Jim Farley “Winter update to improve range”

[Kamuelaflyer]

know it is just some software manipulation! (Actually I believe battery temp factors into the SOC calc but that makes for a lousy story!)

Battery temperature definitely matters particularly in your near 0 Kelvin temperatures. . The recent range calculation changes reduced some of the overly conservative bias in the GOM. I find them to be pretty accurate now.

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[AKgrampy]

Going downhill all the way?

No or it would be the case all the time.

 

[Mathington]

So did we actually get an update to improve range or just an update to modify the GOM to make it appear like we have more range?

I would love it if @Ford Motor Company had a blog that discussed the upcoming updates and confirmed features.k so we wouldn’t have to try and decrypt tweets from the CEO.

 

[Mach-Lee]

So did we actually get an update to improve range or just an update to modify the GOM to make it appear like we have more range?

I would love it if @Ford Motor Company had a blog that discussed the upcoming updates and confirmed features.k so we wouldn’t have to try and decrypt tweets from the CEO.

The 3.6.2 update improved the range display (GOM) in cold weather. No change to actual driving range, just displayed range. It is more accurate now.

 

[UnforAll]

Interesting that he said the frunk update is available at your dealer if you want it now. I’m not sure a dealer would take a Tweet as payment since there’s no CSP for it.

The other interesting part of that tweet: "If you send me your vin number we can put you on the early access program."

 

[newmme]

We need an OTA version history, like this one. It shows the software version and a description of each item addressed.

OTA Version History

 

[Jiji]

I can share a weird thing that has taken place twice now. My car is in a heated garage and charged to 90%. I always start it to get the cabin warmed up. I have a 10 mile drive to pick up my grandkids in the morning, it is below zero and I check all my settings as I wait for the garage door to close as I leave. SOC is at 89% but I really do not check range but I have not seen it over 150 this winter. I arrive at my destination and my SOC is up to 93% and GOM is over 160. I was hoping that this was the Northern Lights somehow charging my battery while driving but now I know it is just some software manipulation! (Actually I believe battery temp factors into the SOC calc but that makes for a lousy story!)

You got that right, I often see this quirk on the first drive after charging, the Energy to Empty has been reduced but the SoC has been adjusted upward.

 

[JohnnyForensic]

It is my understanding that current batteries use a liquid electrolyte resulting in a slower chemical reaction in the cold (which makes sense). I don't really see how software can overcome chemistry. I would think you improve cold weather range by better insulating the cells. Yes I suppose software can be optimized to better manage energy usage but I'd imagine you can only go so far with that approach.

This is why solid state batteries would be such a big deal (among other things). I would like to know more about just how extensive Ford's cold weather testing is. Drove while it was snowing for the first time last night and lost ACC and collision warning/assist because the sensor on the bumper got covered in snow (duh). Rather surprised Ford didn't consider that might happen.

There's not much you can do about the snow covering the radar and camera. I've got three cars with that feature (Mach-E, Acura RDX, Honda Odyssey), and all three fail when the radar and/or camera are covered in snow. It's just going to happen by the nature of driving forward into snow and kicked-up road slush unfortunately.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

It’s quite a bad idea to use ACC etc when it’s snowing enough to cover the bumper in snow. It turns off for a reason, not an omission from Ford.. every mfg does this, you can’t use a sensor that’s completely blocked.

I forgot to add "however, it's probably not a good idea to use ACC in a snowstorm..."

I would appreciate the collision warning though especially in poor visibility.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

There's not much you can do about the snow covering the radar and camera. I've got three cars with that feature (Mach-E, Acura RDX, Honda Odyssey), and all three fail when the radar and/or camera are covered in snow. It's just going to happen by the nature of driving forward into snow and kicked-up road slush unfortunately.

I understand that for sure. It's just a shame because collision warning would be very handy in the poor visibility that accompanies a snowstorm.

 

[awp0]

"the winter update that improved range"

So Farley basically pulled a Dwight Schrute: assistant (to the) regional manager.

 

[Just Lurking]

There's not much you can do about the snow covering the radar and camera.

They could be heated and tied into the washer system. Waymo had a blog post going into how it's doing that sort of thing to keep its sensors clean. Planes also heat critical surfaces and components (e.g. pitot tubes). Different stakes and cost considerations of course, but there should be ways to improve the current situation.

 

[Mach-Lee]

They could be heated and tied into the washer system. Waymo had a blog post going into how it's doing that sort of thing to keep its sensors clean. Planes also heat critical surfaces and components (e.g. pitot tubes). Different stakes and cost considerations of course, but there should be ways to improve the current situation.

The camera is heated and is in the wiped area. There are defrost lines over it.

Not much you can do about the radar, metal heating elements in front of it would disrupt the radar signal.

 

[Rabidsquirrel22]

The only real improvement they could do to give us more range is unlock more of the (still large) battery buffer, and I’m not holding my breath on that.

 

[Just Lurking]

The camera is heated and is in the wiped area. There are defrost lines over it.

Not much you can do about the radar, metal heating elements in front of it would disrupt the radar signal.

The Model Y was reported to come with a heated radar, but I don't know the details. I wonder how they accomplished it?

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