Impacts of colder weather, GOM.. stop panicking!!!!!!!!!!

OttawaGuy

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So we all know that colder weather will impact the range/consumption.. It's a fact

We also know that the GOM isn't perfect, it's a tool to help you estimate, nothing more.

People should stop panicking when they see the estimated range and do a real analysis based on numbers they are sure about!

Here's my little fact finding


RWD regular battery, I'm in Canada near Ottawa

Since we got the car in June, my wife had been using it to get to work. 70km trip in total each day and that used up 14% of the battery. By extrapolating the GOM predicted range on a 100% charge I was getting 425-435km.

Recently the temperatures have gone down below freezing in morning and in the 6-10C in the afternoon. The estimated range has dropped drastically to about 300km extrapolated on a 100% charge. That seems really major BUT... the % used for the same daily trip only increased to 16%. Car sleeps in an unheated garage at this time.

It is pretty obvious that the car is trying to adapt its GOM math to the lower temperatures and it is being extra conservative (which in my opinion is a good thing)

In numbers ...
425km... equals a consumption of 16kWh/100km... but the trip actually used only 13.6 (for 14% of the battery)

300km, that's equal to 23kWh/100km but actual consumption at 16% battery usage is only 16kWh/100km

A lot of info, my math brain showing up to the chat but all this to show that the car is highly overestimating the impacts of colder weather on range.

Wanted to share my findings and tell the range anxiety sufferer to look at real data not GOM facts ..
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timbop

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Unfortunately the majority will simply post a "range drop, anyone else see this?" complaint without even looking at existing threads or stickies. Then when you reply with this information 30 others will post "me too" without reading what you said.
 
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OttawaGuy

OttawaGuy

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Unfortunately the majority will simply post a "range drop, anyone else see this?" complaint without even looking at existing threads or stickies. Then when you reply with this information 30 others will post "me too" without reading what you said.

I know.. But hey the info is there for those who want to read it
 

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The one real weather impact I’ve noticed is rain and in particular rain that puts sheets of water on the road. Like driving in say 1/16-1/8th inch deep water constantly. A pretty consistent reduction of 6% in M/KWh. This is at 54 F where I’d normally get 3.5 M/KWh and the rain drops it to 3.3 M/KWh. If I’m driving into a storm with say 15 MPH headwinds, that combination can lower M/KWh to 3.1 or about 12% reduction.

Now .. occasionally it can be high 40’s F and fierce rain/wind and that will put M/KWh at 3.0/2.8 and the wind is so variable on direction and force I rarely see that as I’m driving in and out of forested areas and usually going slower. Most heavy rainfall storms result in everyone driving 50 mph and it all works out. Most of the winter energy issues are keeping the windows from fogging up as that requires frequent e-heat and at 55 F I find I’ll have to go to auto heat at the lowest level and say 70 degrees to keep windows clear and car comfortable because it’ll get way toasty. Our winter humidity can be quite high thus sauna effect.
 

generaltso

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Unfortunately the majority will simply post a "range drop, anyone else see this?" complaint without even looking at existing threads or stickies. Then when you reply with this information 30 others will post "me too" without reading what you said.
Sad, but true. When I first learned that Tesla uses rated range for their estimate instead of a GOM, I thought that was really dumb because people will get mad when their car doesn't really go that far. But after seeing the outcry of people here freaking out when their GOM goes down, I see that Tesla was smart. An awful lot of people don't seem to care if the range shown in the car has any relation to reality. They just like to see big numbers.
 


Shayne

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So we all know that colder weather will impact the range/consumption.. It's a fact

We also know that the GOM isn't perfect, it's a tool to help you estimate, nothing more.

People should stop panicking when they see the estimated range and do a real analysis based on numbers they are sure about!

Here's my little fact finding


Données intéressantes...

RWD regular battery, I'm in Canada near Ottawa

Since we got the car in June, my wife had been using it to get to work. 70km trip in total each day and that used up 14% of the battery. By extrapolating the GOM preficted range on a 100% charge I was getting 425-435km.

Recently the temperatures have gone down below freezing in morning and in the 6-10C in the afternoon. The estimated range has dropped drastically to about 300km extrapolated on a 100% charge. That seems really major BUT... the % used for the same daily trip only increased to 16%. Car sleeps in an unheated garage at this time.

It is pretty obvious that the car is trying to adapt its GOM math to the lower temperatures and it is being extra conservative (which in my opinion is a good thing)

In numbers ...
425km... equals a consumption of 16kWh/100km... but the trip actually used only 13.6 (for 14% of the battery)

300km, that's equal to 23kWh/100km but actual consumption at 16% battery usage is only 16kWh/100km

A lot of info, my math brain showing up to the chat but all this to show that the car is highly overestimating the impacts of colder weather on range.

Wanted to share my findings and tell the range anxiety sufferer to look at real data not GOM facts ..
Seen 18 Kwh/100 Km jump to 28 here lately.

I think you need to throw in at least 10 more miles for 99 to 100% if you charge it to there as that top 1% is not linear for me? As you note we will vary and it is cold temp and heavy head wind dependent in a drastic way. The batteries are acting like those that proceeded them here. No surprises yet. You can watch your range grow as the sun comes up. Gained 30 Km in a couple of hours here yesterday morning and 40 by mid day.

A revised DCFC charging curve would be beneficial in the winter such that you are able to charge to 100% of the large buffered 88 KWh and not just 80% of that. Having only 70 KWh useable of the 88 KWh "useable" is what we have right now. It would be nice to see our MME getting better as promised within a year or two?

Range test comparisons or calculations of range for travel in the MME should be with the MME at 80% charge right now not 100% as that is all it charges to. The range comparisons coming based on the MME at 100% are not real life conditions if the other vehicle can charge up to 100% as the MME definitely can not. When we need 100% is at -20 oC and battery overheating should not be a huge problem at that temp one would think. We understand 2022 get a smaller buffer than us and are quoted at 91 KWh useable. Not sure if they also can only use 80% of their 91 usable and it is real life 73 KWh useable?

Ford should decrease the buffer for early adopters also and allow it to charge it to 100%. That would be big news and would classify as the type of improvement promised. Winter coming on and need to travel. Getting 100% on first leg only.
 

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Hey I snagged a Mach-E last spring and have been getting around 230-240 miles per charge...got the Connect Ford Charging Station and absolutely love it.

Obviously with the winter weather, it's been about 35F where I live at night, and now I'm only getting 195 or 200 miles per charge.

This is a really novice question, but lets say this is accurate (some are saying it overestimates cold weather).


If I plan a trip to NY that is 180 total miles, its showing 200 miles on car when I wake up after an overnight charge:

1. I drive 90 miles there in the AM, leaving me with 110 miles in the charge, but it's a winter day... is my car, sitting on a NY street in the winter, going to hold the 110 miles charge for 10 hours until I get back in the car? I would have 90 miles or so coming home...


I started wearing my coat in the car, my Eagles beanie, I don't really blast the heat.


I just wanna make sure I can get back home without having to worry about charging etc...let me know what you think, I'm really sorry if it's a dumb question.
 

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Hey I snagged a Mach-E last spring and have been getting around 230-240 miles per charge...got the Connect Ford Charging Station and absolutely love it.

Obviously with the winter weather, it's been about 35F where I live at night, and now I'm only getting 195 or 200 miles per charge.

This is a really novice question, but lets say this is accurate (some are saying it overestimates cold weather).


If I plan a trip to NY that is 180 total miles, its showing 200 miles on car when I wake up after an overnight charge:

1. I drive 90 miles there in the AM, leaving me with 110 miles in the charge, but it's a winter day... is my car, sitting on a NY street in the winter, going to hold the 110 miles charge for 10 hours until I get back in the car? I would have 90 miles or so coming home...


I started wearing my coat in the car, my Eagles beanie, I don't really blast the heat.


I just wanna make sure I can get back home without having to worry about charging etc...let me know what you think, I'm really sorry if it's a dumb question.
Have you read the openingpost in this thread?
 

RickMachE

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Hey I snagged a Mach-E last spring and have been getting around 230-240 miles per charge...got the Connect Ford Charging Station and absolutely love it.

Obviously with the winter weather, it's been about 35F where I live at night, and now I'm only getting 195 or 200 miles per charge.

This is a really novice question, but lets say this is accurate (some are saying it overestimates cold weather).


If I plan a trip to NY that is 180 total miles, its showing 200 miles on car when I wake up after an overnight charge:

1. I drive 90 miles there in the AM, leaving me with 110 miles in the charge, but it's a winter day... is my car, sitting on a NY street in the winter, going to hold the 110 miles charge for 10 hours until I get back in the car? I would have 90 miles or so coming home...


I started wearing my coat in the car, my Eagles beanie, I don't really blast the heat.


I just wanna make sure I can get back home without having to worry about charging etc...let me know what you think, I'm really sorry if it's a dumb question.
Your vehicle doesn't hold charge by miles (range). It holds a battery charge. How far that battery charge will last you is show in the miles per kWh on the display. If you leave the car with say 45% battery, when you return it likely will be within 1% of that. However, sitting ice cold on the street, when you first start driving, and have the EHeat on, you'll see a noticeably lower miles per kWh number than you'll see 30 minutes into the drive when everything is warmer.

I would charge the car to 100% the night prior, then note the miles per kWh during the trip into the city, and then the miles per kWh on the trip home. Make sure you've identified a backup plan, i.e. hitting a charger on the way home to get enough to make it home, just in case you need it. And, while you are driving in, turn the EHeat off and compare the miles per kWh with it on vs. off so you know the impact you're going to have comparatively on the way home, you might find that using the heated steering wheel and heated seat is adequate. And you'll know the hit that your EHeat gives you.

Make sure you do a remote start when you're about 14 minutes from the car on the way home, and precondition or remote start before leaving from home.
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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Sad, but true. When I first learned that Tesla uses rated range for their estimate instead of a GOM, I thought that was really dumb because people will get mad when their car doesn't really go that far. But after seeing the outcry of people here freaking out when their GOM goes down, I see that Tesla was smart. An awful lot of people don't seem to care if the range shown in the car has any relation to reality. They just like to see big numbers.
which is why people always compare EPA ranges only and then say "Tesla has 80,199 mile range, nobody else comes close!" or whatever nonsense number is being claimed nowadays.

as I've said on here before, this is all driven by range anxiety. I've literally never met anyone who looked at the GOM in their ICE vehicle and said "wait this is lower than promised" or "wait this is lower in Winter what the heck" or whatever. The official EPA range on my Fusion Energi was 600+ miles on a tank, and boy, did Ford advertise that everywhere, but no, I never had anywhere near that on the GOM... and that's fine, I didn't really care, because I didn't worry about range in that car, ever. Most people probably never even noticed the difference.
 

generaltso

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Most people probably never even noticed the difference.
I'd take it a step further and guess that most people don't even know what the EPA rated range of their ICE car is. They don't have to care because ICE cars give you a gauge that tells you when you're running low on fuel so that you know when you should get more. It's too bad BEVs don't have something like that.......oh wait.......never mind.
 

Shayne

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The math.

Up here our chargers are currently around 175 Km apart not ideal but that is what it is. I prefer to drive around 110 km/hr on our 2 way highways. I understand with 80% charge I may be down to 90 Km/hr. Varying pack size and % charge are heavy impacting variables. At about below -20 oC the game is over.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Impacts of colder weather, GOM.. stop panicking!!!!!!!!!! 1636118604228
 

NewGuy

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Make sure you do a remote start when you're about 14 minutes from the car on the way home, and precondition or remote start before leaving from home.
Is the remote start on the way home important if it’s not plugged in? Isn’t that just extra battery wasted?

(No car yet.)
 

Stang68

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Is the remote start on the way home important if it’s not plugged in? Isn’t that just extra battery wasted?

(No car yet.)
Correct, remote starting the car when it's not plugged in will use battery. Really only do that when it's plugged in (someone correct me here if I'm wrong).
 
 




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