How long does pre-conditioning last?

[ctenidae]

If you set a departure time, but then don't leave at that time, how long is the preconditioning good for? I know it depends on outside temperature and conditions, and the interior will be different from the battery, but I wonder what a good rule of thumb is. Like, is it worth it to re-set the departure time if I know I'm going to be 30 minutes late? Or does the battery benefit hold for an hour?

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[RickMachE]

The battery will retain warmth for HOURS, dependent on conditions as you note. A remote start will re-warm the cabin.

 

[ctenidae]

The battery will retain warmth for HOURS, dependent on conditions as you note. A remote start will re-warm the cabin.

Kinda what I thought - that's a pretty good chunk of thermal mass with no convection.

I use the remote start trick a fair amount. Gives me my daily dose of agita when I reset the profile...

 

[MustangBarry]

Is there any difference or benefit from using a scheduled departure time vs remote start via the Ford app to warm the car and batteries?

 

[TheSteelRider]

If you set a departure time, but then don't leave at that time, how long is the preconditioning good for? I know it depends on outside temperature and conditions, and the interior will be different from the battery, but I wonder what a good rule of thumb is. Like, is it worth it to re-set the departure time if I know I'm going to be 30 minutes late? Or does the battery benefit hold for an hour?

@Mach-Lee has a great in-depth thread that goes into deep detail on battery preconditioning and is a great guide to follow during the cold months to maximize range and optimally condition the battery:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/mach-lees-cold-weather-charging-strategies.24548/

 

[luckie]

Is there any difference or benefit from using a scheduled departure time vs remote start via the Ford app to warm the car and batteries?

I believe the conventional wisdom is that remote start has zero impact on the big battery.

 

[RickMachE]

Is there any difference or benefit from using a scheduled departure time vs remote start via the Ford app to warm the car and batteries?

Remote start does not precondition the battery. If range matters, use a scheduled departure time.

 

[tuminatr]

One other take on this is if you have a GT/GTPE there is a huge difference in performance. Don't precondition gets lota of jail bars in the cold.

I precondition twice a day 8am and midnight. To converse energy I don't heat the interior though.

 

[Monty]

I don’t have a regular schedule and have never preconditioned my ER battery. If EVs are ever going to be mainstream drivers are going to treat them like transportation and not worry about tricks to get an extra 10% here and there. Kind of reminds me of the old days when people had to warm up their ICE cars before driving them.

 

[TheSteelRider]

I don’t have a regular schedule and have never preconditioned my ER battery. If EVs are ever going to be mainstream drivers are going to treat them like transportation and not worry about tricks to get an extra 10% here and there. Kind of reminds me of the old days when people had to warm up their ICE cars before driving them.

or "three pumps on the gas pedal before starting". I could not agree more with your comments!

It's a journey for sure. We'll get past all this as the technology improves. I think a lot of naysayers ignore the pace of innovation and think the way things work "today" is the way things will always work, when just over a single decade ago there was literally no such thing as a more than 75 mile EV or a smartphone.

 

[ctenidae]

Is there any difference or benefit from using a scheduled departure time vs remote start via the Ford app to warm the car and batteries?

Remote start doesn't precondition the battery, just turns on the AC.

 

[Ride_the_lightning]

I haven’t preconditioned mine more than a few times in 2 years. I rarely leave at the same time every day. The only time I did it was when I knew I was driving 200+ miles that day, which is almost never.

In fact, it’s normally a huge waste of energy. It runs the 6kw heater for over 30 minutes, so that’s another 3kwh per day used, usually NOT at my cheapest electricity TOU period, to warm a battery in which I’ll use maybe 30-40% that day. I also logged it with my OBD2 app. In the cold, the battery cools back off very quickly while driving in the cold. After an hour in 15-20F weather it’s basically back to where it started, so if you aren’t immediately driving 200+ miles it doesn’t do a whole lot. Don’t stop for breakfast or you’ll waste it.

My car is garaged though. Garage temp is usually slightly above freezing in the winter. 35-40F is typical, so that’s where my battery starts. I may feel differently if I parked it outside in 0F temps each night. I also would move to a warmer climate in that situation….

 

[RickMachE]

One other take on this is if you have a GT/GTPE there is a huge difference in performance. Don't precondition gets lota of jail bars in the cold.

I precondition twice a day 8am and midnight. To converse energy I don't heat the interior though.

You do a lot of driving after midnight?

 

[tuminatr]

You do a lot of driving after midnight?

I figured that's peak cold, if we are going out in the evening i switch the time

 

[RickMachE]

I figured that's peak cold, if we are going out in the evening i switch the time

So you're preconditioning, at midnight, with no intent to drive the vehicle between midnight and your next preconditioning time in the morning? I don't get that at all.

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