Battery warming when cold, and plugged into 240v

[RickMachE]

One of the interesting things to me is that EVs, made by the same company, can have totally different battery components or algorithms. This January has been abnormally cold, and I've been watching my vehicles and charging. Both vehicles are prevented from charging from 11AM to 7PM, my peak rate period.

Currently is 5 degrees outside, ceiling sensor measures 25 degrees. My vehicles are in my garage, which is not heated or insulated, but is part of my house, so it has 2 interior walls (ceiling is not insulated and there is not a room above 80% of it.

The Mach-E, which was used yesterday for a 15 mile grocery run that ended around 3:30, charged between 7PM and 8:36PM to 90%. This morning, at 5:36AM, it pulled 1.63kWh to warm the battery for 20 minutes.

The Lightning, which hasn't been used since 1/20, last warmed the battery on 1/21 from 9:16AM to 9:34AM, pulling 1.47kWh.

They sit side by side, and are plugged into identical chargers.

Over the past weeks, I have looked to see what's been happening for battery warming. Note that the Mach-E is used more often, so it is possible that on some days the battery was warmed enough that it didn't see the need to warm overnight. Of course this morning's warming seems to be the opposite of that point...

Mach-E:

1/1 - 1.55kWh
1/20 - 1.79kWh
1/23 - 1.63kWh

Lightning:

12/12 - 1.22 kWh
12/15 - 1.26kWh
1/16 - 0.6kWh
1/20 - 1.28kWh
1/21 = 1.47kWh

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[turbato]

You see the same type of differences with departure times. My 23 Lightning typically starts 20-30 minutes prior to set time where both my prior 22 and current 25 starts 40-60 minutes prior..

 

[E90alex]

Completely different battery suppliers and therefore different designs and different BMS.

Also maybe the bigger Lightning battery is better at retaining heat for longer just due to mass? Maybe it has better insulation?

The Lightning also charges faster with a better charging curve than Mach-E.

 

[RickMachE]

Completely different battery suppliers and therefore different designs and different BMS.

Also maybe the bigger Lightning battery is better at retaining heat for longer just due to mass? Maybe it has better insulation?

The Lightning also charges faster with a better charging curve than Mach-E.

Yes, the Lightning battery would stay warmer longer due to mass, if nothing else. But not days...

Yes, it charges faster DC charging, but AC charging both are set to 23 amps (splitting a 48amp circuit).

Just found it interesting.

 

[Fremont Kid]

One of the interesting things to me is that EVs, made by the same company, can have totally different battery components or algorithms. This January has been abnormally cold, and I've been watching my vehicles and charging. Both vehicles are prevented from charging from 11AM to 7PM, my peak rate period.

Currently is 5 degrees outside, ceiling sensor measures 25 degrees. My vehicles are in my garage, which is not heated or insulated, but is part of my house, so it has 2 interior walls (ceiling is not insulated and there is not a room above 80% of it.

The Mach-E, which was used yesterday for a 15 mile grocery run that ended around 3:30, charged between 7PM and 8:36PM to 90%. This morning, at 5:36AM, it pulled 1.63kWh to warm the battery for 20 minutes.

The Lightning, which hasn't been used since 1/20, last warmed the battery on 1/21 from 9:16AM to 9:34AM, pulling 1.47kWh.

They sit side by side, and are plugged into identical chargers.

Over the past weeks, I have looked to see what's been happening for battery warming. Note that the Mach-E is used more often, so it is possible that on some days the battery was warmed enough that it didn't see the need to warm overnight. Of course this morning's warming seems to be the opposite of that point...

Mach-E:

1/1 - 1.55kWh
1/20 - 1.79kWh
1/23 - 1.63kWh

Lightning:

12/12 - 1.22 kWh
12/15 - 1.26kWh
1/16 - 0.6kWh
1/20 - 1.28kWh
1/21 = 1.47kWh

Curious how your electrical supplier 'prevents' charging during those times. How does it know that you aren't baking, welding, etc. which could pull electricity from similar 240V 40-50A circuits? The utility would just see that current is being pulled but not where it is used, correct?

 

[RickMachE]

Curious how your electrical supplier 'prevents' charging during those times. How does it know that you aren't baking, welding, etc. which could pull electricity from similar 240V 40-50A circuits? The utility would just see that current is being pulled but not where it is used, correct?

My electric supplier prevents nothing. I have my EVSEs set to not charge from 10:55AM to 7:05PM, covering the peak hours of 11AM to 7PM M-F.

 

[Colorado MME GT]

Curious how your electrical supplier 'prevents' charging during those times. How does it know that you aren't baking, welding, etc. which could pull electricity from similar 240V 40-50A circuits? The utility would just see that current is being pulled but not where it is used, correct?

If you participate in the Ford Energy Rewards program, Ford controls the charging time using time constraints provided by the utility. I am part of this in Colorado, and I get charge times scheduled to meet my departure time. It will split the charge times if needed, but it always charges during the lowest time-of-use rates. And I get a rebate every year for participating.

 

[RickMachE]

Update as of 1/27AM:

Mach-E:

1/24/26 11:52AM	1/24/26 12:20PM	2.46​							battery warming
1/25/26 2:54AM	1/25/26 3:17AM	1.96​							battery warming
1/25/26 6:03PM	1/25/26 6:32PM	2.52​							battery warming
1/26/26 10:09AM	1/26/26 10:30AM	1.75​							battery warming
1/27/26 3:03AM	1/27/26 3:27AM	2.17​							battery warming

Lightning:

1/21/26 9:16AM

1/21/26 9:34AM

1.47​

battery warming

1/23/26 7:14PM

1/23/26 7:37PM

1.95​

battery warming

1/24/26 2:40AM

1/24/26 2:56AM

1.36​

battery warming

1/24/26 9:30AM

1/24/26 9:46AM

1.39​

battery warming

1/24/26 10:46PM

1/24/26 11:04PM

1.66​

battery warming

1/25/26 12:51PM

1/25/26 1:10PM

1.71​

battery warming

1/26/26 3:49AM

1/26/26 4:07AM

1.54​

battery warming

1/27/26 2:41AM

1/27/26 3:01AM

1.79​

battery warming

 

[Blue highway]

Update as of 1/27AM:

Mach-E:

1/24/26 11:52AM	1/24/26 12:20PM	2.46​							battery warming
1/25/26 2:54AM	1/25/26 3:17AM	1.96​							battery warming
1/25/26 6:03PM	1/25/26 6:32PM	2.52​							battery warming
1/26/26 10:09AM	1/26/26 10:30AM	1.75​							battery warming
1/27/26 3:03AM	1/27/26 3:27AM	2.17​							battery warming

Lightning:

1/21/26 9:16AM

1/21/26 9:34AM

1.47​

battery warming

1/23/26 7:14PM

1/23/26 7:37PM

1.95​

battery warming

1/24/26 2:40AM

1/24/26 2:56AM

1.36​

battery warming

1/24/26 9:30AM

1/24/26 9:46AM

1.39​

battery warming

1/24/26 10:46PM

1/24/26 11:04PM

1.66​

battery warming

1/25/26 12:51PM

1/25/26 1:10PM

1.71​

battery warming

1/26/26 3:49AM

1/26/26 4:07AM

1.54​

battery warming

1/27/26 2:41AM

1/27/26 3:01AM

1.79​

battery warming

how warm is "warm" does it keep the battery above freezing, or some higher temp? It never gets below 50F in my garage...

 

[sglewiswl]

Update as of 1/27AM:

Mach-E:

1/24/26 11:52AM	1/24/26 12:20PM	2.46​							battery warming
1/25/26 2:54AM	1/25/26 3:17AM	1.96​							battery warming
1/25/26 6:03PM	1/25/26 6:32PM	2.52​							battery warming
1/26/26 10:09AM	1/26/26 10:30AM	1.75​							battery warming
1/27/26 3:03AM	1/27/26 3:27AM	2.17​							battery warming

Lightning:

1/21/26 9:16AM

1/21/26 9:34AM

1.47​

battery warming

1/23/26 7:14PM

1/23/26 7:37PM

1.95​

battery warming

1/24/26 2:40AM

1/24/26 2:56AM

1.36​

battery warming

1/24/26 9:30AM

1/24/26 9:46AM

1.39​

battery warming

1/24/26 10:46PM

1/24/26 11:04PM

1.66​

battery warming

1/25/26 12:51PM

1/25/26 1:10PM

1.71​

battery warming

1/26/26 3:49AM

1/26/26 4:07AM

1.54​

battery warming

1/27/26 2:41AM

1/27/26 3:01AM

1.79​

battery warming

How do you know it is warming the battery? Is their a metric in Car Scanner you are looking t?

 

[RickMachE]

How do you know it is warming the battery? Is their a metric in Car Scanner you are looking t?

Because it is running for a short period and pulling a small amount of energy.

 

[sglewiswl]

Because it is running for a short period and pulling a small amount of energy.

Not to be too thick, but what is running? The charger or a heat pump? With the heat pump drawing energy causing the car to charge. I have a 2021 standard battery so I believe it lacks a heat pump and some other activity is causing the frequent cycling of the charger.

 

[E90alex]

It will still pull energy to heat the battery on cars without a heat pump. This is just standard practice for any EV. Heat pump or not has nothing to do with it.

 

[Fremont Kid]

how warm is "warm" does it keep the battery above freezing, or some higher temp? It never gets below 50F in my garage...

As I understand the specifications, the battery is warmed to above 32F. Don't know how much more. During winter we plug in the MME each evening just for this purpose. Even after achieving the charge level, I see current being pulled from our charger, so I conclude the system is keeping the battery warm, i.e. above 32F.

Hope this helps.

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