Is the Mach E a viable long range daily commuter?

ARK

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As others have said, if you plug in at work, that could solve your potential problem. Even a L1 charger could add around 24 miles on an 8 hour workday to give you more of a buffer.

If Ford or a third-party start selling aftermarket aero wheel covers to improve range, that might improve your total range by several miles as Car and Driver found it did on a Model 3 - see link.

Your range figures might also be slightly better than expected if Ford used a Premium as opposed to Select to calculate the range for the standard range vehicles. The Premium with the slightly larger wheels and heavier (and less insulated) glass roof should give slightly worse mileage then a Select.

I think for 100 miles of driving you have absolutely no issue but for 150, as another person said, an extended range version would be the much safer bet. For example, if your typical winter commute has you blasting the heat in freezing weather while cruising at 80mph on an open highway on your way to and from work for close to 150 miles each day, I don’t know if the Select SR RWD will be a good choice.
 
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Do you have some form of charging at destination?
That is a key question.
Also, is the OPs commute one trip to work and one trip home with very little use in between? Or maybe he/she runs multiple business errands during the day with office time mixed in. If that is the case then a Workplace charging station would be ideal.

I think we are going to see very attractive incentives for employers to install workplace chargers soon. Already happening in my area. Pretty much no cost to the employer so there isnt much reason NOT to install those things.
 

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I have my Mach E on order (and now understand that it will be delayed...no big deal to me) and planned on using it as my daily word driver. I drive about 100-150 miles/day, so I ordered the Select with the Standard Range battery. Should be good to cover my daily route, right? RigHT?!? Well, I talk to a guy that I work with in Dearborn that has had access to work with the car and he says that he hasn't been getting good charges in the colder weather (has been been a mild winter so far with a few cold days here in Detroit area this year). That conversation led me to the internet, and google led me to this forum.

After some scouring, I've learned a lot. But, I still don't know much. But, afaik, if I get the Standard Range, I have to max charge to 90%, so I'm down to roughly 210 mile day to day range. In the freezing cold, I can expect about 60% or that, right? Or, is it 60% or the 230 mile range? Either way we are looking at either roughly 126 or 138 mile range?

How long will a battery last if it is used daily to the max (i.e. driven every day from 90% down to probably 10%)? I drive about 20,000 miles per year on my work vehicles.

Originally, I thought that an electric would save me a ton on gas, but if I a) can't finish my daily commute or b) kill a battery too rapidly, I'm not sure this would make much sense.

Any input or knowledge dropped would be appreciated ?
I own a Tesla Model 3 and it is my first winter with the car. I live even more north than you and here is my point of view on winter anxiety range:
- on some really cold days my effeciency will drop significantly (30-40%) but I compensate as much as I can with speed and cabin heat, plus other tricks.
- in my experience speed is the biggest factor if in your daily commute you drive mostly on a highway. The difference between 70 mph and 55 mph could be easily over 10% effecincy. My best advice.... on a cold day drive slower, which you should anyway cause it could be icy :)
- charging to 100% shouldn`t degrade your battery as long as you don't let it sit plugged in at 100% very long. Not sure about Ford but Tesla advises to avoid keeping the car for a long time above 90% or below 10%. So you program your charger to go to 100% a bit before yo leave for work and you should be fine.
- you can preheat your car and battery when it is still plugged in, before you leave.... you save the energy for the road.
- you might not consume same amount of energy both ways. In my case I use about 10% more going to work than coming back. Most likely due to elevation but I never noticed or cared about with an ICE car.
- it could make a difference if you could plug in at work at 120V, to keep the battery warm.
- if you daily 150 miles requires frequent stops and go, you might have more of a problem because the baterry gets cold in freezing temperatures and has to warm up every time you start driving. This uses a lot more energy on a cold day than just going from point A to B and back.

I know this all seems overwhelming but it is really just adjusting our habits. I love driving electric even though I probably live in a more difficult climate than most. I hope this helps !
 

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I own a Tesla Model 3 and it is my first winter with the car. I live even more north than you and here is my point of view on winter anxiety range:
- on some really cold days my effeciency will drop significantly (30-40%) but I compensate as much as I can with speed and cabin heat, plus other tricks.
- in my experience speed is the biggest factor if in your daily commute you drive mostly on a highway.
...

I know this all seems overwhelming but it is really just adjusting our habits. I love driving electric even though I probably live in a more difficult climate than most. I hope this helps !
This. People act as if range is a fixed number. it's not. As you've described, a driver has quite a bit of ability to change the range by slowing down, using the heated seats, or preheating the vehicle.

The range issue also devolves into an impossible hypothetical: "I need to go 250 miles when it's -20F and the headwind is 50 MPH and the trip is all uphill and I have no where to charge". (It's like saying you need to take your ICE vehicle with a range of 350 miles on a round trip of 400 miles when the only gas station along the way has closed). The short answer in these cases is simple: "Don't do it." LOL

As you say, you simply adjust habits. In practice the limitations are more imagined than real, and if this isn't the case there are always other easily accessed alternatives.
 


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As others have said, if you plug in at work, that could solve your potential problem. Even a L1 charger could add around 24 miles on an 8 hour workday to give you more of a buffer.

If Ford or a third-party start selling aftermarket aero wheel covers to improve range, that might improve your total range by several miles as Car and Driver found it did on a Model 3 - see link.

Your range figures might also be slightly better than expected if Ford used a Premium as opposed to Select to calculate the range for the standard range vehicles. The Premium with the slightly larger wheels and heavier (and less insulated) glass roof should give slightly worse mileage then a Select.

I think for 100 miles of driving you have absolutely no issue but for 150, as another person said, an extended range version would be the much safer bet. For example, if your typical winter commute has you blasting the heat in freezing weather while cruising at 80mph on an open highway on your way to and from work for close to 150 miles each day, I don’t know if the Select SR RWD will be a good choice.
Or just order the California Route 1 which already comes with the aero wheel covers.

- on some really cold days my effeciency will drop significantly (30-40%) but I compensate as much as I can with speed and cabin heat, plus other tricks.
- in my experience speed is the biggest factor if in your daily commute you drive mostly on a highway. The difference between 70 mph and 55 mph could be easily over 10% effecincy. My best advice.... on a cold day drive slower, which you should anyway cause it could be icy :)
Note that if you're using heat there is a speed/heat consumption tradeoff:

Sure slowing reduces your power consumption due to motor usage but it may increase the heat power consumption greater than the reduction and thus you may use more battery slowing down.

Not all EVs are the same: The Focus electric with its small battery slowing down would use more power because the heater was thirstier than the motor.

In the Bolt I haven't really noticed because it has enough range for me that it doesn't matter (I have taken a few long winter drives with it and on those reducing the HVAC load had a greater affect on range than slowing down).
 

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People act as if range is a fixed number. it's not. As you've described, a driver has quite a bit of ability to change the range by slowing down, using the heated seats, or preheating the vehicle.
Except practically, most mainstream drivers aren't interested in going without cabin heat, or limping along well below the speed limit, in their fancy new $50,000 car.

If that's what they're gonna have to do just to be able to do lengthy drives in the winter, they'll just buy ICE (or PHEV) instead.
 

dbsb3233

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Sure slowing reduces your power consumption due to motor usage but it may increase the heat power consumption greater than the reduction and thus you may use more battery slowing down.
Here's another angle... If one refuses to freeze their nose off and turns on cabin heat, slowing down means taking longer to get there. Which means more use of cabin heat (which can be a high power drain). Depending on how cold it is outside and how much the heater draws, it's possible it might be better to speed up and get their quicker.

Would be an interesting test to see which uses more power -- increasing speed from 60 to 70 MPH, or using cabin heat for an extra 20 minutes?
 
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I would recommend you be careful with your decision if it's about money. I initially ordered the SR version and have your kind of commute / annual mileage.

I then read about range being affected by everything you read here and realised the range of the SR could take significant hits and risks with anxiety finding a working charger if I get caught out.

I realised that I thus could end up a year after purchase having spent all that money and the depeciation of a 1 year old car ... buying /upgrading to the ER version and the losses involved.

So I changed my order to ER.

The SR would have been a hassle for me.

I'd be rationing the heating etc!

If unsure then rethink if this is the right car for you. The kuga is also a fine car and I have spent many hours thinking about going back to that instead as it ends all these worries.

But I prefer the mache so am sticking with it but going for the one with the highest range.
 

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I have my Mach E on order (and now understand that it will be delayed...no big deal to me) and planned on using it as my daily word driver. I drive about 100-150 miles/day, so I ordered the Select with the Standard Range battery. Should be good to cover my daily route, right? RigHT?!? Well, I talk to a guy that I work with in Dearborn that has had access to work with the car and he says that he hasn't been getting good charges in the colder weather (has been been a mild winter so far with a few cold days here in Detroit area this year). That conversation led me to the internet, and google led me to this forum.

After some scouring, I've learned a lot. But, I still don't know much. But, afaik, if I get the Standard Range, I have to max charge to 90%, so I'm down to roughly 210 mile day to day range. In the freezing cold, I can expect about 60% or that, right? Or, is it 60% or the 230 mile range? Either way we are looking at either roughly 126 or 138 mile range?

How long will a battery last if it is used daily to the max (i.e. driven every day from 90% down to probably 10%)? I drive about 20,000 miles per year on my work vehicles.

Originally, I thought that an electric would save me a ton on gas, but if I a) can't finish my daily commute or b) kill a battery too rapidly, I'm not sure this would make much sense.

Any input or knowledge dropped would be appreciated ?
Unless you have a charging option at work that you can use on a daily basis in the winter, you are cutting it really close on range during the winter months. In your case I would definitely go with the longer range battery.
 

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Here's another angle... If one refuses to freeze their nose off and turns on cabin heat, slowing down means taking longer to get there. Which means more use of cabin heat (which can be a high power drain). Depending on how cold it is outside and how much the heater draws, it's possible it might be better to speed up and get their quicker.

Would be an interesting test to see which uses more power -- increasing speed from 60 to 70 MPH, or using cabin heat for an extra 20 minutes?
You're making the exact same point I was... LOL
 

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You're making the exact same point I was... LOL
I also ordered a California Route 1 the window sticker in Big Red Letters has not for sale do not ship I believe Jamie had the same thing still waiting for mine to ship wondering about the others?
 

JamieGeek

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I also ordered a California Route 1 the window sticker in Big Red Letters has not for sale do not ship I believe Jamie had the same thing still waiting for mine to ship wondering about the others?
Yup mine had the big red letters until 1/5 (it was built on 12/17).

I'm guessing it was in line for the "next wave" of cars to be shipped until the "quality checks" started.
 

Ron Bonifas

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I also ordered a California Route 1 the window sticker in Big Red Letters has not for sale do not ship I believe Jamie had the same thing still waiting for mine to ship wondering about the others?
My build date was December 17th, and switch to awaiting shipment on December 30th with the email Thursday ETA change from January 28th to March 24th
Sponsored

 
 




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