Poll: How full do you plan on charging your Mach E on a regular basis?

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The battery likes to stay around 50% as much as possible, not under, not over. I don't think it really matters how often you charge. So if you stay as much as possible at 50% you'll have an exceptionally maintained battery. Now, your needs will require deviating from that 50, so maybe staying between 40% and 60% gives you enough range for your needs -- or 30 and 70%.

The battery can't like anything. It can only charge or deplete. I suggest waiting till you get the manual to see what Ford recommends. For now, you should consider Tesla's recommendations. They say that you should limit charging to 90% (unless you are about to go on a long trip). They also recommend plugging in frequently and keeping it plugged, when not in use.

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So the manual says:
Allowing your battery to cool before charging and setting the maximum state of charge to 90% for everyday usage improves longevity of your high voltage battery.
and
When you park your vehicle for an extended period of 30 days or more, we recommend your battery be at an approximately 50% state of charge. Storing your vehicle's high voltage battery at higher states of charge is less favorable than storing at lower states of charge.

 

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So the manual says:
Allowing your battery to cool before charging and setting the maximum state of charge to 90% for everyday usage improves longevity of your high voltage battery.
and
When you park your vehicle for an extended period of 30 days or more, we recommend your battery be at an approximately 50% state of charge. Storing your vehicle's high voltage battery at higher states of charge is less favorable than storing at lower states of charge.

I initially posted this without any comments for the simple reason that I wanted the Ford's recommendation sink in. Here is what I think it means in practical terms:

• In normal day to day operation, limit charging to 90%. If you want to limit it to 80% or even 70%, it's not necessary, but not harmful.
• Occasionally charging to 100% just before a long trip is ok.
• Use DC charging sparingly, and only when you need to. DC charging is is for freeway driving, not for a Blizzard run to DQ.
• Plug in on a regular basis, to let the car maintain state of charge.
• When it's hot, schedule charging later in the evening, to let it charge when it's just a little bit cooler. I plan to set summertime charging for midnight, even though my time of use pricing begins at 8:00 PM.
• If you are planning to be away for a month or more, limit charging to 50% and leave it plugged in, to allow the car to maintain state of charge. This may be a challenge for those with multiple plug-in vehicles, but they should be able to make use of their L1 chargers. Ford actually recommends to drive around until state of charge is around 50% in such case.
• Personally, I plan to make use of any free charging opportunity, but only when ambient temperature is under 100°.
• Remember that the battery will degrade over time, no matter what you do, so don't drive yourself crazy.

 

[JamieGeek]

I initially posted this without any comments for the simple reason that I wanted the Ford's recommendation sink in. Here is what I think it means in practical terms:

• In normal day to day operation, limit charging to 90%. If you want to limit it to 80% or even 70%, it's not necessary, but not harmful.
• Occasionally charging to 100% just before a long trip is ok.
• Use DC charging sparingly, and only when you need to. DC charging is is for freeway driving, not for a Blizzard run to DQ.
• Plug in on a regular basis, to let the car maintain state of charge.
• When it's hot, schedule charging later in the evening, to let it charge when it's just a little bit cooler. I plan to set summertime charging for midnight, even though my time of use pricing begins at 8:00 PM.
• If you are planning to be away for a month or more, limit charging to 50% and leave it plugged in, to allow the car to maintain state of charge. This may be a challenge for those with multiple plug-in vehicles, but they should be able to make use of their L1 chargers. Ford actually recommends to drive around until state of charge is around 50% in such case.
• Personally, I plan to make use of any free charging opportunity, but only when ambient temperature is under 100°.
• Remember that the battery will degrade over time, no matter what you do, so don't drive yourself crazy.

Actually: If you use the departure times the car will automatically calculate when to start charging such that its at the desired charge level at the departure time. (At least this is how the Focus Electric worked; checking the owner's manual to see if its described in there.... Ah yeah this is hinted at here:

)

This would be the optimal way to go: The car will sit, cooling, and only start charging sometime during the night. You'll get the maximum wait time before charging.

Thus you can simply plug it in every night and not worry that it will start charging immediately.

 

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If you use the departure times the car will automatically calculate when to start charging such that its at the desired charge level at the departure time.

This will also work for many. Assuming you have a degree of certainty about your departure time. In my case, the typical departure time could vary by several hours. Also, where I live and parking in the garage, using start charger time is simpler.

 

[engnrng]

Awesome replies, @zhackwyatt, @JamieGeek, @timbop, and @dbsb3233. Very helpful! Thanks!

One more thought, bellyer. If your battery can retain 90% of original capacity at 200,000 miles (a common experience with Tesla), and you are driving less than 3000 miles per year, why are you trying so hard to extend your battery life past the next 70 years? My personal recommendation: charge your Mach-E once a week to 90% so you always have a nearly "full tank", enjoy the car and find something else to spend your worry time on - like replacing your tires every 6 to 10 years regardless of tread (look for sidewall cracks during your annual safety inspections!).

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