Bt3
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2022
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 48
- Location
- Eastern Iowa
- Vehicles
- 2014 Mazda 3
- Thread starter
- #1
As pretty much everyone is aware in the Midwest, we're in a blizzard. It's a lot less snow than most of us hoped for, but it's been subzero temps and pretty nasty winds of sustained 20+mph with gusts up to 50+mph.
I've had COVID for the past 9 days and since I'm finally feeling better, I'm dropping off my PCR sample to our state testing facility (because it's free and gets me out of the house). I live in eastern Iowa in between a couple of larger towns and most of my driving is around I80 and county roads to get to a highway.
Today's trip we have -4 to -8f, 25mph winds sustained, and hefty gusts. This was about 30 mi round trip, mix of country road, county roads, and high way.
TLDR: auto mode at 78 with preconditioning means you're gonna have a great time.
I will say, don't drive in a blizzard if you can avoid it. Don't tailgate. Don't speed. Try to be like a grandma on the road. You'll probably not total your car.
Setup:
- preconditioning with departure of "warm" with car plugged in.
- SOC 100%, why not.
- MachE is in a garage. Its not heated, but it's attached. About 60s in there.
- seat warmer to 1 (3 is kinda too hot with layers)
- heated steering wheel on
- It's an extended battery eAWD 2022 CR1.
Durning the drive:
- HVAC set to auto at 72, bumped up to 78 about 10 min in. This made a huge difference. With stopping frost. Don't try to set your own settings. Use Auto set to 3.
- AC was off. I tried turning it on, but it didn't seem to make too much of a difference.
- Running lights on (it's a blizzard and I want people to see my white car)
- Cruise control was off for in town and county roads. On the highway, I did use bluecruise because it was well plowed and sanded. 10/10 Iowa DOT. It worked really well given the snow moving across and kept my distance to a maximum setting
- Wind seemed hardly noticable. I was really impressed with how well traction worked. I kept one pedal driving on, although it really should be off because it's a bit aggressive on breaking with unbridled mode.
- I had a few white out conditions leaving town because most of our farmers along the highway don't have tree lines beyond their houses and a derecho a few years ago killed what treeline was left near us.
- When I got to my destination, I didn't turn off my car. I've found if I do that in the cold, the HVAC struggles to keep up again. Plus we're in the Midwest. Who's gonna try to grab my car when we're all here for the same drop off?
- The drive back was just as easy. HVAC stayed toasty. Had to take off layers because it was so warm.
End of the trip:
About 30 mi round trip. 2.0 mi/kw but not sure I believe that. Exterior temp usage was 10%. I'm not sure what the new HVAC update did, but that seems amazing compared to earlier when it was in the 40s and ate up more. HVAC took about 30% which is pretty good given it's -8f. I only used about 10% battery, which would be 9.1kw so pretty good over all.
I'll attach some photos from the drive, but great vehicle for "in town" car living out in the sticks. Hopefully my test is negative and I can see some family for the holidays. Stay safe and warm out there and great job Ford. It's a pretty solid car. All the F150s in the ditch seemed sad as I drove by.
I've had COVID for the past 9 days and since I'm finally feeling better, I'm dropping off my PCR sample to our state testing facility (because it's free and gets me out of the house). I live in eastern Iowa in between a couple of larger towns and most of my driving is around I80 and county roads to get to a highway.
Today's trip we have -4 to -8f, 25mph winds sustained, and hefty gusts. This was about 30 mi round trip, mix of country road, county roads, and high way.
TLDR: auto mode at 78 with preconditioning means you're gonna have a great time.
I will say, don't drive in a blizzard if you can avoid it. Don't tailgate. Don't speed. Try to be like a grandma on the road. You'll probably not total your car.
Setup:
- preconditioning with departure of "warm" with car plugged in.
- SOC 100%, why not.
- MachE is in a garage. Its not heated, but it's attached. About 60s in there.
- seat warmer to 1 (3 is kinda too hot with layers)
- heated steering wheel on
- It's an extended battery eAWD 2022 CR1.
Durning the drive:
- HVAC set to auto at 72, bumped up to 78 about 10 min in. This made a huge difference. With stopping frost. Don't try to set your own settings. Use Auto set to 3.
- AC was off. I tried turning it on, but it didn't seem to make too much of a difference.
- Running lights on (it's a blizzard and I want people to see my white car)
- Cruise control was off for in town and county roads. On the highway, I did use bluecruise because it was well plowed and sanded. 10/10 Iowa DOT. It worked really well given the snow moving across and kept my distance to a maximum setting
- Wind seemed hardly noticable. I was really impressed with how well traction worked. I kept one pedal driving on, although it really should be off because it's a bit aggressive on breaking with unbridled mode.
- I had a few white out conditions leaving town because most of our farmers along the highway don't have tree lines beyond their houses and a derecho a few years ago killed what treeline was left near us.
- When I got to my destination, I didn't turn off my car. I've found if I do that in the cold, the HVAC struggles to keep up again. Plus we're in the Midwest. Who's gonna try to grab my car when we're all here for the same drop off?
- The drive back was just as easy. HVAC stayed toasty. Had to take off layers because it was so warm.
End of the trip:
About 30 mi round trip. 2.0 mi/kw but not sure I believe that. Exterior temp usage was 10%. I'm not sure what the new HVAC update did, but that seems amazing compared to earlier when it was in the 40s and ate up more. HVAC took about 30% which is pretty good given it's -8f. I only used about 10% battery, which would be 9.1kw so pretty good over all.
I'll attach some photos from the drive, but great vehicle for "in town" car living out in the sticks. Hopefully my test is negative and I can see some family for the holidays. Stay safe and warm out there and great job Ford. It's a pretty solid car. All the F150s in the ditch seemed sad as I drove by.
