SteelMach
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2021
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 666
- Reaction score
- 725
- Location
- Michigan
- Vehicles
- 2021 Mustang Mach-E
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey all,
Took delivery of my Mach-E (ER RWD) on Friday, and I took it out this morning for a chilly blast down I-94 to "practice" DC Fast Charging, and see what it's like in the Mach-E, and if the cold is as bad as people say for charging.
Leg 1:
Detroit -> Kalamazoo (Electrify America)
Start: 100% SoC, 12F
End: 40% SoC, 29F
Distance: 129 miles
Time: 2h0m
Avg Speed: 64.5 MPH (cruise set to 70 for highway section)
Efficiency (trip computer): 2.1 miles/kWh
Arrived at the Electrify America station in Portage near Kalamazoo at 40% SoC. Weirdly, the SYNC screen popped up a "This station is not part of the Ford network. Follow the instructions on the station" message which got me a bit nervous as EA is like *the* part of the Ford network that makes it worthwhile as far as I'm concerned - I plugged into a "350 kW" charger (Signet) and was very happy to see Plug&Charge initialized immediately and charging began - I was very excited, until I saw the speed: 38 kW ?
After 2 hours of driving at 70 MPH, it could only deliver 38 kW? Surely that would have been enough time to warm the battery up, right? I unplugged, moved over to another station (a "150 kW") and again, Plug&Charge initialized immediately and the charging began - at 40 kW. Yikes. Guess this is going to be a long day.
Charge 1:
Charge: 40->60% SoC
Total Charge Time: 29 minutes
Energy Delivered: 18 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 41.9 kW
So based on that, I decided to bail on this session and stop on the way home. Happily, there is a new-ish(?) ChargePoint station just 35 miles towards home in Marshall, MI.
Leg 2:
Kalamazoo -> Marshall
Start: 60% SoC, 29F
End: 43% SoC, 30F
Distance: 35.2 miles
Time: 33 minutes
Avg Speed: 60.3 MPH
Efficiency: 2.5 miles/kWh
When I arrived at the ChargePoint station, I plugged it into the Mach-E, and then tried to use FordPass to initiate charging, but I couldn't figure out how. I was able to pull up the station on the FordPass app's map, it shows these particular ChargePoint chargers not "In-Network" even though other ChargePoint DCFCs do show "In-Network." Weird. Used my personal ChargePoint account, and it began with no issue.
Charge 2:
Charge: 43->70% SoC
Total Charge Time: 29 minutes
Energy Delivered: 25 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 51.7 kW
Since the two chargers here are set up for 62.5 kW each, I would have loved to have been able to max them out, but apparently the battery was still a bit chilly... so I decided to try one more time, and stop at 1 more station on the way back, Electrify America in Ypsilanti.
Leg 3:
Start: 70% SoC 30F
End: 36% SoC 31F
Distance: 72.5 miles
Time: 68 minutes
Avg Speed: 64 MPH
Efficiency: 2.5 miles/kWh
Arrived at Electrify America, chose a stall at random. Plugged in the Mach-E, and immediately the charge ring turned red, and FordPass notified me of a charger fault. Pressing "Stop" on the station did not trigger the release of the connector, so I had to press the button inside the charge ring to get it to let go.
Moved over to the neighboring "150 kW" stall, plugged in, Plug&Charge initiated easy peasy and then - 81 kW!
Charge 3:
Charge: 36->80% SoC
Total Charge Time: 35 minutes
Energy Delivered: 42 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 72 kW
At 80%, the Mach-E's power draw dropped like a rock from 57 kW to 11 kW (!) so much so that the cooling fans on the charging station all turned off at the same time. Based on that, I decided to stop the session, and call it a day.
Not sure if this is interesting or helpful to anyone here, but I know I was very surprised at just how long it seems to take to heat this battery up by driving. It was parked inside a garage all night, but it had been fully charged for nearly 12 hours before the start of the "test" so perhaps the battery really did chill itself overnight.
Either way, I hope that warmer weather brings faster charging and better efficiency as well. Then we can really see the "Horsepower" when those horses aren't so chilly
Loving the car otherwise! It's turning heads like crazy - can't count the number of thumbs up I got on 94
TL;DR: Cold battery is cold, even after hours of driving.
Took delivery of my Mach-E (ER RWD) on Friday, and I took it out this morning for a chilly blast down I-94 to "practice" DC Fast Charging, and see what it's like in the Mach-E, and if the cold is as bad as people say for charging.
Leg 1:
Detroit -> Kalamazoo (Electrify America)
Start: 100% SoC, 12F
End: 40% SoC, 29F
Distance: 129 miles
Time: 2h0m
Avg Speed: 64.5 MPH (cruise set to 70 for highway section)
Efficiency (trip computer): 2.1 miles/kWh
Arrived at the Electrify America station in Portage near Kalamazoo at 40% SoC. Weirdly, the SYNC screen popped up a "This station is not part of the Ford network. Follow the instructions on the station" message which got me a bit nervous as EA is like *the* part of the Ford network that makes it worthwhile as far as I'm concerned - I plugged into a "350 kW" charger (Signet) and was very happy to see Plug&Charge initialized immediately and charging began - I was very excited, until I saw the speed: 38 kW ?
After 2 hours of driving at 70 MPH, it could only deliver 38 kW? Surely that would have been enough time to warm the battery up, right? I unplugged, moved over to another station (a "150 kW") and again, Plug&Charge initialized immediately and the charging began - at 40 kW. Yikes. Guess this is going to be a long day.
Charge 1:
Charge: 40->60% SoC
Total Charge Time: 29 minutes
Energy Delivered: 18 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 41.9 kW
So based on that, I decided to bail on this session and stop on the way home. Happily, there is a new-ish(?) ChargePoint station just 35 miles towards home in Marshall, MI.
Leg 2:
Kalamazoo -> Marshall
Start: 60% SoC, 29F
End: 43% SoC, 30F
Distance: 35.2 miles
Time: 33 minutes
Avg Speed: 60.3 MPH
Efficiency: 2.5 miles/kWh
When I arrived at the ChargePoint station, I plugged it into the Mach-E, and then tried to use FordPass to initiate charging, but I couldn't figure out how. I was able to pull up the station on the FordPass app's map, it shows these particular ChargePoint chargers not "In-Network" even though other ChargePoint DCFCs do show "In-Network." Weird. Used my personal ChargePoint account, and it began with no issue.
Charge 2:
Charge: 43->70% SoC
Total Charge Time: 29 minutes
Energy Delivered: 25 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 51.7 kW
Since the two chargers here are set up for 62.5 kW each, I would have loved to have been able to max them out, but apparently the battery was still a bit chilly... so I decided to try one more time, and stop at 1 more station on the way back, Electrify America in Ypsilanti.
Leg 3:
Start: 70% SoC 30F
End: 36% SoC 31F
Distance: 72.5 miles
Time: 68 minutes
Avg Speed: 64 MPH
Efficiency: 2.5 miles/kWh
Arrived at Electrify America, chose a stall at random. Plugged in the Mach-E, and immediately the charge ring turned red, and FordPass notified me of a charger fault. Pressing "Stop" on the station did not trigger the release of the connector, so I had to press the button inside the charge ring to get it to let go.
Moved over to the neighboring "150 kW" stall, plugged in, Plug&Charge initiated easy peasy and then - 81 kW!
Charge 3:
Charge: 36->80% SoC
Total Charge Time: 35 minutes
Energy Delivered: 42 kWh
Average Charge Speed: 72 kW
At 80%, the Mach-E's power draw dropped like a rock from 57 kW to 11 kW (!) so much so that the cooling fans on the charging station all turned off at the same time. Based on that, I decided to stop the session, and call it a day.
Not sure if this is interesting or helpful to anyone here, but I know I was very surprised at just how long it seems to take to heat this battery up by driving. It was parked inside a garage all night, but it had been fully charged for nearly 12 hours before the start of the "test" so perhaps the battery really did chill itself overnight.
Either way, I hope that warmer weather brings faster charging and better efficiency as well. Then we can really see the "Horsepower" when those horses aren't so chilly
Loving the car otherwise! It's turning heads like crazy - can't count the number of thumbs up I got on 94
TL;DR: Cold battery is cold, even after hours of driving.
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