Maximizing Your Battery in Winter - Tips for New EV Owners

RockwallRick

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Our first cold front of the season is approaching and should be here by this weekend. We averaged 3.5 miles per kWh during the summer months with constant running of the AC. It wont be cold enough for heat but I plan on shutting down the AC for awhile to see if that might improve the range?
So far I would have to say that running with out the AC on has NOT produced a noticeable difference in the range. My Wife will be turning it back on this week as temperatures go back up into the 80’s!
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So far I would have to say that running with out the AC on has NOT produced a noticeable difference in the range. My Wife will be turning it back on this week as temperatures go back up into the 80’s!
I have sat in the MME waiting with the AC on. Outside temperatures in the 80's and 90's. It appears that running the AC uses about 1% per hour. Definitely less than 2% per hour.
 
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So far I would have to say that running with out the AC on has NOT produced a noticeable difference in the range. My Wife will be turning it back on this week as temperatures go back up into the 80’s!
Agreed. I do NOT suffer the heat well, and I pretty much use 69 degrees at AUTO 3 as a minimum bar all the time, and I still have a 3.5 average. Heat will probably use a ton more, but the AC seems really, really efficient.
 

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Another one, I go on my Tesla phone app about 30min before leaving work in winter and turn on cab heating. The battery conditioning logo pops up shortly after that, snow melts off, and I get full regen braking. Every time I forget to do this I discover how much I hate two pedal driving.
 

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2. Warm up your car in the morning
Most EVs come with apps that allow you to heat up your car in advance of departure. If you turn on your car’s heating before you leave the house, it will heat up the cabin to your desired temperature and also warm up the battery to aid performance.
Can we achieve this (preconditioning BOTH battery and cabin) by using the Remote start function in the app even if the car is not plugged in to a charging station?
 
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Can we achieve this (predconditioning BOTH battery and cabin) by using the Remote start function in the app even if the car is not plugged in to a charging station?
From what I've read on this forum, when you remote start the car, the heating loop is shared between the battery and the cabin. If you want to "Precondition" the battery faster, you would need to enter the car and turn OFF e-heat. At this point, the car would use the e-heat to warm the battery and then turn off. Some say, that remote start is like driving the car for 15 minutes.

Lots of testing/re-testing, no official statement from Ford
 

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From what I've read on this forum, when you remote start the car, the heating loop is shared between the battery and the cabin. If you want to "Precondition" the battery faster, you would need to enter the car and turn OFF e-heat. At this point, the car would use the e-heat to warm the battery and then turn off. Some say, that remote start is like driving the car for 15 minutes.

Lots of testing/re-testing, no official statement from Ford
This taken from the manual does indicate that turning e-heat off would increase battery conditioning. It's shared at first, when using "remote start" that is.
:
In cold temperatures, you may notice that DC charging takes longer when the ambient temperature drops below 50°F (10°C). Shutting off climate control or reducing climate control temperature and fan settings for the first 10 to 15 minutes of DC charging will allow the battery to warm up and improve the charging rate.
Note: When the temperature is below freezing, fully turning off cabin heat for the first 10 to 15 minutes of DC charging could significantly improve the charging rate.
 

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Can we achieve this (preconditioning BOTH battery and cabin) by using the Remote start function in the app even if the car is not plugged in to a charging station?
It takes a lot longer than 15 minutes to warm up a cold soaked battery with all its thermal mass. So if you really want your battery to be preconditioned in the cold, you would have to use departure times. But if it's not plugged in, I don't really see the benefit to preconditioning the battery.
 

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Another one, I go on my Tesla phone app about 30min before leaving work in winter and turn on cab heating. The battery conditioning logo pops up shortly after that, snow melts off, and I get full regen braking. Every time I forget to do this I discover how much I hate two pedal driving.
I like this ICON feature in Tesla, @Ford Motor Company, can we get an Icon on the display and in the App? This would eliminate confusion in winter time, or extreme hot climates. Amber for Heating, Blue for Cooling, Blue Plus Sign for unbridled extend?
 

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So far I would have to say that running with out the AC on has NOT produced a noticeable difference in the range. My Wife will be turning it back on this week as temperatures go back up into the 80’s!
AC is very efficient in the Mach-e, or I should say, that it's mostly on all the time in the summer to keep the battery cool, and there is no penalty for cooling the cabin.

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