hybrid2bev

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Ford Mustang Mach-E Tips For Storing Your Future Mach-E (Or When Not Driving Much) 1588337509411


The COVID-19 crisis means many of us are using our vehicles much less frequently, or in some cases not using them at all.

Owners of battery-powered vehicles might wonder how much charge they should keep in their batteries and whether their batteries will become depleted if their vehicle is not used and recharged regularly.

So we asked our battery expert Bob Taenaka, senior technical leader, Battery and Cell System Development, for some tips on how to keep an electrified vehicle in top condition while self-isolating.

Taenaka says, the most important thing is to make sure your 12-volt battery stays charged and that your high-voltage battery has adequate charge - 10 percent or more - to prevent it from potentially draining to zero percent. If you have driven and/or had your vehicle on plug for a total of at least 8 hours within the past month, the 12-volt battery should be adequately charged. For longer periods of time between driving, you should also take additional steps. We recommend you always consult your owner’s manual for specific instructions on “Vehicle Storage” for longer than 30 days.

If you’re storing your battery electric vehicle without plugging it in, Taenaka recommends keeping it at a state of charge between 10 percent and 80 percent. Ford hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles are designed to stay above a 10 percent state of charge during normal operation.

A high-voltage battery above 10 percent state of charge can go for more than six months without charging, but the 12-volt battery will drain much faster, especially when connected to the vehicle. If you do not plan to drive your electrified vehicle for longer than 30 days, Taenaka recommends following these steps for the sake of your 12-volt battery:

  1. Disconnect the negative terminal of the 12-volt battery if you are familiar with and comfortable doing so. If not, proceed to one of the following two approaches.
    1. If it is a plug-in hybrid or battery-electric vehicle, leave it on plug
    2. Connect your 12-volt battery to a standard 12-volt battery charger and leave it on a continuous slow charge
“If you are storing your vehicle for longer than 30 days without use, we recommend disconnecting the negative terminal of your 12-volt battery,” says Taenaka.“This avoids depletion and potential damage to the battery, which runs the internal systems such as heating -- without the need for monthly maintenance.”

If disconnecting the 12-volt battery, these details are important to know:

  • Be sure to have your key fob and digital owner’s manual (on your smartphone/tablet or through prints) with you outside of the vehicle, because you may need to use the physical key (inside the fob) to lock and unlock the vehicle, plus the owner’s manual will be handy for further reference
  • If the vehicle is in a locked garage and the 12-volt battery is in the trunk, leave the trunk open
  • Once you have disconnected 12-volt power, you can lock and unlock your vehicle with the physical key
  • And finally, if your 12-volt battery is in the trunk but you are not storing the vehicle in a locked garage, you will need another 12-volt source. Follow the “jump start” instructions in the owner’s manual to restore 12-volt power to the vehicle in order to reopen the trunk.
With warmer temperatures on the way, your vehicle and its batteries are designed to handle long-term storage outside in direct sunlight. Taenaka says that if you are experiencing extreme hot weather and the vehicle needs to be stored for more than 30 days, if practical for you, store your vehicle in a garage or in the shade to preserve battery capacity and extend its life span.

Always refer to your owner’s manual for important details about storing your vehicle and removing it from storage.



https://media.ford.com/content/ford...to-self-isolate-your-electrified-vehicle.html
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JamieGeek

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Also note to check your owner's manual about disconnecting the 12V battery.

As an example the Bolt has a procedure you have to go through in order to disconnect the 12V--you can't just "turn it off" at any time (I know because to tow the car behind an RV you have to disconnect the 12V battery so the computers don't freak out and engage the electric e-brake).

Its something like: Put in park, leave e-brake off, jump out, turn around, pat your head and tummy for 2 minutes with the hood open, disconnect battery, have a coffee, run away, etc.
 

SnBGC

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Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

Last fall our family took an extended vacation where we were away from home for about 3 weeks. I was a little concerned about the 12v batteries in our PHEV and BEV (C-Max Energi and Focus Electric). Before leaving for our trip....I pulled both cars into the garage and plugged them in. The C-Max on L1 and FFE on L2. Then I set Go-Times for each day. This had the net effect of 'waking up' the car once a day which also allowed the DC/DC converter to maintain the 12v battery. Worked great. Returned from vacation with two vehicles all ready to go.

One item worth mentioning......
I was unable to connect to either vehicle with my mobile app when we were across the pond. Upon return to the States....I was then able to see both vehicles on my app and enjoy full connectivity again. I expected the app would work when I was in Europe but it just said it was unavailable. I wonder if FordPass will have the same issue or if it will allow me to connect with the MME when I am outside of the U.S.? We all will see soon enough I guess...
 

JamieGeek

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Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

Last fall our family took an extended vacation where we were away from home for about 3 weeks. I was a little concerned about the 12v batteries in our PHEV and BEV (C-Max Energi and Focus Electric). Before leaving for our trip....I pulled both cars into the garage and plugged them in. The C-Max on L1 and FFE on L2. Then I set Go-Times for each day. This had the net effect of 'waking up' the car once a day which also allowed the DC/DC converter to maintain the 12v battery. Worked great. Returned from vacation with two vehicles all ready to go.

One item worth mentioning......
I was unable to connect to either vehicle with my mobile app when we were across the pond. Upon return to the States....I was then able to see both vehicles on my app and enjoy full connectivity again. I expected the app would work when I was in Europe but it just said it was unavailable. I wonder if FordPass will have the same issue or if it will allow me to connect with the MME when I am outside of the U.S.? We all will see soon enough I guess...
I used to do that with my Focus Electric whenever I was out of town...just let the Go Time fire it up every day. Never had an issue with it.
 

ChasingCoral

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I used to do that with my Focus Electric whenever I was out of town...just let the Go Time fire it up every day. Never had an issue with it.
You could probably just have it top up weekly, too.
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