Mach-Lee's Mach-E Cold Weather Testing [Taking Requests]

[SpaceEVDriver]

Love these posts, Mach-Lee. What a service they are to the community. Thank you.

I typically drive from Sacramento, CA to Reno, NV through the Donner Pass and am a bit concerned about the MME's ability to make it on a single trip during the winter ('21 Prem ER AWD, stock 19" wheels & CrossClimate tires). Thus far I've used my ICE vehicle for the trip but am keen to give the MME a shot next season.

The distance is 140 miles total.

Route goes from sea level to +7000 feet over 100 miles, then (thankfully) descends to 4600 feet for the remaining 40 miles, all on I-80. Temperatures in the harshest part of the season are 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit with snow falling. I'd like to run the cabin heater at 70 degrees.

When there are chain controls (only required on big rigs and 2WD cars), speeds drop to sub 35 mph for a chunk of the climb but let's assume 72 mph for the drive.

There are two typical scenarios:

• Scenario 1: no chain controls, 72 mph for the drive.
• Scenario 2: chain controls (only required on big rigs and 2WD cars), speeds drop to sub 35 mph for a chunk of the climb. Drive can take 4-5 hours, meaning the cabin heater will be on much longer but the car will be going much slower.

Do these conditions in either of these scenarios stretch the car's ability to make it?

I've done a similar trip in one drive with no stops (because I was anxious to get home), but it was 209 miles on interstate 40 from Needles, CA (~460 feet elevation) to Flagstaff, AZ (~7300 feet elevation) in the winter, through a snowstorm. My state of charge was 100% at the start and 13% at the end. I have the CR-1 AWD rather than the Premium.

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[sukhoi_584th]

I've done a similar trip in one drive with no stops (because I was anxious to get home), but it was 209 miles on interstate 40 from Needles, CA (~460 feet elevation) to Flagstaff, AZ (~7300 feet elevation) in the winter, through a snowstorm. My state of charge was 100% at the start and 13% at the end. I have the CR-1 AWD rather than the Premium.

Good data point for me (also have CR1 AWD). I frequently do a 155 mi trip from sea level to 7800 ft. In the summer I go from 100% to 35%, but I haven't tried in winter. You didn't lose as much range in a snowstorm as I would have expected.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Good data point for me (also have CR1 AWD). I frequently do a 155 mi trip from sea level to 7800 ft. In the summer I go from 100% to 35%, but I haven't tried in winter. You didn't lose as much range in a snowstorm as I would have expected.

I tend to stay around 70-73 mph in good weather on the freeway (and it started as good weather in Needles). In storms, I drop speeds appropriate for the weather. At 35-55 mph, the weather has far less impact than one might expect.

Also, I tend not to use the cabin heating as I always bring a jacket, warm socks, etc., with me during winter trips and I use them. I did use the seat and steering heaters.

 

[ArthurDOB]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I was skimming through it looking for an answer to a question I had about cold weather and range, but did not see what I was looking for. Perhaps I missed it. It's a long thread.

I have a question for @Mach-Lee and anyone else who lives where it gets below freezing and stays there every Autumn/Winter:

I have had my car since May and have not yet experienced driving it in cold weather. I know cold weather negatively affects range and that preconditioning helps maximize what range you have, but at approximately what temperature does range loss due to cold become clearly evident?

We're getting our first overnight temperatures in the high 40sF and I haven't noticed a difference as of yet, and I was wondering when range loss would become obvious.

Thanks in advance for any information anyone might have.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I was skimming through it looking for an answer to a question I had about cold weather and range, but did not see what I was looking for. Perhaps I missed it. It's a long thread.

I have a question for @Mach-Lee and anyone else who lives where it gets below freezing and stays there every Autumn/Winter:

I have had my car since May and have not yet experienced driving it in cold weather. I know cold weather negatively affects range and that preconditioning helps maximize what range you have, but at approximately what temperature does range loss due to cold become clearly evident?

We're getting our first overnight temperatures in the high 40sF and I haven't noticed a difference as of yet, and I was wondering when range loss would become obvious.

Thanks in advance for any information anyone might have.

Range loss starts below about 68°F/20°C. Below about 50°F/10°C there starts to be a benefit to preconditioning.

Please see this for data:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/preconditioning-improves-range-up-to-20-ford-brochure.27766/

 

[ArthurDOB]

Range loss starts below about 68°F/20°C. Below about 50°F/10°C there starts to be a benefit to preconditioning.

Please see this for data:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/preconditioning-improves-range-up-to-20-ford-brochure.27766/

Thank you. Looks like I'll start noticing it soon. I haven't yet, though.

 

[Maquis]

Thank you. Looks like I'll start noticing it soon. I haven't yet, though.

If you’re basing that on the GOM, it may not yet be showing up.

Because it’s the GOM!

 

[ArthurDOB]

If you’re basing that on the GOM, it may not yet be showing up.

Because it’s the GOM!

The GOM is all I have to go by. I figure any noticeable drop in range that coincides with cold weather will tell me what I want to know. I am definitely not asking about the accuracy of the range, just when I might expect to see a noticeable drop.

 

[Maquis]

The GOM is all I have to go by. I figure any noticeable drop in range that coincides with cold weather will tell me what I want to know. I am definitely not asking about the accuracy of the range, just when I might expect to see a noticeable drop.

No, it’s not. Watch your efficiency (MPK).

 

[ArthurDOB]

No, it’s not. Watch your efficiency (MPK).

OK. Thanks!

 

[ArthurDOB]

No, it’s not. Watch your efficiency (MPK).

Wait. Are you saying that if I charge to 100%, regardless of the ambient temperature, the GOM will still max out at +/-224 miles (I have an SR MME), but that it will drain faster, reducing my range exponentially with the reduction in ambient temperature? If so, how do you know how much range you've got? Trial & error?

 

[Maquis]

Wait. Are you saying that if I charge to 100%, regardless of the ambient temperature, the GOM will still max out at +/-224 miles (I have an SR MME), but that it will drain faster, reducing my range exponentially with the reduction in ambient temperature? If so, how do you know how much range you've got? Trial & error?

My favorite saying is “Ignore the GOM.”

The percent charge is the equivalent of a gas gauge. I know in warm weather 100% is about 300 miles and in the coldest winter here it’s about 240. So each % is 3 or 2.4 miles using those extremes. I really don’t even care at all unless I’m on a road trip.
Other factors such as driving speed and wind enter the picture, too.

I never relied on the DTE display when I had an ICE and I treat the GOM the same way.

 

[mkhuffman]

Wait. Are you saying that if I charge to 100%, regardless of the ambient temperature, the GOM will still max out at +/-224 miles (I have an SR MME), but that it will drain faster, reducing my range exponentially with the reduction in ambient temperature? If so, how do you know how much range you've got? Trial & error?

There are two factors that impact range when the car is cold: battery capacity and efficiency.

I can operate my MME in the winter at almost the same efficiency as in the summer, if I keep the heat low or off. But when the car is cold, the battery has less capacity. So even at the same efficiency, we don't have as much energy available in the battery so the range is less.

The way the GOM works has changed multiple times since I got my MME. I am not quite sure what it is doing now, but it appears to default to around EPA range until you put in a destination in the NAV. And then it will change the GOM range to reflect the trip it knows you are going to take.

Last year the GOM adjusted to the cold, but I am not sure if it will do that this winter. And it used to adjust based on driving history, but it seems to have much less of an impact now. Or it seems to me anyway.

I get 260 miles to empty on the GOM when I charge to 100%. Every time. That is pretty much exactly the capacity of my battery at EPA efficiency considering my battery SoH is 93%. So that is why I think it is not using driving history. But who the heck knows? Ford doesn't share the logic behind the number, so I think most of us are guessing like me. Except for maybe Lee. He is super smart. ?

 

[AKgrampy]

Wait. Are you saying that if I charge to 100%, regardless of the ambient temperature, the GOM will still max out at +/-224 miles (I have an SR MME), but that it will drain faster, reducing my range exponentially with the reduction in ambient temperature? If so, how do you know how much range you've got? Trial & error?

I have noticed my GOM drop since our fall/winter has already arrived. I only drive around town so never worry about it as I charge daily but it does track my reduced mi per kWh. If I were to travel I would figure things for myself based on my usage and not solely rely on the GOM.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have noticed my GOM drop since our fall/winter has already arrived. I only drive around town so never worry about it as I charge daily but it does track my reduced mi per kWh. If I were to travel I would figure things for myself based on my usage and not solely rely on the GOM.

That could correlate with available battery capacity. If the car is using EPA efficiency and total capacity at 100%, it makes sense. When the battery is cold, it has less EtE at 100%. So maybe the GOM is simply calculating the EPA efficiency times the EtE? It would explain what you are seeing and what I am seeing.

I will do some OBDII readings as the car gets colder this winter and see if that theory holds up.

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