since the FUV got back from New York a couple days ago.
3. The new seats (even newer than the ones on the black Alpha) look like they belong on a spaceship and they're super cozy.
4. Orange has the full 20KWh battery pack. They still have some improvements to make before it's finalized but they're getting closer.
5. The fold-down seat and pull-out power cable will likely be options rather than standard (and Orange does not have either of those)
6. Orange does have power steering! It's still a LITTLE stiff when it's stopped or when you're just starting off, but you don't have to wrestle the handlebars like the Alphas, and they're still working on fine tuning it to improve that situation further.
7. The regent break (like on the Alphas) does easily bring the vehicle to a full stop, but does not hold it there if you're on a hill.

Also, I got a little peek at yours, Rod. It looks like it's coming along nicely (as I'm sure you're aware).

They're making these things better by the week. I'm super duper excited to get mine!

[AnimalCage]

Sounds like they're continuing to improve on an already impressive machine. Mine will certainly be one of the brightest and most noticeable colors they can come up with. I agree they are incredibly quiet. If a negative decibel level were possible, I'd go with that.

[Kepesk]

One thing I forgot to mention - I was a little nervous when I heard about its touchier "sport" tuning. I sometimes have difficulty with that sort of thing. I found the break to be just fine. It felt good and the tuning certainly helped me stop when I needed to at that light. The throttle was a little jumpy for me but not unmanageable, and I'm sure it wouldn't take me more than a day or two to really get used to it.

[AnimalCage]

Like any car, really. Time in the saddle. And yes, I absolutely loved the seats.

[Rickb]

I would like to think the fold down seat and pull out power cable would be base model standard. The more standard features the better, as it saves time/labor/parts inventory needs by creating a more streamlined/efficient manufacturing process.

[Trik]

I am jealous.

[SparkE]

Orange has the full 20KWh battery pack

Wow - 20 kWh? Really? Is that going to be the size on the base model's pack, or is that the 'extended range' one? 20 kWh (even if that is the 'full rated' capacity, with 'usable capacity being around 17 or 18) is going to allow much more range than I anticipated.

I routinely get over 5 miles per kWh in my Spark EV (and my personal challenge is to get it as close to - or over - 6 mi/kWh as possible, which I have done several times when only driving around town).  The usable pack size in the Spark EV is about 18, and I almost always got over 100 miles per 'fill'.


Random technical info about EVs in general :


outside temp vs. range
You should realize that as temps drop, so does the usable capacity of the battery pack (as long as it is cold - it comes back when it warms up). This just happens with batteries and is true of all electrics. So, in winter, if the battery pack temp gets below (say) 40 degrees (F) it might reduce range by up to 30%. You should keep that in mind when planning your 'maximum range' needs - in winter, the max range will be less. Also, you might be using the heater - which uses up electricity as well. This is just true of all EVs.

'hot' is bad for the batteries
Heat is bad for the life of a Li-Ion battery. You don't want to charge the battery when it is hot. This is very, VERY bad for the battery. Charging in itself will generate heat (especially as the battery gets close to 'full'). Do you have rechargeable batteries at home ('AA' or 'AAA')? Notice how they can get pretty warm during charging?

do not fill up battery to 'full'
The designers probably already know this and will take it into account (to a certain extent) but Li-Ion batteries HATE being charged to full and discharged to empty - it lowers their life. (This was a HUGE problem with the first years of the Nissan LEAF, especially in hotter climes such as Arizona). I have made it a habit with my EV to only charge it up to about 80% unless I need the range that day. And if you have a 240V charging station, you can probably add the last 10% in 30 minutes or so. (When I want the extra 10-15 miles of range, I charge to 80-90% the night before, then plug in when I get up in the morning.) Charging to 100% routinely is just not good for the battery. Charging to 'full' and then not using it (letting it sit for a day or 10) is even worse for the battery.


Technical questions :

Temperature Management System (TMS) for battery?
Has it been announced if the SRK will have a TMS, to keep the batteries in the best temps for both longevity and range?

'Rated' capacity vs. 'usable' capacity of battery?
Has it been announced what the 'rated' capacity vs. 'usable' capacity of the battery pack in the SRK will be? (In EVs there is generally a 'safety margin' so that the battery can't be charged to full rating by the user, thus prolonging the life of the battery)

[Kepesk]

The 20kWh battery is the extended range version. The standard version is 14.

[ricschug]

Orange has the full 20KWh battery pack

Wow - 20 kWh? Really? Is that going to be the size on the base model's pack, or is that the 'extended range' one? 20 kWh (even if that is the 'full rated' capacity, with 'usable capacity being around 17 or 18) is going to allow much more range than I anticipated.

I routinely get over 5 miles per kWh in my Spark EV (and my personal challenge is to get it as close to - or over - 6 mi/kWh as possible, which I have done several times when only driving around town).  The usable pack size in the Spark EV is about 18, and I almost always got over 100 miles per 'fill'.


Random technical info about EVs in general :


outside temp vs. range
You should realize that as temps drop, so does the usable capacity of the battery pack (as long as it is cold - it comes back when it warms up). This just happens with batteries and is true of all electrics. So, in winter, if the battery pack temp gets below (say) 40 degrees (F) it might reduce range by up to 30%. You should keep that in mind when planning your 'maximum range' needs - in winter, the max range will be less. Also, you might be using the heater - which uses up electricity as well. This is just true of all EVs.

'hot' is bad for the batteries
Heat is bad for the life of a Li-Ion battery. You don't want to charge the battery when it is hot. This is very, VERY bad for the battery. Charging in itself will generate heat (especially as the battery gets close to 'full'). Do you have rechargeable batteries at home ('AA' or 'AAA')? Notice how they can get pretty warm during charging?

do not fill up battery to 'full'
The designers probably already know this and will take it into account (to a certain extent) but Li-Ion batteries HATE being charged to full and discharged to empty - it lowers their life. (This was a HUGE problem with the first years of the Nissan LEAF, especially in hotter climes such as Arizona). I have made it a habit with my EV to only charge it up to about 80% unless I need the range that day. And if you have a 240V charging station, you can probably add the last 10% in 30 minutes or so. (When I want the extra 10-15 miles of range, I charge to 80-90% the night before, then plug in when I get up in the morning.) Charging to 100% routinely is just not good for the battery. Charging to 'full' and then not using it (letting it sit for a day or 10) is even worse for the battery.


Technical questions :

Temperature Management System (TMS) for battery?
Has it been announced if the SRK will have a TMS, to keep the batteries in the best temps for both longevity and range?

'Rated' capacity vs. 'usable' capacity of battery?
Has it been announced what the 'rated' capacity vs. 'usable' capacity of the battery pack in the SRK will be? (In EVs there is generally a 'safety margin' so that the battery can't be charged to full rating by the user, thus prolonging the life of the battery)

This question it would be good to know the answer to. (In EVs there is generally a 'safety margin' so that the battery can't be charged to full rating by the user, thus prolonging the life of the battery)

[Kepesk]

The batteries are air cooled, and they've said they have some sort of new technology to increase the effectiveness of that strategy, but they've been quiet on the details.

I do not believe we have been given any details about useable vs. total capacity.