How long does preconditioning stay active?

[JohnnyForensic]

As I don't have an MME yet, I checked the manual and couldn't find the answer to this question, but I can't test it myself. If you have a departure schedule set--say Monday through Friday at 7:45 AM--how long will the car stay in on/preconditioning mode if you don't actually leave in the morning? (For example, you wake up sick and decide not to go to work.)

Does the MME just stay in preconditioning mode until the next time it's driven? Does it give up 15 minutes after the scheduled departure time if you don't actually depart?

Thanks!

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[SnBGC]

I think it remains active for 15 min and then shuts off.

 

[SnBGC]

I was talking about cabin preconditioning. Not sure the battery is conditioned as a function of departure times.

My departure time is 7:15. Around that time I get a message on my phone saying the cabin temp has been reached. I actually made it out to my car around 7:20 and the A/C was still running to keep the cabin cool. (Ambient temp in my driveway is 88 degrees according to the SYNC display...)

 

[generaltso]

I was talking about cabin preconditioning. Not sure the battery is conditioned as a function of departure times.

The battery is preconditioned for a departure time, but not for a manual remote start.

 

[SnBGC]

The battery is preconditioned for a departure time, but not for a manual remote start.

Interesting. So what does the car do to the battery to get it ready to drive? Is there a target battery temp it tries to reach prior to the departure time? If so, what is that target temp?

 

[generaltso]

Interesting. So what does the car do to the battery to get it ready to drive? Is there a target battery temp it tries to reach prior to the departure time? If so, what is that target temp?

Good question, but I don't know. I would guess that there is a target temperature, and it may take hours to reach that temperature with all the thermal mass of the battery, which is why it doesn't bother to try during a 15 minute remote start.

 

[SnBGC]

You bring up a very good point. The mass of this larger battery doesn't seem to impact range with Air Conditioning as much as a vehicle with a smaller battery. In my previous BEV, running the A/C in temps around 97 degrees and higher appeared to have about a 10% impact on range. I am not seeing that on the MME yet. So far, driving around in 95-105 degree temps doesn't seem to have any impact on range. I guess we'll see what happens when it's 110-115 out.....

 

[SnBGC]

Good question, but I don't know. I would guess that there is a target temperature, and it may take hours to reach that temperature with all the thermal mass of the battery, which is why it doesn't bother to try during a 15 minute remote start.

Just used my CPHF for the first time last night.....
According to the ChargePoint app.....it started pre-conditioning 2 minutes prior to my departure time so I am pretty sure no battery pre-conditioning occured this morning. However, ambient temps were in the 80s so maybe the battery was at it's target temp already?

As it gets warmer....I'll keep an eye on how much sooner the car starts to pre-condition and note the ambient temps more accurately.

P.S. Somehow my utility company remembered the information from my previous BEV and communicated that to the ChargePoint Home Flex so it thinks it charged a 2014 Ford Focus last night. (Was actually a 2017 but I digress...). So, I corrected it to show the Mach E. It had all the models listed, even the two new GT variants and even the e-Transit. Just thought you might find that interesting....

 

[generaltso]

As it gets warmer....I'll keep an eye on how much sooner the car starts to pre-condition and note the ambient temps more accurately.

If I had to guess, I would say that the battery preconditioning is probably more concerned with heating the battery in cold climates than cooling the battery when it's hot. I'm sure it will cool it too, but it probably has to be very hot for it to be required whereas it probably doesn't have to be all that cold for the battery to be heated for better performance.

 

[SnBGC]

If I had to guess, I would say that the battery preconditioning is probably more concerned with heating the battery in cold climates than cooling the battery when it's hot. I'm sure it will cool it too, but it probably has to be very hot for it to be required whereas it probably doesn't have to be all that cold for the battery to be heated for better performance.

Makes sense and explains why I haven't observed the battery being pre-conditioned at any time so far.

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