OTA Mach-E DC Fast Charging speed and threshold increases coming this winter

[sotek2345]

Sure, a smaller vehicle will be more efficient than a larger one. In this case you're getting some fuel savings from it being a BEV, and some more fuel savings from it being smaller.

Of course, if it were just about the money, you could buy a similar-sized Escape for $20,000 less up front, which would save more than the fuel. ?

Yeah, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. The fuel savings (and tax incentive) just help offset the higher cost of the vehicle to some degree.

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[silverelan]

all I want is increased acceleration and more range updates. I have an X4.

I think Darren said additional range was going to be unlocked in the coming OTA.

There have been other threads about increased acceleration in the 4X.

 

[generaltso]

I think Darren said additional range was going to be unlocked in the coming OTA.

I don't think that's exactly what he said.

 

[silverelan]

I don't think that's exactly what he said.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I haven't replayed the interview but I thought he said that a range update was coming.

 

[timbop]

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I haven't replayed the interview but I thought he said that a range update was coming.

He said they are looking into and may open up some of the battery buffer for more range.

 

[silverelan]

He said they are looking into and may open up some of the battery buffer for more range.

Ok, so I went back to the video and at 20:14 after he talks about the modules getting turned on, Darren says in the September/October update that BlueCruise is coming, games, and range improvements.

 

[SnBGC]

Ok, so I went back to the video and at 20:14 after he talks about the modules getting turned on, Darren says in the September/October update that BlueCruise is coming, games, and range improvements.

Range can be improved by reducing power consumption.

 

[timbop]

Ok, so I went back to the video and at 20:14 after he talks about the modules getting turned on, Darren says in the September/October update that BlueCruise is coming, games, and range improvements.

Starting at 19:02 he says "I am even considering: maybe I don't need to let you charge to 100% every day... I might even pull that back. say to you 'hey we advise you to charge to 80 or 90', and then I can even give you greater EPA range. I'm thinking about that but I've gotta know that customers are not gonna charge to 90 every day, 100 every day because if they did in that case they would damage their batteries over time".

So, while he did later say range improvements were coming that is clearly not assured and I don't think he meant to say it that way.

 

[dbsb3233]

Starting at 19:02 he says "I am even considering: maybe I don't need to let you charge to 100% every day... I might even pull that back. say to you 'hey we advise you to charge to 80 or 90', and then I can even give you greater EPA range. I'm thinking about that but I've gotta know that customers are not gonna charge to 90 every day, 100 every day because if they did in that case they would damage their batteries over time".

So, while he did later say range improvements were coming that is clearly not assured and I don't think he meant to say it that way.

Also curious in there is the suggestion that charging to 90% is bad too.

This has happened before, where I think he's just speaking off the top of his head and mixes numbers up sometimes.

 

[timbop]

Also curious in there is the suggestion that charging to 90% is bad too.

This has happened before, where I think he's just speaking off the top of his head and mixes numbers up sometimes.

Agreed - I think he meant to say "I've got to know customers aren't gonna charge to 100%", especially since just before that he said "hey we advise you to charge to 80 or 90".

Regardless, the key as I said before is the balancing act of newbies that don't know any better and BEV road warriors that do. That's why I think they're going to make it a "one time" setting or something like the "charge to 100%" button is now. That is, they'll keep the upper buffer as it is EXCEPT when you click "charge to 110%" that lets you charge above the existing buffer but not until it goes through a serious of "are you sure" prompts.

 

[dbsb3233]

Agreed - I think he meant to say "I've got to know customers aren't gonna charge to 100%", especially since just before that he said "hey we advise you to charge to 80 or 90".

Regardless, the key as I said before is the balancing act of newbies that don't know any better and BEV road warriors that do. That's why I think they're going to make it a "one time" setting or something like the "charge to 100%" button is now. That is, they'll keep the upper buffer as it is EXCEPT when you click "charge to 110%" that lets you charge above the existing buffer but not until it goes through a serious of "are you sure" prompts.

Could be, but my guess is they won't leave it up to drivers to decide. I'm guessing it'll just set the limits based on it's internal analysis of the battery charging history for each vehicle. If the battery has been treated well (minimal >90% charges or <10% drains, and not too much DCFC), then maybe they allow DCFC power past 80% up to 85 or 90, and maybe even expand the 88 kWh usable up to like 92 or something. But as soon as it detects "too many" of those, it's back to the 88 max and 80% DCFC cliff.

Just one guess, anyway.

 

[radioactiveToys]

At this rate, I'll believe it when I see it. I will be pleasantly surprised if we all see the BlueCruise update before 2022.

 

[silverelan]

Starting at 19:02 he says "I am even considering: maybe I don't need to let you charge to 100% every day... I might even pull that back. say to you 'hey we advise you to charge to 80 or 90', and then I can even give you greater EPA range. I'm thinking about that but I've gotta know that customers are not gonna charge to 90 every day, 100 every day because if they did in that case they would damage their batteries over time".

So, while he did later say range improvements were coming that is clearly not assured and I don't think he meant to say it that way.

Guess we'll find out what he meant.

 

[MachE2021]

He also said that they might increase the usable percentage of the battery (reduce the buffer) if and when they can trust that owners won't charge their battery to 100% every day. Not sure how they'll ever be able to have trust in that.

Seems like they could include a software program that monitors when you’ve exceeded 90% threshold (of the full non-buffered battery) and then prevent you from exceeding it again for a certain # of days, like not for another week or two or whatever they think is necessary to protect the battery long term. That would let people get to 100% on infrequent occurrences when needed for a long trip while also preventing people from doing it on a regular basis.

 

[dbsb3233]

Seems like they could include a software program that monitors when you’ve exceeded 90% threshold (of the full non-buffered battery) and then prevent you from exceeding it again for a certain # of days, like not for another week or two or whatever they think is necessary to protect the battery long term. That would let people get to 100% on infrequent occurrences when needed for a long trip while also preventing people from doing it on a regular basis.

I wouldn't want the car ever not letting me get to the current 88 kWh 100%. But maybe you're thinking of a new extended 100% (like 92 kWh or something). That's what I was saying above. Active software that measures whether the battery has been treated favorably (allowing an extension) or not (no extension).

Same for faster and deeper DCFC charging.

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