Battery thermal management?

[Rt1AWD]

Are there any temperature sensors on the battery? Is it possible to monitor the thermal state of the battery? Can the car be set to send some sort of warning if the temperature approaching to critical?

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[JamieGeek]

Yes there are a bunch of temp sensors.

Get an OBD-II adapter and run an app and you can read the battery temps.

No you cannot set a warning in the car (although I'm sure there are some already in there from Ford but by the time you see those its too late I'm guessing).

If you're just going to drive the car like a normal person you really don't need to know about and/or monitor the battery temps. The car is intelligent enough on its own to manage that.

Of course if you're curious, however, then go get that OBD-II adapter....

 

[Lord Polymath]

It would be kind of nice to see the battery temp because you're not supposed to charge while it's "hot". What temp is hot, and how would I know? I suppose, just like with my e-bike, that letting the battery cool for an hour after you get home before plugging in is a good practice.

 

[Rt1AWD]

No you cannot set a warning in the car (although I'm sure there are some already in there from Ford but by the time you see those its too late I'm guessing).

If the warning is sent when the battery is still in the acceptable range but very close to the margin then you might have enough time to move your car to safer conditions.

 

[JamieGeek]

If the warning is sent when the battery is still in the acceptable range but very close to the margin then you might have enough time to move your car to safer conditions.

True, but I meant "too late to do anything to save the battery".

 

[JamieGeek]

It would be kind of nice to see the battery temp because you're not supposed to charge while it's "hot". What temp is hot, and how would I know? I suppose, just like with my e-bike, that letting the battery cool for an hour after you get home before plugging in is a good practice.

Right but the car also knows that and won't start charging until it has cooled the battery down enough (or warmed it up in the exceptionally cold case).

 

[RickMachE]

I have a 40v outdoor tool set. If I put the battery in the sun, or use it heavily, when I plug it in to charge, it doesn't. It waits for the battery to cool before charging. This is done with a chip that communicates between charger and battery.

Our vehicles are much more sophisticated. If you try to charge with a hot battery, it will actually cool it before accepting a charge. Nothing for you to monitor.

 

[Rt1AWD]

True, but I meant "too late to do anything to save the battery".

move to safer environment (shadow)
or hook it up to the power socket to engage heating up or cooling

 

[Rt1AWD]

I have a 40v outdoor tool set. If I put the battery in the sun, ormuse it heavily, when I plug it in to charge, it doesn't. It waits for the battery to cool before charging. This is done with a chip that communicates between charger and battery.

Our vehicles are much more sophisticated. If you try to charge with a hot battery, it will actually cool it before accepting a charge. Nothing for you to monitor.

If it is just standing on the sun. At some some point the temperature inside might go up to 105, even if it is 90 outside. It would be nice to be able to monitor exact numbers and know when to move it to shadow or to hook it up to the power so it can cool itself to normal conditions.

 

[JamieGeek]

move to safer environment (shadow)
or hook it up to the power socket to engage heating up or cooling

You already get that to some extent. When parking in extreme heat or cold it will say on the dash "plug me in".

 

[JamieGeek]

If it is just standing on the sun. At some some point the temperature inside might go up to 105, even if it is 90 outside. It would be nice to be able to monitor exact numbers and know when to move it to shadow or to hook it up to the power so it can cool itself to normal conditions.

Interior cabin temp does not equal battery temp. The batteries are a large thermal mass at the very bottom. They get more heating by sitting over hot blacktop than they do from the sun shining down on the cabin.

 

[Rt1AWD]

You already get that to some extent. When parking in extreme heat or cold it will say on the dash "plug me in".

Even if it is turned off?

 

[Rt1AWD]

Interior cabin temp does not equal battery temp. The batteries are a large thermal mass at the very bottom. They get more heating by sitting over hot blacktop than they do from the sun shining down on the cabin.

Exactly..... that is why it would be nice to know what are the conditions on the battery without worrying that it is too hot inside........

 

[RickMachE]

You don't need to worry. You don't need to do anything. The vehicle is equipped to know how to deal with harsh weather conditions - either hot or cold.

 

[JamieGeek]

Even if it is turned off?

Right when you turn off the car you'll see the message if the car is in the extreme heat condition at that time (e.g. turning it off in the morning in Phoenix when its still relatively cool won't show anything but in the afternoon when its 100 out turning off the car will show "plug me in". Likewise, here in Michigan, turning it off in really cold weather "plug me in" but if its warm out before getting cold...no message).

The Focus Electric had the same behavior.

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