Announcing: Tesla Superchargers + Connected Navigation

[Charge_Rob]

Simplicity is what I seek. I have an electric car with a built in navigation system on a giant screen sitting right in front of me (well, to the right of me) whose major purpose in life is to find my next charge location. I want the whole database available to it, not half of it.

Apparently, according to @Charge_Rob , the Tesla chargers ARE in the database and apparently they are accessible to the older Lightnings, just not the older MME’s, for some reason …

@Ford Motor Company is there any good reason why 21-24 MME’s can’t select Tesla chargers available with an adapter from our onboard nav when apparently they are in there and can be seen in another model of your vehicles?

Just to clarify:

A SYNC update that includes the changes to enable this is currently deploying to 2024 MY F-150 Lightings - that may or may not be the same update that Mustang Mach-Es receive.

Connected Navigation's base engine isn't updated on its own (the charger database and map layers are), it's updated as part of bigger SYNC updates, so these code changes hitch a ride as part of bigger SYNC updates.

To enable NACS, you need changes to the Connected Navigation code that:

1.) tells Connected Navigation that the vehicle can be compatible with NACS in addition to CCS1 and J1772, depending on:
2.) adds the toggle for the user to designate whether they have an adapter, and therefore whether or not the vehicle is currently compatible with NACS or just CCS1 and J1772

So it's not a database issue, because it's not as simple as updating a databse. It's a you might be stranded if your car routes you to a charger you can't use issue. That's why it doesn't route you to CHAdeMO chargers today - it knows that CHAdeMO chargers exist, but it also knows you can't charge from them.

And yes, everyone (probably nobody more than our not-AI friend Brian) wanted this update to be out faster.

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[Kamuelaflyer]

Just to clarify:

A SYNC update that includes the changes to enable this is currently deploying to 2024 MY F-150 Lightings - that may or may not be the same update that Mustang Mach-Es receive.

Connected Navigation's base engine isn't updated on its own (the charger database and map layers are), it's updated as part of bigger SYNC updates, so these code changes hitch a ride as part of bigger SYNC updates.

To enable NACS, you need changes to the Connected Navigation code that:

1.) tells Connected Navigation that the vehicle can be compatible with NACS in addition to CCS1 and J1772, depending on:
2.) adds the toggle for the user to designate whether they have an adapter, and therefore whether or not the vehicle is currently compatible with NACS or just CCS1 and J1772

So it's not a database issue, because it's not as simple as updating a databse. It's a you might be stranded if your car routes you to a charger you can't use issue. That's why it doesn't route you to CHAdeMO chargers today - it knows that CHAdeMO chargers exist, but it also knows you can't charge from them.

And yes, everyone (probably nobody more than our not-AI friend Brian) wanted this update to be out faster.

At this point, I'm beyond caring why it's taken 2 plus years. I won't be renewing the connected nav in May unless its out before then. If it comes after May? too little, too late.

 

[Tampamike]

My kingdom for a toggle …

 

[Billyk24]

Just to chime in; Precondition on road trip for me halves the total charging time. In cold countries it is the difference on a 25 min stop and a 45+ min stop. Going in highway speeds the battery quickly cools down thus it needs to precondition each charge.

Can you provide actual real time data on what you are viewing? Like how much the battery pack warms at what temperature outdoors while driving at what speed(s)?

 

[tparker2025]

It is a fact that there is a range of temperature that is ideal for charging or discharging lithium batteries. As an owner of an electric vehicle I would simply like to be able to optimize my time at a charger. Preconditioning the vehicle battery when navigating to a charger is the only way to accomplish that goal.
Suggesting that preconditioning is “not as important as people around here make it out to be” is just plain wrong. In a hot environment it is important to cool the battery when charging, in a cold environment it is important to warm the battery when charging. One of the key benefits to lithium batteries is their high acceptance rate when charging but that high charge rate can only be obtained under optimal temperature.
Why vehicle manufacturers are generally ignoring how important this subject is to owners is beyond me.

 

[Mache_Nor]

Can you provide actual real time data on what you are viewing? Like how much the battery pack warms at what temperature outdoors while driving at what speed(s)?

Actually, that would have been really useful and something I can try one day, just need to find time to test it and document as I’m stucked in the baby / toddler-in-family phase As of now this is just anecdotal, but; when no precondition the car hovers in the 60-80 kWh charging speed for the entirety of the charging sessions, while when preconditioned it can reach its best speeds of initially 160 kWh, the slowly dropping down to 80-90 kWh when close to done (80%).

 

[dan_meh]

And yes, everyone (probably nobody more than our not-AI friend Brian) wanted this update to be out faster.

There is a lot of… enthusiastic… conversation about this. Knowing that Ford knows and that our community advocate shares the… enthusiasm… is great.

Thank you for your straightforward post.

I’m looking forward to seeing Ford’s Gen 2 route mapping software maybe in the UEV platform. I hope you have lots of learning from the Gen 1 routing product.

I’m happy to pay a subscription for a product that is regularly improved and makes a core part of my life (moving about the landscape) better.

 

[Jimrpa]

I mean they literally cancled the lightning, at least they still sell the Mach E.

They’ve got a factory in Mexico that they can’t easily repurpose and it gives them something other than the atrocious rebadged VWs to unload on the poor Europeans.

 

[Blue highway]

It is a fact that there is a range of temperature that is ideal for charging or discharging lithium batteries. As an owner of an electric vehicle I would simply like to be able to optimize my time at a charger. Preconditioning the vehicle battery when navigating to a charger is the only way to accomplish that goal.
Suggesting that preconditioning is “not as important as people around here make it out to be” is just plain wrong. In a hot environment it is important to cool the battery when charging, in a cold environment it is important to warm the battery when charging. One of the key benefits to lithium batteries is their high acceptance rate when charging but that high charge rate can only be obtained under optimal temperature.
Why vehicle manufacturers are generally ignoring how important this subject is to owners is beyond me.

The car companies know this... lots of customers don't want to know this... some even become belligerent when things don't work they way their imaginary worlds expect....

tangential example... "whadda ya mean the car doesn't show epa range in the GOM!!!"

 

[MellowJohnny]

Had to charge last week at 0F - saw at most 34 kW from a 100kW dispenser. Would preconditioning have helped? I'm sure it would have. Might have been faster to figure out a way to rub my woolly mittens together and discharge the static electricity into the battery...

 

[Billyk24]

Had to charge last week at 0F - saw at most 34 kW from a 100kW dispenser. Would preconditioning have helped? I'm sure it would have. Might have been faster to figure out a way to rub my woolly mittens together and discharge the static electricity into the battery...

When one uses an app such as Car Scanner Pro and ORB2 reader, one can see real time values. At 0F pre-conditioning to a DCFC is likely going to warm the battery three to five degrees F. Sorry but that is my experience. Cold winter weather can be brutal on the HVB's performance.

 

[Billyk24]

Actually, that would have been really useful and something I can try one day, just need to find time to test it and document as I’m stucked in the baby / toddler-in-family phase As of now this is just anecdotal, but; when no precondition the car hovers in the 60-80 kWh charging speed for the entirety of the charging sessions, while when preconditioned it can reach its best speeds of initially 160 kWh, the slowly dropping down to 80-90 kWh when close to done (80%).

See below: at 0F preconditioning will warm the HVB three to five degrees f.

 

[matwlev]

If I search for a Tesla supercharger, I can get some info on it and I can navigate to it. Does the fact that it shows the little charging icon mean that it will precondition if needed?

 

[dan_meh]

If I search for a Tesla supercharger, I can get some info on it and I can navigate to it. Does the fact that it shows the little charging icon mean that it will precondition if needed?

If you’re using a 2024 or earlier, those are magic dock stations. That’s how it works for me. And when I navigate to one of those magic dock stations, it preconditions.

This makes sense based on what I’ve read here. The missing piece in our cars is an “adapter needed” concept. You don’t need an adapter for magic dock stations.

 

[matwlev]

If you’re using a 2024 or earlier, those are magic dock stations. That’s how it works for me. And when I navigate to one of those magic dock stations, it preconditions.

This makes sense based on what I’ve read here. The missing piece in our cars is an “adapter needed” concept. You don’t need an adapter for magic dock stations.

Yeah, that’s how I understand it to work. I’m in a 2021. But neither of the superchargers in the pictures are magic dock station. The one I navigated to is the one on Riverport Dr. in St. Louis and the one showing the info is in Galesburg, IL. I’ve used both of those stations and neither are Magic Dock. You can even see the Galesburg one says “Connectors: no compatible connectors.” All I did was search for “Tesla” at some of the locations I’ve been to and know aren’t Magic Dock.

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