Enjoy Efficient Road Trips with the 2022 iX 50 Sport | 9,000 Miles Tested & Approved

Road Trip -- Driving Efficiency

The 2022 iX 50 Sport is a great car for road trips. After ordering it on 9/2/2021, I received it 6/21/2022 and have driven 8,987 total miles to date. Recently, I took a road trip from VA to SC to TN to IL to WV back to VA, totaling 2,795.2 miles. The average efficiency was 2.9 mi/kWh over the entire trip.

On Interstate driving with temperatures in the 60s and 70s, the best efficiency was 3.1 mi/kWh over 622 miles at daytime speeds of 70-75 mph. The worst efficiency was 2.7 mi/kWh over 248 miles at nighttime speeds of 70-75 mph. An outlier was 3.6 mi/kWh over 80 miles at non-Interstate speeds of at or below 60 mph. After a subsequent Level 2 charge to 100% State of Charge (SOC), the estimated range was 414 miles. There was also a short stretch of hilly Pennsylvania Turnpike at 75-80 mph (nighttime) where the efficiency was 2.5-2.6 mi/kWh over 60 miles.

I used eleven free 30-minute Electric Avenue (EA) stops during the trip to reach an average SOC of 75-80%. These EA stops would have cost $193.82 if not free. Additionally, I used five free Level 2 sessions, four of which were to 100% SOC.

Overall, I absolutely love the iX for its instant acceleration when needed and B Mode with Assisted Driving on highways. After 9000 miles, I'm confident in my ability to plan drives of ~250 miles at 100% SOC and ~190 miles at 80% SOC without any qualms or range anxiety. My son drove 200 miles on the 600+ mile drive to South Carolina and his speed hovered around 70 mph while mine stayed around 75 mph, which helped us get the 3.1 mi/kWh efficiency rate.

For city driving and short local trips, I almost always use B Mode and only add Assisted Driving if on Interstate or dividend highway as I live in the country and don't often drive in cities. For tire inflation pressure, I run front tires at 30.5 psi and rear tires at 36.3 psi, about 5% over recommended levels. I haven't tried drafting yet but will look for opportunities as it can greatly increase range due to decreased wind resistance and can help alleviate range anxiety if one is hoping to make it to the next stop.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the iX 50 Sport and its efficiency on road trips. With a little planning, one can easily make it to their destination without any range anxiety.