Here’s How Much A Roof Box Impacts EV Efficiency

Summary

In this video, Zach reviews the efficiency of his 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL with all-wheel drive, conducting a road trip test with a Thule XXL roof box. After four months of ownership, he tests the car's efficiency with and without the box on a 70 mph loop from Wellington, Colorado to Cheyenne. The test includes driving in eco mode with a fan speed of one and a temperature set at 68, simulating a family road trip. The results show a slight decrease in efficiency with the roof box, but it's deemed worth it for the extra storage space, especially for an upcoming Texas trip.

Takeaways

• 📕 Zach introduces an efficiency test for his 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL with a roof box, aiming to assess its impact on the car's efficiency.
• 💵 The test involves driving the car with and without the Thule XXL motion XT roof box to compare efficiency.
• 📻 The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is used frequently for road trips, particularly to Texas, which is why understanding the impact of the roof box is important.
• 💲 Zach opts for the most aerodynamic roof rack setup from Thule available in May 2022, despite its high cost.
• 💵 The Thule roof box offers 22 cubic feet of storage, which could significantly increase the car's trunk space.
• 💲 The car is charged to 80% before the test, and the efficiency is measured using a 70 mph loop-style test.
• 💵 The test includes driving with the car's eco mode on, fan speed at one, and temperature set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 💲 The initial test without the roof box shows a 2.6 miles per kilowatt hour efficiency.
• 💵 The second test with the roof box installed and loaded with items shows a slightly reduced efficiency of 2.3 miles per kilowatt hour.
• 💲 The Hyundai Ioniq 5's Drive Assist feature experiences some issues, particularly with lane positioning in certain stretches of the road.
• 💵 Despite the wind and the added weight from the roof box, the car performs well, with Zach expressing satisfaction with the Thule box's performance.
• 💲 The final efficiency with the roof box is comparable to the initial test without it, indicating a minimal impact on efficiency.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Zach's video?

The main focus of Zach's video is to test the efficiency of his 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL with an all-wheel drive and a big battery, specifically to see how a roof box affects its efficiency.

What type of roof box is being tested on the Hyundai Ioniq 5?

Zach is testing the Thule XXL Motion XT roof box, which is the largest box that Thule makes at the time of filming.

How long has Zach owned the Hyundai Ioniq 5 featured in the video?

Zach has owned the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for about four months at the time of the video.

What is the purpose of the efficiency test with the roof box?

The purpose of the efficiency test is to determine how much the roof box affects the car's efficiency, which is important for Zach's upcoming long road trips.

What is the first step in Zach's efficiency test?

The first step in Zach's efficiency test is to run the car without the box on a 70-mile per hour loop-style test.

What is the second step in Zach's efficiency test after running the car without the box?

After running the car without the box, Zach will go home, put the box on, put some stuff in it to add weight, and then repeat the loop-style test with the box.

What is the significance of the 70-mile per hour loop-style test?

The 70-mile per hour loop-style test is significant because it simulates real-world driving conditions and allows for a controlled comparison of efficiency with and without the roof box.

What is the capacity of the Thule XXL Motion XT roof box?

The Thule XXL Motion XT roof box has 22 cubic feet of storage.

What is the cost of the Thule roof box and installation?

The cost of the Thule roof box and installation is not explicitly stated in the script, but Zach mentions that it was very expensive and that he paid for it out of his own pocket.

How does the presence of the roof box affect the Hyundai Ioniq 5's efficiency?

The presence of the roof box results in a slight decrease in efficiency, with Zach noting a 10% drop in battery after 17 miles, but the exact impact is still being tested.

What additional tests does Zach plan to do with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in the future?

In the future, Zach plans to do a range test with towing, using the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to tow their overlanding trailer.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Efficiency Test with Roof Box

Zach introduces an efficiency test for his 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL with all-wheel drive and a large battery. He plans to test the car's efficiency with a Thule roof box installed, starting with an unloaded test and then a loaded one. The test involves driving at 70 miles per hour on a loop from Wellington, Colorado to near Cheyenne and back. Zach mentions that the car has been used for road trips to Texas and that the Thule roof bar system and XXL motion XT box were recently installed to increase storage space. He also discusses the car's features, the aerodynamic roof rack setup, and the anticipation of a road trip to Texas.

05:00

📏 Post-Efficiency Test and Roof Box Installation

After completing the efficiency test without the roof box, Zach returns to the charging station to record the car's performance. He then heads home to install the Thule XXL cargo box on the car. The box offers 22 cubic feet of storage, which is expected to double the trunk space. Zach shares his excitement about the additional space for an upcoming road trip to Texas. He also discusses the process of installing the box and the ease of use, including the secure brackets and double-sided opening feature. The summary ends with Zach preparing to conduct another efficiency test with the box installed.

10:02

🌪️ Efficiency Test with Loaded Roof Box

Zach conducts a second efficiency test with the Thule XXL cargo box loaded on the roof of his Ioniq 5. He mentions the challenges of driving in strong winds and how it might affect the test results. The test involves driving to Cheyenne and back, with the car's Drive Assist feature being tested as well. Zach notes that the car's range dropped significantly after 17 miles with the box on, but he also observes that the car is performing well despite the wind. He discusses the car's handling and the Drive Assist feature's quirks, emphasizing the importance of staying alert while using such systems.

15:04

🔋 Final Thoughts on the Efficiency Test

Zach concludes the video with his final thoughts on the efficiency test. He notes that the car performed well with the Thule box installed, achieving 2.3 miles per kilowatt hour, which is not much different from the 2.6 miles per kilowatt hour without the box. He compares this to a previous test result of 3.2 miles per kilowatt hour with no roof equipment. Zach expresses satisfaction with the Thule box's performance, mentioning that it was relatively quiet despite some wind noise. He invites viewers to subscribe and check out more videos on their channel, including an overlanding channel and a van life trip to Alaska.

Keywords

💡Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an all-electric car produced by Hyundai Motor Company. In the video, it is the central vehicle being reviewed, particularly focusing on its efficiency with a roof box attached. The Ioniq 5 is chosen for its electric powertrain and family-friendly features, making it suitable for road trips as mentioned by the reviewer.

💡Efficiency Test

An efficiency test refers to the evaluation of how well a vehicle performs in terms of energy usage, often measured in miles per kilowatt-hour for electric vehicles. In the script, the reviewer conducts an efficiency test with the Ioniq 5 to determine the impact of a roof box on the car's energy consumption during a road trip.

💡Roof Box

A roof box is a type of cargo carrier that is mounted on the roof of a vehicle. The video discusses the installation of a Thule roof box on the Ioniq 5 to increase storage space for a family road trip. The roof box is a key element in the efficiency test as its aerodynamic impact on the car's performance is being evaluated.

💡Aerodynamic

Aerodynamic refers to the study of the motion of air and its interaction with solid objects, such as a car's body. In the context of the video, aerodynamics is important when discussing the roof box's effect on the Ioniq 5's efficiency. The reviewer mentions getting the most aerodynamic roof rack setup to minimize drag.

💡Thule

Thule is a company known for manufacturing roof racks and other car accessories. In the video, the reviewer installed a Thule roof bar system and their largest roof box, the XXL Motion XT, on the Ioniq 5. Thule products are being tested for their utility and impact on the vehicle's efficiency.

💡Cargo Space

Cargo space refers to the storage area in a vehicle intended for carrying goods. The video highlights the Ioniq 5's cargo space and how the addition of a Thule roof box can double this space, which is crucial for the reviewer's family road trips.

💡Eco Mode

Eco mode is a setting in vehicles that optimizes the car's performance for fuel efficiency. In the script, the reviewer mentions using the Ioniq 5's eco mode during the efficiency test to ensure the car is operating in its most energy-efficient state.

💡Miles per Kilowatt-hour

Miles per kilowatt-hour is a measure of energy efficiency for electric vehicles, indicating how many miles the car can travel per unit of electrical energy consumed. The video uses this metric to compare the Ioniq 5's efficiency with and without the roof box.

💡Loop Style Test

A loop style test is a method of testing a vehicle's performance by driving a consistent route and measuring certain parameters, such as efficiency. In the video, the reviewer conducts a loop style test at 70 miles per hour to assess the Ioniq 5's efficiency.

💡Drive Assist

Drive Assist refers to driver assistance systems in vehicles that help with steering, braking, and accelerating. The video mentions the reviewer's experience with the Ioniq 5's Drive Assist feature, noting its behavior with and without the roof box.

💡Overlanding

Overlanding is a form of recreational off-road driving where people explore remote areas in their vehicles. The video script mentions an overlanding channel, suggesting that the reviewer also creates content related to off-road adventures, which might be relevant to the Ioniq 5's capabilities.

Highlights

Zach introduces an efficiency test for his 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL with a roof box.

The car has been used for four months as a family road tripper.

A Thule roof bar system and the largest Thule roof box, the XXL Motion XT, are installed.

The first test is conducted without the box to establish a baseline for efficiency.

The test route is a 70 mph loop from Wellington, Colorado to near Cheyenne.

The car is charged to 80% before the test to ensure a fair comparison.

Zach notes the increased wind noise with just the roof bars installed.

The Thule system is expected to double the trunk space of the car.

Eco mode is used for the test with the fan speed and temperature set for efficiency.

The car's efficiency is measured in miles per kilowatt hour.

Zach plans to do a second test with the roof box to compare efficiency.

The XXL roof box has 22 cubic feet of storage.

The box is installed and loaded with items to simulate a road trip scenario.

The car's efficiency with the box is tested on the same loop route.

Zach observes that the car's Drive Assist feature behaves differently with the box.

The final efficiency with the box is 2.3 miles per kilowatt hour, compared to 2.6 without.

Zach concludes that the roof box has a minimal impact on the car's efficiency.

The video ends with a teaser for Zach's upcoming overlanding channel.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to another out of spec

reviews video my name is Zach and behind

me is my 2022 Hyundai ioniq 5 SEL

all-wheel drive with the big battery and

I've had it for about four months now

and what we're going to be doing today

is really exciting we're going to be

doing an efficiency test with a roof box

on top so let's hit the road and see

what we're going to be doing

so I've had this ionic 5 for a while now

it's been about four months or so and

what we're really trying to do with this

car is it's my family Road Tripper we go

to that we go down to Texas a lot so

we've opted recently to install our

Thule roof bar system as well as I got

their largest box they make it's the XXL

motion

XT I believe and it's huge and it's back

at home so what we're doing right now is

we're going to be running this car

without the Box on our efficiency uh

loop style test 70 mile per hour loop

style test so what we do here is we're

starting here in Wellington Colorado

we're charging the car up right now to

80 once the car hits 80 we're going to

hit the road go all the way up to a

little bit shy of Cheyenne come back and

come back here and see what our

efficiency is when we get back here then

what I will do while it's so that will

be our unloaded test without the Box

just the rails and then what I'll do is

I'll go home put the Box on put some

stuff in there so it has a little bit of

weight to it too then we'll come back

here and charge back up to 80 percent

hit the do the exact same Loop style

test again all the way up Cheyenne come

back do 70 miles per hour with the box

and see what our efficiency is and

compare the two groups so we'll have our

control group without the box and we'll

have our test group with the box and

we'll see what how much efficiency we

are going to lose with this giant box

I'm excited for this because we're about

to go to Texas on a long road trip and

this is all going to be a part of that

so we really do need to know what the

efficiency is going to be so let's hit

that let's hit 80 and let's hit the road

this is the only test that I know of

that has

uh that we're doing a test with the

ionic 5 and a roof rack I haven't seen

anything on YouTube about what kind of

efficiency we can get I did get the most

Aero efficient roof rack setup that

Thule offered at the time of filming

this which is uh May 2022.

um so I got all the bells and whistles

from them uh for it uh it was very

expensive this is not sponsored by the

way I did pay for this out of my own

pocket uh so uh yeah it was very

expensive but I'm excited because this

Thule system will basically double our

trunk space in this car the box has 22

cubic feet of storage now we're not

testing that right now but when we get

back to my house I'll film uh putting it

on how big it is on the inside uh and

really kind of give you a good walk

around of it that's what I'm really

excited about is because we'll have all

of that extra space uh in the car when

we go to Texas and just really have a

lot more uh effective way to get there

so for this test so y'all are aware we

will be running the eco mode we're going

to turn our fan speed down to one

temperature set at 68. we do have my son

in the car of course too uh so he's

about 35 pounds uh I'm about

255 so we'll you know so we do have

about that much weight in cargo we don't

have anything else in here I think his

stroller is actually in the back that's

not very heavy so now we're getting up

to the highway and we're hitting it so

this you know video we won't really be

talking too much about uh the ionic 5's

features you know I might mention a

couple things that I like as a driver

but what we're really focusing in on is

our efficiency with this rack system uh

right now I just have uh just the rack

installed

put her at 70. there we go

you know I just had the rack installed

so I haven't run this on the highway at

all actually with the rack system so

it's good to know what it's going to get

unloaded I can tell you right now there

is a bit more wind noise and we do have

quite a bit of wind today uh too so

we're heading uh north towards Cheyenne

right now here we go the wind is coming

West Northwest at 19 miles per hour

the roof noise is a bit more noticeable

uh

with just the bars installed so I'm very

curious what's going to happen once we

get the Box on there and how much louder

that's going to be so you joined me back

in the ionic five just want to make a

real quick note that we did start at 80

when we left the income and go so I did

charge up to 80 it only took nine

minutes I think we rolled in with like

74 or something like that so it wasn't

really that big of a charge

um

but yeah we're uh getting 1.8 miles uh

per kilowatt hour right now

um and this will be a little bit

different than our normal range test

because normally what we do with like

gas cars is we get back to the cover and

go we fill them back up uh and then we

determine the miles per gallon but on

electric car you don't really have to do

that because you got your meter rating

but we want to make these tests Fair uh

for both sides so what we're going to be

doing once the box is installed or once

we get done with this efficiency test

we'll stop back at the common gov

record our miles per kilowatt hour there

uh and then take some pictures obviously

for the records and then

um we'll head back to my house I'll

install the Box we'll film that

and then uh head back to the Commodore

charge back to 80 then hit the road

again uh to

back to Cheyenne and do the range test

again with the box so let's turn around

head back to Wellington and see what our

efficiency our final efficiency is at

the come and go but the reason why we do

these Loop style tests just so you're

aware is because I think we were going

into a headwind on the way home on the

way here excuse me and now we're heading

back to Fort Collins so technically that

headwind should be at our rear now and

we should have better efficiency okay so

update from the road

uh

a lot more people

uh driving you guys see you know just

Memorial Day so a lot of people are

coming home uh there's up to 40 mile per

hour gust according to the highway signs

out here so you can see this trailer

that we're passing right now uh see if

he's running away distribution hitch he

is but he seems squatting pretty good

he's kind of walking all over the road

so is this guy tell uh

you can hear that wind outside

I think this was a great day to do this

test because of this wind you know this

is you know you do encounter this on

road trips sometimes so

and you gotta you know account for it so

that's where apps like a better route

planner coming very handy

um

they even have you know Parts on a

better route planner now that'll let you

hook up an OBD2 tuner OBD2 dongle to it

and get uh and get linked into the car

so let's get it back in 70 here we're

trying to hold uh 70 and kind of go

around people we're not trying to clog

up the left lane either but yeah I am

not sure we're gonna get better

efficiency on the way back in my

all right so we're back here in

Wellington Colorado let's pull into the

come and go and get an official

uh tally and then what we'll do from

there is head back to my house uh and uh

put the big box on overall I think the

car did great uh and even in this windy

conditions and now it's official so

we're here back at the charger we're not

going to charge up here I'm just going

to go back home

um and put the Box on so let's get the

official here we go very crooked yes I

know so 2.6 miles per kilowatt hour 52

state of charge we started with 80

percent state of charge so and we went

50 let's get the exact so it's like 59 I

started it just a little late it's 59.

I've done this test a million times

thank you

all right so getting up here inside the

Thule uh once again this is 22 cubic

feet of storage it's a monster

uh so we all just saw me do with putting

it on the car obviously it has these

cool

little uh brackets because you don't

want to over torque them and they don't

let you because they have this cool you

got the store showed me

there it is that cool little satisfying

click and

double-sided opening which is so cool

right

okay so we're on the other side now

and we're clipping in

doing the exact same thing that we just

did on the opposite side and once again

I really like that it opens on both

sides this is my first cargo box ever so

pardon me if all the cargo boxes do that

I just find it really cool so here we

are so

These Bars by the way were installed by

a local company here in Fort Collins

called Rack Attack I think they're a

chain

rack installer I'm never taking these

off because they put them on

I feel like they did a pretty good job

with it but I wanted to show you all too

even though this is the largest box they

make the ionic 5 is so big

it can clear the hatch I have not

adjusted the hatch to open less

that is full open

so check it out we got a big 230 pound

bags of charcoal bottle Rain-X a

medium-sized suitcase a very large

suitcase this suitcase is very very big

by the way and as you can see

plenty of room

for everything I could probably

definitely put more stuff in here but

this is great all right so you joined me

back here at the come and go uh we are

charging the car back up to 80 percent

to do run number two this time with our

Thule uh XXL uh cargo box on the top so

what we're gonna do like I said is we're

gonna charge the car up to 80 percent uh

just where we started without the box I

wish these were Electrify Americas and

we'd be cranking right now

but we're not we're at like 56.2 on

these uh charge Point units I think

they're only rated for 62. so whatever

let's get something to eat and make sure

everything's good to go all right so

here we go we're about to head out from

Wellington Colorado and we are on our

way to Cheyenne let's make sure

everything is reset on the trip odometer

tires are at manufacturer spec we're

good there to recap we are running the

largest roof box that Thule makes on the

ionic 5 right now and I didn't want to

go trailer hitch yet I do eventually do

want to get the trailer hitch in case

you're wondering

because I I like specking stuff out I

like Max and stuff out so that'll be

really cool too uh once I get the

trailer hitch we put the roof box on

load it up load this up with people and

then maybe tow our over Landing trailer

which is like 1500 pounds or so maybe

it's actually like 700 dry but anyway uh

all that in another video we'll do range

test plus Towing and with everything and

just see how terrible the range is going

to be it is loud I'll tell you that

right now First Impressions right off

the bat very loud uh but I expected that

and we're also going into crazy wins uh

this is not this is like an extreme test

almost

uh I'll update y'all whenever we get to

the turnaround and see what we're doing

unless something interesting

but should be pretty uneventful on the

Highway Drive assist with the Box

working perfectly

um if you're if you watch the other

video earlier in this video you saw that

it was kind of like

whack-a-mole I don't know what it was

doing it was very weird it was almost

scary and it could be so bad like really

hugging the lane too hard and then going

out of it you know unintentionally and

you know I changed lanes and then change

back lanes and then it kind of reset

itself and I turned all the stuff off

and reset it but yeah it was very

interesting kind of weird just wanted to

tell you after going 17 miles we have

lost 10 percent of our battery here at

70 so we have 80 to 70 like that

a 17 miles so that's pretty bad 10

percent loss after

uh now granted I think we are kind of

going into the wind at this point we'll

see what we all set on the way back but

it's doing pretty bad all right so you

join me here from Cheyenne Wyoming a

little bit shy Cheyenne actually always

correct myself there it's been very nice

and I haven't really noticed the box to

be quite honest with you

that's been very very compliance going

down the road this is where I was having

issues last time with the Drive Assist

and I think it's still doing the same

thing to be quite honest with y'all I

don't know if it's just the way these

Maids are but check this out here we go

will

okay it doesn't do it and it's all all

the stuff is locked in

you know all the safety features were

locked in so it should be just fine

there's something with this particular

stretch of rogue

and Highway Drive Assist too where it

just doesn't

understand like I'm fighting it right

now so here we go we're gonna let go one

two three wow look at that

it just completely drifts over

and I gotta catch it because I don't

want to go over to that gravel you know

as we use these cars more often we

notice things uh

personal car of course this is

this is not a press loaner you know I've

always wondered when it does the

scoochover I just noticed it actually

doing the the scoochover

18 wheeler

fifth wheels and travel trailers and

such so let's do the scoot over we can

see in the camera right here it is all

the way over to this Lane thinking it

might see something over here I'm sure

um but that's really interesting all the

quirks of these new driving assistant

features none of them are perfect by any

means so always make sure that you're

paying attention and looking at

you know stuff like that can happen

unexpectedly you're not

you're not all right so here we are back

in Wellington at the come and go there

was a lot of factors at play today with

the wind and everything like that so

we're gonna do exactly what we did last

time we're gonna pull all the way into

the

charger Park

give you my final thoughts of today and

uh yeah not too bad

all right so lock it in at 2.3 miles per

kilowatt hour

57.9 miles a little about 58 miles like

we always say

um 2.3 miles per kilowatt hour not too

bad we're at the exact same place we

started in our current state of charge

of the battery is 50 so that big 10 drop

that we saw at the beginning uh is not

the case anymore so that's that's pretty

good news here well we made it back here

to Wellington Colorado with our uh our

vehicles so we did the Thule box on the

top pretty impressed with this box by

the way uh I really do like it uh not

sponsored at all uh did great on the

trip was relatively quiet it wasn't you

know it was a little loud but not that

bad but you can see it kind of overhangs

the front a bit no big deal but

I didn't really you don't you don't see

it at all in the car but it's been a

really great day it's a 2.3 miles per

kilowatt hour with the Box 2.6 I believe

without the box so really not that much

of a difference and 3.2 from a previous

test

um without anything on the roof at all

so I hope you all enjoyed this out of

spec reviews videos do come back for

more videos please like subscribe and

also check out our out of spec

overlanding Channel where you can see us

go off-roading with all kinds of Great

Cars too we're uh we're building up that

channel we're super excited about it and

also catch Kyle's uh crazy van life trip

that he's doing to Alaska right now if

you haven't check that out that's on the

over on our outer spec over Landing

Channel hope you all enjoyed this video

we'll catch you on the next one