Maximum speed driving cross country

[Outdoors]

Your firm stance on "peddle to the metal" and your earlier post referencing the cannonball run got me thinking. So, here's what I found:

Porsche record Cannonball did not run wide open

https://www.thedrive.com/news/38578...esla-for-the-fastest-ev-cannonball-run-record
Key text from the article:
“Remember that EVs are more efficient at lower speeds. In fact, the average speed of the run was right around 64 MPH, though that accounts for charging time as well, so it may have been a little bit higher. That’s not to say that they didn’t push the car either. Kyle told me that his team did use speed to their advantage, but not necessarily aimed at getting from A-to-B faster. It was also used to precondition the battery when approaching a charging station since the software problems with the car prevented it from automatically taking place. At their height, they hit around 160 MPH, which is incredibly close to the Taycan’s top speed.”


Tesla Model S Cannonball record also did not run wide open and used a charging strategy of arrive at 10% leave at 50% (in general)

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a38095522/ev-cannonball-record-tesla-model-s/
Key text to that article:
“But the sustained speeds weren't quite as high, as there's still a benefit to driving slightly more efficiency”

Reading about each of these record runs, they used super high speed sprints nearing certain charging situations to pre-condition the battery faster, but in cruised slower than that in general.

Finally, here's an academic research paper on the same subject, published on the IEEE site titled, “The Nature and Strategy of Minimizing the Total Travel Time for Long-Distance Driving of an EV” available (with subscription) at: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10431811 (warning- the site will go down for maintenance today (23 Sep 2025) from 1PM to 5PM Eastern). I can't post this in a public forum as it's licensed and would be unethical. But, it says the same: minimizing total transit time in an EV is a balance between speed and charge time and optimum speed is slower than max speed.

Maybe rather than all the reading of research. One actually gives it a go. Academic work comes to no answer except for get off the couch, and away from the typewriter and drive.

I don't think all the comparisons mean anything if all one does is spout napkin math, and then apply to a truck sitting in ones garage. Each route and environment make each situation different. No cross country run is the same. It may have some rough guidelines, but they are all different.

Again. Give it a go.

Sponsored

 

[Outdoors]

It's not though (at least with Cybertruck), at the higher speeds your additional energy usage takes longer to recharge than the time you save.

That is a pretty broad statement, and not really correct at all points. Some yes, but again this thread is quickly denigrating into if we cross a chicken with an eagle we get a turkey.

 

[bryantclan]

Do you know what the Wh/mi average is at 113 mph in an AWD? Would be an easy calculation from there….I’m using 800 Wh/mi at 85 mph for instance

You usage is really really high for that avg speed....

 

[Hazard One]

You usage is really really high for that avg speed....

Thanks! Yes, I've updated the model since I made that post. I'm interested in your data above. What App is that? Would you say your drive above was most on level ground? Do you know what the outside air temp was (about)?

 

[bryantclan]

Thanks! Yes, I've updated the model since I made that post. I'm interested in your data above. What App is that? Would you say your drive above was most on level ground? Do you know what the outside air temp was (about)?

The data is out of the Tessie app, it may or may not have been from somewhere in GA to somewhere in FL. There was around 100 feet of elevation loss on that segment.

I have many 200 mile legs on the trip from Denver to Orlando and MD to Orlando with avg speeds that near the same and the usage is always about the same. The above 75 the arrow covers make a huge defiance at around 20%.

 

[mongo]

The data is out of the Tessie app, it may or may not have been from somewhere in GA to somewhere in FL. There was around 100 feet of elevation loss on that segment.

I have many 200 mile legs on the trip from Denver to Orlando and MD to Orlando with avg speeds that near the same and the usage is always about the same. The above 75 the arrow covers make a huge defiance at around 20%.

Are you running stock tires?

Sponsored