Effect of Battery on AWD Driving Performance

4TangledKites

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I currently have a reservation for a Premium AWD Extended Range MME. I'm strongly considering dropping to the Standard Range. $5k seems like a lot for a modest bump in range, that would only be helpful to me ~8 times a year at most.

I've never had a BEV, and only driven one once. I've attempted to do my research, but still can't seem to get a clear understanding of the performance differences with the two different batteries. Is the Extended Range going to have noticeably better acceleration?

Thanks for any info. This forum has been a great resource.
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JCHLi

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I cannot answer your question about noticable performance, besides the started hp increase.

Personally I was going to go normal range and save $5000. What changed my mind was when I considered decay over time. I wanted more cushion there as the vehicle aged. But $5000 for an extra 60 miles did seem like a lot.
 

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The difference is because the larger battery can provide more current than the smaller one--its just a matter of the # of cells.
 
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JCHLi

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mamejunkie

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My commute is <30 miles round trip so going with just standard battery just to save $5000. Would normally want the extra capacity to feel safe but just like life, there are trade offs, If $$$ wasn't a issue, would have gotten a GT performance package ;) And then wrap the sucker to a color I want.
 

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Just realized, it sounds like the specs might be reversed? Why would a standard range have a quicker 0-60 unless it is solely based on weight.
It's almost an extra 400 pounds. And the motor is unchanged and is apparently the limiting factor here (running at the limit Ford has set for it). So it's a bit slower due to the extra weight.

This is the sort of thing Ford could potentially improve, if their testing indicates that it's safe enough to increase power to the motor a bit more. Or you could pay more for bigger battery and second motor and get immediate speed improvement that way.
 
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4TangledKites

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Just realized, it sounds like the specs might be reversed? Why would a standard range have a quicker 0-60 unless it is solely based on weight.
It's almost an extra 400 pounds. And the motor is unchanged and is apparently the limiting factor here (running at the limit Ford has set for it). So it's a bit slower due to the extra weight.

This is the sort of thing Ford could potentially improve, if their testing indicates that it's safe enough to increase power to the motor a bit more. Or you could pay more for bigger battery and second motor and get immediate speed improvement that way.
I might have been reading the specs backwards too. Putting some of this together with the AWD specs (SR & ER e-AWD : Targeting 0-60 in the mid five second range) it seems that the AWD 0-60 speeds match because the weight difference can be overcome by the extra motor pairing with the additional battery power?
 

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I might have been reading the specs backwards too. Putting some of this together with the AWD specs (SR & ER e-AWD : Targeting 0-60 in the mid five second range) it seems that the AWD 0-60 speeds match because the weight difference can be overcome by the extra motor pairing with the additional battery power?
"Can" is the key word. Technically it can, but Ford probably want to balance with the overall range performance vs speed/acceleration performance.
 

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timbop

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I might have been reading the specs backwards too. Putting some of this together with the AWD specs (SR & ER e-AWD : Targeting 0-60 in the mid five second range) it seems that the AWD 0-60 speeds match because the weight difference can be overcome by the extra motor pairing with the additional battery power?
yup - within the accuracy of Ford's language. There could be a difference when actually measured in tenths of seconds, but not with the vague target values
 

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I assume you're looking at SR AWD vs ER AWD? If so the torque output for both is listed as the same, but the power output is quite a bit higher for the ER. What this means is below 30 or maybe 40 mph depending on the gearing and motor characteristics, they'll feel pretty much the same as you'll be getting all the torque from the motors, but above those speeds the ER will feel quite different as it'll have much power power capability. On the highway it'll be noticeable different as at higher speeds is where you'll use the extra power.

Only other question is how often you plan to take trips. I'd figure for the SR with an EPA range of ~210 miles you'd need to be planning to stop every 150 miles or so (US highway speeds of 70-75 mph) to charge as the rate of charge slows down as you near top of charge (typically slower above 80%, we'll see what the curve looks like for the Mach E when it comes out). With the ER AWD you'll probably be able to do more like 210 or 220 miles between charge stops, so an extra hour or so of driving between stops. If you regularly do trips that are more than 300 miles, this will be a noticeable difference, if it's only once or twice a year, probably not a big deal!

I'm looking at the SR AWD for myself for this exact reason! Saves cost and still should have good performance and plenty of range for my ~100 mile round trip commute, don't plan on loads of long distance trips with it.
 

ChasingCoral

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I missed that the original question was regarding AWD. The new Tech Specs clearly state:
SR & ER e-AWD : Targeting 0-60 in the mid five second range

So even the engineers don't expect there to be a difference. The only way there might be one is if there is some reason the ER with its heavier wiring and circuitry that allow it to charge faster might allow it to discharge faster. Perhaps that is the case and the added weight is why the ER RWD is slower than the SR RWD but the same slight penalty isn't seen in AWD. Maybe the AWD can deliver a bit more oomph from the ER batteries so that it offsets the heavier weight of both the bigger battery and second motor (since AWD is faster than RWD). Of course, that all comes with a range penalty.

There are so many little bits of optimization it really just boils down to customer needs and desires. What I'm looking for in my Mach E isn't exactly what you're looking for in yours. Choices are good.
 

timbop

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Targeting 0-60 in the mid five second range
The key is "targeting" and "mid"; that's a pretty noncommittal statement. Could be 5.3 for one and 5.7 for the other. It could also mean 5.5 and 5.51.
 

ClaudeMach-E

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I assume you're looking at SR AWD vs ER AWD? If so the torque output for both is listed as the same, but the power output is quite a bit higher for the ER. What this means is below 30 or maybe 40 mph depending on the gearing and motor characteristics, they'll feel pretty much the same as you'll be getting all the torque from the motors, but above those speeds the ER will feel quite different as it'll have much power power capability. On the highway it'll be noticeable different as at higher speeds is where you'll use the extra power.

Only other question is how often you plan to take trips. I'd figure for the SR with an EPA range of ~210 miles you'd need to be planning to stop every 150 miles or so (US highway speeds of 70-75 mph) to charge as the rate of charge slows down as you near top of charge (typically slower above 80%, we'll see what the curve looks like for the Mach E when it comes out). With the ER AWD you'll probably be able to do more like 210 or 220 miles between charge stops, so an extra hour or so of driving between stops. If you regularly do trips that are more than 300 miles, this will be a noticeable difference, if it's only once or twice a year, probably not a big deal!

I'm looking at the SR AWD for myself for this exact reason! Saves cost and still should have good performance and plenty of range for my ~100 mile round trip commute, don't plan on loads of long distance trips with it.
And don't forget charging a smaller battery takes less time then a big one, so me too I'm going with the SR AWD no need to spend thousands of dollars just for a few road trips a year.
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