Is this normal? Am I missing a setting or doing something wrong?
Just to clarify, it’s not a huge deal for me since I’m usually well within range. But I thought the heat pump on the 2024 models was supposed to keep the range hit to about 20-30%, not 60%! My typical efficiency is around 2.6 mi/kWh, but lately, I’m getting about 1.1 mi/kWh on my usual 50-mile round trip.
Here’s my setup: I precondition the truck every morning, I drive with one-pedal mode (rarely using the brakes), and I keep the cabin at 72°F with the driver’s heated seat and steering wheel on. The truck is nice and warm from preconditioning, but the heat pump runs constantly on the second auto setting in 20-35°F weather.
I start with a 90% battery and end with around 57%, compared to my usual 90-81% usage (ER battery, Flash trim).
One thing I’m wondering about is the “heat” button in the climate settings. Does it add extra electric heating, or is it for the heat pump as well? It’s currently on—maybe it shouldn’t be?
EDIT: Based on some advice here, I checked my tire pressure—turns out they were at 33 psi! I inflated them to 40 psi, and my drive home improved to 2.1 mi/kWh, the best I’ve seen all week. Still testing, but this seems like it made a big difference!
Carson said:
That’s wild. Are you sure you didn’t leave a trailer hitched on by accident?
It really does feel like it!
I’ve gotten poor range like that before. I don’t have the new heat pump, but you could try driving with just the heated seats and steering wheel on, no cabin heat. I notice that even a little cabin heat drains my battery much faster. When I do turn it on, I just run it on high for 5 minutes to warm things up, then let it fade out for 15-30 minutes and repeat as needed. I got back toward 2 mi/kWh doing that.
@Zion
I agree, the numbers don’t quite add up. 2.6 is a rough average, it actually bounces between 2.5 and 2.7, never landing exactly at 2.6 (maybe a glitch in the system?).
I’ve got two young kids in car seats in the back, so they can’t wear their winter coats while strapped in. I keep the cabin warmer for them, but I’ll try lowering it a bit and see if it helps. Still, I’m prioritizing their comfort over a few kWh of efficiency!
@Micah
It sounds like something’s up. That’s a lot of extra power being used. Could you have a setting on that’s preconditioning the battery even when you’re not going to a fast charger? That would burn a lot of energy for little benefit on a regular drive.
That range drop seems extreme, especially since you’re preconditioning. I’m in similar temps, and my efficiency hasn’t dropped below 1.7-1.8 (2024 Lariat). Even my 2023 Lariat did better than 1.1 last winter without a heat pump.
Perrin said:
Could be tire pressure. When temps drop, so does tire pressure, which increases rolling resistance.
Update: You’re the MVP here. My tires were down to 33 psi, so I pumped them up to 40 psi before heading home. I’ve been struggling with 1.3 mi/kWh lately, but on my drive home, I got up to 2.1! Still not normal, but a huge improvement. Thanks for the reminder to check my tires!
@Micah
I usually keep mine at 48 psi when it gets cold. The extra efficiency is worth a little trade-off in ride comfort. Way better than my old Tesla.
It really does feel like it!