The electric “gas can” is here!

[dbsb3233]

Serious question - you don't get the alerts telling you this? I get text messages telling me when my 2013 Energi is home and not plugged in - "your scheduled charge is set to begin soon and your vehicle is unplugged" or some such. It actually saved me literally last night, when I got home with zero charge left, had stuff to bring in, and didn't plug in - about 20 minutes later, I was told "hey idiot, plug in".

Glad to hear that already exists. I was assuming it probably did as it should be pretty ubiquitous these days. The phone app should just be able to remind us with an alarm of some time when the car falls below X%. Whether by txt msg, or a repeating/snoozable phone alert, or whatever. Should be pretty basic stuff these days. Especially for a constantly-connected car like the Mach-e.

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[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Glad to hear that already exists. I was assuming it probably did as it should be pretty ubiquitous these days. The phone app should just be able to remind us with an alarm of some time when the car falls below X%. Whether by txt msg, or a repeating/snoozable phone alert, or whatever. Should be pretty basic stuff these days. Especially for a constantly-connected car like the Mach-e.

I'm actually hoping there will be an official API of some sort so that even if this isn't there day one, it would be easy for a third party to implement. It really just needs three things to be exposed:

1. The car's current location
2. The car's current charge level
3. The car's current plug state

All of that is actually available in MFM today although it was never documented as an API, just as an app and web site. The (undocumented) API was actually pretty easy to work with for these types of things, easy enough that at least one third-party MFM implementation exists. (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/unofficial-myford-mobile/9wzdncrdlvb1?activetab=pivot:overviewtab)

Of course Ford doing it would be better, but I'd still want the API either way.

 

[jhalkias]

Serious question - you don't get the alerts telling you this? I get text messages telling me when my 2013 Energi is home and not plugged in - "your scheduled charge is set to begin soon and your vehicle is unplugged" or some such. It actually saved me literally last night, when I got home with zero charge left, had stuff to bring in, and didn't plug in - about 20 minutes later, I was told "hey idiot, plug in".

So . . . It’s my wife’s car. I seldom drive it, and she has an aversion to tech - unlike me. Are you using that other clunky Ford EV app? I am supposing you set the settings for that in the app. She would never do that, and like I said I don’t drive it enough to set everything up. I just make sure it is plugged in every time I am in the garage. Even if she got the alert she would tell me to go and plug it in.

 

[SnBGC]

I would like to see vehicle to vehicle charging. I think Rivian has that planned.

 

[tomterky]

I am very interested to see how the charges handle in the extreme cold. Here in Minnesota the last couple winters, we have had temperatures near -20 degrees F for a stretch of 5 or more days. And that is before windchill is added. I know that every night whether I need a charge or not, I will be plugging it in. It will be interesting to see how the preheating will work and how much of the actual energy it uses and how quickly the batteries drain with these temperatures.

A product like listed above could help if the battery ends up draining just to keep the heat running until help arrives. Which during a blizzard day and bad traffic, could take hours.

 

[GregM]

Love this idea for AAA and other roadside assistance services...could also be cool for AirBnB or other hospitality places that cant put in chargers...

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

So . . . It’s my wife’s car. I seldom drive it, and she has an aversion to tech - unlike me. Are you using that other clunky Ford EV app? I am supposing you set the settings for that in the app. She would never do that, and like I said I don’t drive it enough to set everything up. I just make sure it is plugged in every time I am in the garage. Even if she got the alert she would tell me to go and plug it in.

I honestly don't remember what I did to set it up. It may have just been telling the nav my home address and setting my SMS preferences (app or web site). The app and the web site are basically equivalent from that viewpoint. (The app will do push notifications but I don't have them turned on.)

 

[dtbaker61]

This is really cool. Neat seeing a young entrepreneur come up with an idea like this, get it funded, and make it a reality. Who else wants one of these in their hatch or in the garage? (Afraid to find out how much it costs though)

This looks like a spectacularly useless accessory. By it's size, how many kWhr capacity is it? 2 maybe? That would get you 6 miles. We're going to have to have tow trucks with on board generators or 'buck up' charge controllers running directly off their alternators to 'jump charge' an EV with a 300+volt battery pack.

 

[dtbaker61]

Yep, even with no excuse, it can still happen. I'm guessing/hoping phone app reminders will be added if they're not already. I want to be able to set a car and phone "bug" reminder if I begin to exit the car below X%. Probably set mine at 40%, to charge up to 80% those nights.

Tim, you may want to change your habits, and plug in EVERY time you are parked in garage.... don't wait for 40%. Lithium likes to be charged and it's much better to keep pack above 50% for longest life with most cycles.

 

[dbsb3233]

Tim, you may want to change your habits, and plug in EVERY time you are parked in garage.... don't wait for 40%. Lithium likes to be charged and it's much better to keep pack above 50% for longest life with most cycles.

I might. I still need to do a little more research on what's best for the batteries.

For instance, we often hear battery life expressed in "# of charge cycles". But I've yet to see that clarified as to whether it really refers to the # of charges, or the total # of kWh that goes back and forth. In other words, is 2000 25 kWh charges really any better/worse than 1000 50 kWh charges? Or are they both equally as good/bad on the battery?

 

[dtbaker61]

I might. I still need to do a little more research on what's best for the batteries.

For instance, we often hear battery life expressed in "# of charge cycles". But I've yet to see that clarified as to whether it really refers to the # of charges, or the total # of kWh that goes back and forth. In other words, is 2000 25 kWh charges really any better/worse than 1000 50 kWh charges? Or are they both equally as good/bad on the battery?

lithium batteries do better with more shallow charge cycles than fewer deep ones. It's a little complex to explain, but when you exceed 70% DepthOfDischarge with lithium, voltage starts dropping a little and sagging under load, which drives up current, which increases the (small) amount of 'plating' or transfer of lithium from anode to cathode., which reduces battery capacity.... or 'useful life'

you also run the risk of 'emptying' whatever cell in the entire pack is the weakest; if this happens when under load, it reverses polarity of the cell, fuses across anode/cathode, and you lose that amount of capacity forever. Lithium batteries do not 'recover' if they ever run to empty. The pack voltage will then decrease by one cell, which drives current up, which accelerates plating and reduces capacity further.

you really want to charge lithium every chance you get rather than run them down.

 

[zhackwyatt]

lithium batteries do better with more shallow charge cycles than fewer deep ones. It's a little complex to explain, but when you exceed 70% DepthOfDischarge with lithium, voltage starts dropping a little and sagging under load, which drives up current, which increases the (small) amount of 'plating' or transfer of lithium from anode to cathode., which reduces battery capacity.... or 'useful life'

you also run the risk of 'emptying' whatever cell in the entire pack is the weakest; if this happens when under load, it reverses polarity of the cell, fuses across anode/cathode, and you lose that amount of capacity forever. Lithium batteries do not 'recover' if they ever run to empty. The pack voltage will then decrease by one cell, which drives current up, which accelerates plating and reduces capacity further.

you really want to charge lithium every chance you get rather than run them down.

Which brings up an interesting question. How are the individual cells handled. If my pack is at 50% are all the cells at 50% or is it all over the place at different levels?

 

[ChasingCoral]

This looks like a spectacularly useless accessory. By it's size, how many kWhr capacity is it? 2 maybe? That would get you 6 miles. We're going to have to have tow trucks with on board generators or 'buck up' charge controllers running directly off their alternators to 'jump charge' an EV with a 300+volt battery pack.

3.5 kWh per module, so the capacity depends on the number of modules in the stack, up to 5 modules, 17.5 kWh. It's actually a great concept as is can be carried in a courtesy car, not requiring a full tow truck with generator. Options are good.

 

[dtbaker61]

Which brings up an interesting question. How are the individual cells handled. If my pack is at 50% are all the cells at 50% or is it all over the place at different levels?

individual cells are configured in chunks of parallel and series sub-packs, with the BMS watching voltages, temps, etc to *try* and keep cell voltages 'balanced'.... especially at end of charge cycles to make sure no cells go over-voltage at end of charge.

over time, internal resistance cell-to-cell changes, they develop slightly different capacity, and while the 'top' can be balanced, the 'bottom' gets a little more ragged over time. A good BMS typically protects the user from over discharge by levels of warnings and controls to limit use and even signal the Controller to switch to 'limp home' mode to reduce output current and shut down before damage can be done.

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