Mach-Lee
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Lee
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2021
- Threads
- 204
- Messages
- 7,732
- Reaction score
- 15,310
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Vehicles
- 2022 Mach-E Premium AWD
- Occupation
- Sci/Eng
- Thread starter
- #1
I’d like to make a couple of important points and share some charging strategies based on my testing results. The advice here is centered around this mantra for cold climates:
Keep the Mach-E plugged in as much as possible when the temperature is below freezing so the battery stays warm.
Why? Range is proportional to battery temperature, so you can gain range by simply heating the battery. Charging speed at a DC fast charger is also much faster with a warmer battery. And third, you stay warmer. Heat is in short supply at colder temps, so you want to use power from the wall to get your battery and cabin warmed up as much as possible before leaving.
Goal: Keep the battery above 0ºC/32ºF at all times while it is in use (driving or charging).
This is the minimum temperature for acceptable performance of a lithium battery. It only takes a few kilowatts to heat up the pack. The small increase in cost is usually worth the extra performance and increased comfort.
Biggest Misconception: “I don’t have a set schedule so I can’t use Departure Times.”
Yes you can! The battery stays warm for a long time after preconditioning, for 3-10 hours. Therefore you don’t need to worry about leaving exactly at a departure time if you don’t have a set schedule. Just set one for sometime in the morning or afternoon. It’s okay to not leave at a departure time, you’re still benefiting yourself later on.
Tip: You can heat JUST THE BATTERY by setting a departure time and setting the cabin temperature setting to OFF:
There are two levels of battery heating:
Note: 120V charging will still heat the battery, but very SLOWLY. The heater power is limited to about 1 kW (equal to input power) while charging on 120V. This is 6x slower than L2. As a result, battery heating can take up to 2-3 hours if the battery is very cold. Heating on L1 happens after the charge target is reached. Likewise, preconditioning is also very slow, so the battery and cabin may not be fully heated after a 120V preconditioning event. In very extreme cold, the battery may never be able to warm up fully on L1 charging even while drawing power 24/7. If you live in a cold climate, I strongly recommend you charge with 240V so you have the full 6 kW heater power available.
Mach-Lee Battery Warming/Charging Strategies:
[These all require to you be plugged in.]
-Strategy A - Just stay plugged in
This is the easiest way to keep the battery somewhat warm. It doesn’t require much thinking or any programming. When you get home (or to work) just plug in your car (do this every day). The Mach-E will keep the battery above freezing. Works similarly to a block heater on an ICE.
-Strategy B - Regular departure times
If you leave for work at a regular time, then set regular departure times. If you can charge at work, then set a second departure time for when your shift ends.
-Strategy C - Battery-only departure + Remote start ✱Mach-Lee Preferred
This is best if you don’t have a set schedule. Imagine a 3-6 hour window around times you might usually leave, and pick the time at the beginning of that window. For example, if you usually leave in the afternoon, you might pick noon. Then the battery will be reasonably warm and ready throughout the day. Make a departure time with that time and set the cabin heating to OFF. Then when you’re ready to leave, remote start the vehicle. The battery will still be somewhat warm from the departure time hours prior. If you don’t know what times, use 7 AM and 2 PM.
I strongly recommend the above combination of a recent battery-only departure time + remote start when you are ready to leave.
-Strategy D - Irregular departure times
If you don’t have a set schedule, but can plan ahead 20-60 minutes, then just set a departure time in the FordPass app about 30 minutes in advance. This is better than nothing. The battery will heat a little bit and the cabin will warm up the best it can in the available time.
-Strategy G - Park in a heated garage
If you have the luxury, you can do this and not have to plug in. In winter climates I recommend you keep your garage at about 5ºC/40ºF to save energy, and use remote start before leaving.
-Strategy H - Key ON, HVAC OFF
While plugged in, turn the car on and switch off the HVAC. (Regular start with the key present, remote start will not work!) You will hear the battery coolant pump start and the battery will heat to 13ºC. This is useful if you want to "top off" the battery heat before leaving if you didn't set a departure time. It is also recommended that you do this the first few minutes of DCFC to warm up the battery.
-Strategy I - Drop charge rate to prolong charging
If you have an adjustable rate L2 EVSE, you can drop the charge rate down (e.g. 16A) to prolong charging. The battery is kept warm while L2 charging, so charging can be used as a heating strategy. You can make the car charge all day, therefore it's ready to drive all day. Just bump the amps back up above 26A before remote starting so you can cover the heater demand.
-Strategy Z - Delay charging until before departure
This one is special because it involves the manipulation of charging times. It works best if you charge the about same amount each day and leave around the same time. Rather than having your car charge in the evening, push your preferred charge times back so the charging window will start in the early AM (4 AM), but early enough that charging will finish by the time you normally leave. Make the charge window as narrow and late as possible. Charge and go will eliminate standby heating losses, so it's the most efficient of all the strategies if you are concerned about saving every possible kWh.
Notice Remote Start is not a warming strategy, because it doesn't warm the battery! (Just the cabin.)
The charging strategies (I+Z) are between strategy A and departure times in terms of effectiveness. Departure times can be added to them to increase effectiveness.
If you are taking a trip with DCFC stops, I strongly recommend you set a departure time at the beginning of each day and use en-route preconditioning so the battery is warmer when you get to the first DCFC stop. This will speed up your charging times. Stopping at a DCFC every hour or two and continuing to use en-route preconditioning will help keep the battery warm for the whole trip. Turning the HVAC completely off for DCFC does dramatically improve the battery heating if you can tolerate it. The battery cannot be heated very much while the HVAC is on.
In terms of battery levels, I recommend keeping it in the usual 20-90% range year round. Remember 100% is only for trips, don't let it sit at 100%. Some people may want to bump up their charge levels in the winter to account for worse efficiency. Again, plug in as often as possible.
In summary, please install a 240V charger and adopt one of these warming strategies if you live in a winter climate. A lot of people don't recognize the importance of plugging in and the usefulness of departure times, and how they positively impact battery performance, range, and available heat. Last, a lot of people don't seem to understand that the battery stays warm for hours after a departure time, so setting one is still useful even if you don't leave at the prescribed time. The option to shut cabin heating off and just warm the battery with a strategic departure time is also underutilized.
New: En-Route Preconditioning Strategies
En-route preconditioning was added in the Power-Up 3.6.2 update. This will heat your battery on the way to a DC fast charger to improve the charging speed (warm batteries charge faster than cold batteries). In order to heat the battery, the following conditions must be met:
-Strategy E - En Route Preconditioning
-Strategy L - Leapfrog Preconditioning for Max Speeds (Advanced users only)
In this example, you are heading west on I-80 to the EA station in Lexington. Preconditioning geofence rings (radius = 30 km) are shown for the destination and leapfrog chargers. Unless the battery was really cold, you would initially select the charger in Kearney as the destination, drive through the ring, and then switch the destination to the EA station passing Elm Creek. That will give you about 45 minutes of preconditioning time. If the battery is colder or you want to leave the heat on, then you might want to start with charger in Grand Island, switch to Kearney, and then Lexington EA to get 75 minutes of preconditioning time. See chart below for estimated preconditioning time required.
Obviously this only works if you have other DC chargers to select along the way. If you don't have any before your stop to use for leapfrog, then you'll just have to Yo-Yo or charge cold and leave HVAC off so the battery can continue to warm up while charging. The 30 km distance limitation to trigger preconditioning is severe, hopefully Ford improves this feature or increases the distance (I recommend 120 km) so the above strategy won't be necessary anymore. Other manufacturers do this intelligently with a variable distance geofence so heating starts soon enough to be effective.
Here is a chart of estimated battery heating times to reach DCFC temperature. With HVAC on, battery heating input is typically limited to <2 kW in winter conditions. With HVAC off, battery heating operates around 6 kW.
Keep the Mach-E plugged in as much as possible when the temperature is below freezing so the battery stays warm.
Why? Range is proportional to battery temperature, so you can gain range by simply heating the battery. Charging speed at a DC fast charger is also much faster with a warmer battery. And third, you stay warmer. Heat is in short supply at colder temps, so you want to use power from the wall to get your battery and cabin warmed up as much as possible before leaving.
Goal: Keep the battery above 0ºC/32ºF at all times while it is in use (driving or charging).
This is the minimum temperature for acceptable performance of a lithium battery. It only takes a few kilowatts to heat up the pack. The small increase in cost is usually worth the extra performance and increased comfort.
Biggest Misconception: “I don’t have a set schedule so I can’t use Departure Times.”
Yes you can! The battery stays warm for a long time after preconditioning, for 3-10 hours. Therefore you don’t need to worry about leaving exactly at a departure time if you don’t have a set schedule. Just set one for sometime in the morning or afternoon. It’s okay to not leave at a departure time, you’re still benefiting yourself later on.
Tip: You can heat JUST THE BATTERY by setting a departure time and setting the cabin temperature setting to OFF:
There are two levels of battery heating:
- Staying on plug will keep the battery 0-5ºC (just above freezing), and will only heat during preferred charging times. The battery will periodically heat itself. Just plug in!
- Setting a departure time will heat the battery to 15ºC before warming the cabin. This will keep the battery above freezing for hours even if you don’t depart at the departure time.
Note: 120V charging will still heat the battery, but very SLOWLY. The heater power is limited to about 1 kW (equal to input power) while charging on 120V. This is 6x slower than L2. As a result, battery heating can take up to 2-3 hours if the battery is very cold. Heating on L1 happens after the charge target is reached. Likewise, preconditioning is also very slow, so the battery and cabin may not be fully heated after a 120V preconditioning event. In very extreme cold, the battery may never be able to warm up fully on L1 charging even while drawing power 24/7. If you live in a cold climate, I strongly recommend you charge with 240V so you have the full 6 kW heater power available.
Mach-Lee Battery Warming/Charging Strategies:
[These all require to you be plugged in.]
-Strategy A - Just stay plugged in
This is the easiest way to keep the battery somewhat warm. It doesn’t require much thinking or any programming. When you get home (or to work) just plug in your car (do this every day). The Mach-E will keep the battery above freezing. Works similarly to a block heater on an ICE.
-Strategy B - Regular departure times
If you leave for work at a regular time, then set regular departure times. If you can charge at work, then set a second departure time for when your shift ends.
-Strategy C - Battery-only departure + Remote start ✱Mach-Lee Preferred
This is best if you don’t have a set schedule. Imagine a 3-6 hour window around times you might usually leave, and pick the time at the beginning of that window. For example, if you usually leave in the afternoon, you might pick noon. Then the battery will be reasonably warm and ready throughout the day. Make a departure time with that time and set the cabin heating to OFF. Then when you’re ready to leave, remote start the vehicle. The battery will still be somewhat warm from the departure time hours prior. If you don’t know what times, use 7 AM and 2 PM.
I strongly recommend the above combination of a recent battery-only departure time + remote start when you are ready to leave.
-Strategy D - Irregular departure times
If you don’t have a set schedule, but can plan ahead 20-60 minutes, then just set a departure time in the FordPass app about 30 minutes in advance. This is better than nothing. The battery will heat a little bit and the cabin will warm up the best it can in the available time.
-Strategy G - Park in a heated garage
If you have the luxury, you can do this and not have to plug in. In winter climates I recommend you keep your garage at about 5ºC/40ºF to save energy, and use remote start before leaving.
-Strategy H - Key ON, HVAC OFF
While plugged in, turn the car on and switch off the HVAC. (Regular start with the key present, remote start will not work!) You will hear the battery coolant pump start and the battery will heat to 13ºC. This is useful if you want to "top off" the battery heat before leaving if you didn't set a departure time. It is also recommended that you do this the first few minutes of DCFC to warm up the battery.
-Strategy I - Drop charge rate to prolong charging
If you have an adjustable rate L2 EVSE, you can drop the charge rate down (e.g. 16A) to prolong charging. The battery is kept warm while L2 charging, so charging can be used as a heating strategy. You can make the car charge all day, therefore it's ready to drive all day. Just bump the amps back up above 26A before remote starting so you can cover the heater demand.
-Strategy Z - Delay charging until before departure
This one is special because it involves the manipulation of charging times. It works best if you charge the about same amount each day and leave around the same time. Rather than having your car charge in the evening, push your preferred charge times back so the charging window will start in the early AM (4 AM), but early enough that charging will finish by the time you normally leave. Make the charge window as narrow and late as possible. Charge and go will eliminate standby heating losses, so it's the most efficient of all the strategies if you are concerned about saving every possible kWh.
Notice Remote Start is not a warming strategy, because it doesn't warm the battery! (Just the cabin.)
The charging strategies (I+Z) are between strategy A and departure times in terms of effectiveness. Departure times can be added to them to increase effectiveness.
If you are taking a trip with DCFC stops, I strongly recommend you set a departure time at the beginning of each day and use en-route preconditioning so the battery is warmer when you get to the first DCFC stop. This will speed up your charging times. Stopping at a DCFC every hour or two and continuing to use en-route preconditioning will help keep the battery warm for the whole trip. Turning the HVAC completely off for DCFC does dramatically improve the battery heating if you can tolerate it. The battery cannot be heated very much while the HVAC is on.
In terms of battery levels, I recommend keeping it in the usual 20-90% range year round. Remember 100% is only for trips, don't let it sit at 100%. Some people may want to bump up their charge levels in the winter to account for worse efficiency. Again, plug in as often as possible.
In summary, please install a 240V charger and adopt one of these warming strategies if you live in a winter climate. A lot of people don't recognize the importance of plugging in and the usefulness of departure times, and how they positively impact battery performance, range, and available heat. Last, a lot of people don't seem to understand that the battery stays warm for hours after a departure time, so setting one is still useful even if you don't leave at the prescribed time. The option to shut cabin heating off and just warm the battery with a strategic departure time is also underutilized.
New: En-Route Preconditioning Strategies
En-route preconditioning was added in the Power-Up 3.6.2 update. This will heat your battery on the way to a DC fast charger to improve the charging speed (warm batteries charge faster than cold batteries). In order to heat the battery, the following conditions must be met:
- You are navigating to a DC charger using the Ford built-in Nav
- You are within 30 km or 18 miles driving distance to the charger
- The battery is colder than about 20ºC
- The cabin heating demand is not too high
-Strategy E - En Route Preconditioning
- Set a departure time (plugged in) before leaving to warm the battery to 15ºC
- Use the built in Ford nav to select your DC charging stop
- When you are 30 km/18 mi from the charger, battery will begin to warm if conditions are met (there is no indication visible to the user)
- Repeat navigating to chargers for subsequent charging stops
-Strategy L - Leapfrog Preconditioning for Max Speeds (Advanced users only)
- Set a departure time (plugged in) before leaving to warm the battery to 15ºC
- Starting about 45 minutes before your charging stop, find and navigate to DC chargers ahead of you and within 18 miles of your route
- Mute/ignore navigation prompts (stay on your main route to planned charger)
- Completely turn off HVAC if possible (or set to LO, fan speed 1 to avoid window fogging)
- When distance to the leapfrog charger increases past 18 miles, select another DC charger ahead <18 mi to continue preconditioning
- Repeat until you are within range of your planned charging stop
- Navigate to your actual charging stop
- Verify battery temp is >25ºC with scan tool if going for max speeds, if not keep driving in circles using heavy acceleration and regen (Yo-Yo) until warm.
- Start DC charging
- Listen for battery coolant pump running, high power DC stations will continue heating the battery to 35ºC. Otherwise you may turn the HVAC back on if the coolant pump isn't running.
In this example, you are heading west on I-80 to the EA station in Lexington. Preconditioning geofence rings (radius = 30 km) are shown for the destination and leapfrog chargers. Unless the battery was really cold, you would initially select the charger in Kearney as the destination, drive through the ring, and then switch the destination to the EA station passing Elm Creek. That will give you about 45 minutes of preconditioning time. If the battery is colder or you want to leave the heat on, then you might want to start with charger in Grand Island, switch to Kearney, and then Lexington EA to get 75 minutes of preconditioning time. See chart below for estimated preconditioning time required.
Obviously this only works if you have other DC chargers to select along the way. If you don't have any before your stop to use for leapfrog, then you'll just have to Yo-Yo or charge cold and leave HVAC off so the battery can continue to warm up while charging. The 30 km distance limitation to trigger preconditioning is severe, hopefully Ford improves this feature or increases the distance (I recommend 120 km) so the above strategy won't be necessary anymore. Other manufacturers do this intelligently with a variable distance geofence so heating starts soon enough to be effective.
Here is a chart of estimated battery heating times to reach DCFC temperature. With HVAC on, battery heating input is typically limited to <2 kW in winter conditions. With HVAC off, battery heating operates around 6 kW.
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