My 2021 Mach-E received 91 kWh upgrade (useable at 100% SoC)

[SWO]

Curious if this does anything to the threshold at which the HVB no longer charges the LVB.

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[phil]

Here's my understanding.

1. The battery is the same as before the software change. Of course.
2. The new software allows an extra 2 or 3 kWh of the battery's capacity to be used for driving.
3. So, we can drive an extra 5-10 miles per charge. Whether we should drive the extra few miles is less clear - battery is stressed when run down low, but that may be better than getting stranded 5 miles from home. So the change can only be a good thing (or at worst, a non-issue if we choose never to use the extra range).
4. 2021 Mustangs now work exactly the same way as 2022 Mustangs, in this respect. I.e., there is no difference in range between the two model years after the needed software update is applied.

Does that sound right?

 

[dbsb3233]

Here's my understanding.

1. The battery is the same as before the software change. Of course.
2. The new software allows an extra 2 or 3 kWh of the battery's capacity to be used for driving.
3. So, we can drive an extra 5-10 miles per charge. Whether we should drive the extra few miles is less clear - battery is stressed when run down low, but that may be better than getting stranded 5 miles from home. So the change can only be a good thing (or at worst, a non-issue if we choose never to use the extra range).
4. 2021 Mustangs now work exactly the same way as 2022 Mustangs, in this respect. I.e., there is no difference in range between the two model years after the needed software update is applied.

Does that sound right?

Sounds right, although I'm not sure on #4 whether they put the extra 3kWh above or below the 0% line on the 2022s. Since the official range increased, I wonder if they just programmed it above 0% to count it as normal range, but put it below 0% on the 2021s so the official range didn't need to be updated?

Either way though, it's such a small difference that it doesn't really matter. Same way with whether we "should or shouldn't" use it. It's really not wise to drive down into single digits regularly anyway, meaning driving down to use the last 3% was never a good idea. It was a bad idea at 0% before, and an equally bad idea at -3% now.

But incrementally it should be fine. Like I said above, 17% is the new 20%. If that was OK before, it should be equally OK now.

 

[Mirak]

Umm…. I’d just like the SOC to accurately reflect the usable state of charge. Is that asking too much? Ford can do whatever it wants with the GOM.

 

[SnBGC]

I am unsure of exactly which update unlocked it, but after applying all updates in FDRS, my car now has 91kwh useable at 100% SoC.

I did reach out to a contact at Ford and got permission to share that yes the car does in fact have 91kwh useable now. However, the extra 3kwh has been added as a buffer below 0 on the GOM so that you can still drive a short distance after 0.

I thought I'd start a discussion on this as it seems to be a weird way to add in the extra capacity. It feels like the people that made this decision were trying to make it more like an ICE vehicle where you still have some range after you hit empty. However, I don't think EV drivers are normally driving their cars past 0 miles and would much rather have this capacity in the normal useable range.

My car received 21P22 back in April.
Here is a data grab from this past weekend. I would presume that whatever software you loaded from the FDRS system is what made the change in your readings. I say this because my readings haven't changed at all. I am seeing the same data after 21P22 as before.
Just an FYI....

 

[bncwhite]

I was one of those affected by the March 14, 2022 hardcoded bug, making Hands-Free driving unavailable. The dealer updated the gateway module to fix it per the TSB but also updated all my modules with all available updates on March 16, 2022.

I'm scheduled to get the contactor recall software fix on Friday. I'm hoping they will update all my modules again so I can also get Apple Maps EV Charging.

I connected FORSCAN to my Mach-E. Here are my stats. If I divide BAT_TO_EMPTY by the BATT_CHAR (78.134 / 0.8307), I come to 94.06 so it looks like my 3% has already been unlocked. I don't understand why it would show 94 and not 91. I'm assuming it is because it is 100F outside.

I also used a DCFC last week. I was able to go from 83% charge to 96% charge in 20 mins. I remember seeing the rate above 41kw when it was past 91% or 92% and then it started tapering off the speed.

 

[Mathington]

I will have to check my battery next time I charge to 100%. I checked a few weeks ago after the BC updates and charging to 100% on my SR AWD but I don't remember seeing the additional kWh available.

 

[mkhuffman]

I don't understand why it would show 94 and not 91. I'm assuming it is because it is 100F outside.

I am pretty sure it is because you are calculating the energy to empty, and the calculation is not very accurate. Charge your car to 100% and see what you get.

I doubt it will be much higher than 91 kWh - certainly not 94 or even 92. When I check mine at 100%, more often than not, it is below 91. Once I measured above 91, but it was something like 91.1. Definitely not 94.

 

[generaltso]

I connected FORSCAN to my Mach-E. Here are my stats. If I divide BAT_TO_EMPTY by the BATT_CHAR (78.134 / 0.8307), I come to 94.06 so it looks like my 3% has already been unlocked. I don't understand why it would show 94 and not 91. I'm assuming it is because it is 100F outside.

If you divide by the displayed battery SOC, you get 90.85kWh.

 

[bncwhite]

Thanks for the clarification @mkhuffman and @generaltso

Charged at 100%, I'm now showing 91.488kwh usable.

 

[eStang]

Just not sure I like how they added it. It's basically added in a way that it will almost never get used.

agreed, I would have preferred to have it added above 0. There was already a small buffer below 0, and whatever it was was good enough for me, because my nerves don't like me to get below 5%.

 

[SnBGC]

Thanks for the clarification @mkhuffman and @generaltso

Charged at 100%, I'm now showing 91.488kwh usable.

Now this makes sense to me.
What @generaltso says is correct. Divide Estimated kWh to Empty by SOC Displayed to determine Usable kWh. That formula works for either set of figures. 78.134 kWh divided by 86% is 90.85 kWh. That will always wander around because SOC DIsplayed is rounded to the nearest half percent.

What you will also notice is that your actual HVB state of charge is 95.76% which basically means if you were to run down your SOC displayed to 0%.....there will actually be around 3.16% (of the total max capacity of 98.8 kWh) remaining. That is what we have been calling the bottom buffer.
The top or upper buffer.....that never gets charged is about 4.2% based on your numbers posted.

Back when I first got my car, I think I calculated the lower buffer to be almost 6% and the upper buffer to be around 3.5% if I remember correctly. Based off your readings, it looks like Ford cut that lower buffer in half which makes a lot of sense because very few users would ever drain that battery down that low anyway.

I will further conclude that your car will still stop at 0% displayed, just like before.

 

[WyldStallyn]

I'm hoping they will update all my modules again so I can also get Apple Maps EV Charging.

Don't get your hopes up ... the SYNC update hasn't gone out to all Job 2 yet (not even all early access). I'm early access (clearly not earliest access) and have not received the OTA nor is it in FDRS.

 

[Shayne]

Umm…. I’d just like the SOC to accurately reflect the usable state of charge. Is that asking too much? Ford can do whatever it wants with the GOM.

The capacity/100 would work. Not 100 to 99 is 5% (real bug) and there is another 3.5% you don't see. Sounds pretty involved for a 1 to 100 scale.

I say make it simple. 91/100 (0.91 Kwh = every 1%). Whatever it has/100 since percentage used along with distance traveled say it all under current driving conditions. That is once percentage becomes linear. The consumption appears somewhat accurate. Never notice the GOM just further complexity. If I could shut it off and put a big percentage scale (maybe consumption numbers also) in its place I would. I just need an accurate gas gauge (%). Miles to empty I have never had or needed before.

 

[Mach1E]

The capacity/100 would work. Not 100 to 99 is 5% (real bug) and there is another 3.5% you don't see. Sounds pretty involved for a 1 to 100 scale.

I say make it simple. 91/100 (0.91 Kwh = every 1%). Whatever it has/100 since percentage used along with distance traveled say it all under current driving conditions. That is once percentage becomes linear. The consumption appears somewhat accurate. Never notice the GOM just further complexity. If I could shut it off and put a big percentage scale (maybe consumption numbers also) in its place I would. I just need an accurate gas gauge (%). Miles to empty I have never had or needed before.

Except that with batteries, capacity is a moving target.

“Full” is relative based on many factors. Same with “half full” and “empty.”

The accuracy of the gauge isn’t the issue.

You get a % scale in whisper mode.

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