UK Customers

[Smuddell]

I was born just up the road in Ramsgate so I'm familiar with UK weather. It's certainly different here but I've felt colder in Suffolk during a bleak, damp January day than I've felt here at -20.

To your first question: The car heats up immediately. An ice car here can take so long to start putting out heat on a frigid winter day here, it's just starting to get warm when I get home from the drive from work. Not the case with the Mach E. I got my FE in March so I got to see some -25F temps and was very happy pleased with the speed and amount of heat the car puts out. Quite frankly, the car gets too warm. I do wish we had the heated windscreens I'm used to in Europe, though, but with the fast cabin heating its not so big a deal to not have it.

As far as your second question, I'm still working on the best settings to use. I have a heated garage at home but park outdoors at work. So far the best for me is: manual mode with seat heat on Setting 1, back window and mirror heat on 1, cabin heat directed thru floor vents, and fan in manual mode with temp setting at 69 F. If I need a burst of heat for the windscreen or the cabin I manually select the manual defrost button on the lower panel down by the driver's knee. That puts out so much heat at such cyclonic speed that I usually only leave it on for a minute or so. I'll be tinkering for a while to get my final favorite climate config, but that will probably be thrown out the window the first time it hits -50c. Fortunately that's only for a few days every other winter.

I do wish they had used the same auto climate logic they used on my last two Fords. To my admittedly warm nature, the Mach E's auto climate was designed by an 85 year old lady with circulation problems who lives in Florida. (Apologies to all you 85 year old lady Mach E drivers).

BTW. I also use manual climate for the AC on those now long gone 30C summer days. Auto AC isn't cold enough for me.

I will be posting some in depth cold weather observations when real winter starts here.

That's great, very helpful, thank you! Down here in the tropical south east of the UK cold weather hasn't hit yet but I will remember your tips!

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[Tony.T]

any suggestions for fast charging points in or around Bath? Google is not showing much and I have a trip tomorrow.

@coolshades -Bit late seeing this but check on Zap Map and Plug share.

 

[davkd]

So just had a weird thing happen - I’m having one of my very rare days where I’m in the office rather than working from home, and a colleague messaged me to say “do you know your car boot is open?”.

Speedily made my way to parking area - and there she is - boot lid open and on display to the world!

I was working way too far away for it to be a pocket fob press - so lord knows how that happened. Have heard of these phantom opening events, it’s just a good job it’s sunny and dry today ?

If this carries on our insurance is going to go through the roof!

 

[BlackheathDiggs]

@coolshades -Bit late seeing this but check on Zap Map and Plug share.

Looks like two 50kW options according to Zap Map

(I’ve got a filter on here just for 50kW and faster)

 

[portlandg]

Seems that power up 1.7.1 is on it's way. Some of our friends in the US are reporting that they have received the OTA update.

Keep your eyes open peeps.

 

[SashaLondon]

Who is the first person who always gets the update? He can be our scout.

 

[Jonno21]

I've only just received 1.6.0

 

[David-HC]

Hi,

A quick thank-you to @Mopey and @Wonky_Donkey and all for their thoughts on the MME heating systems ?

Following these, I tried a few things yesterday and ..... I now have heating in the car ?? Not sure exactly how, but not complaining!

Just in time by the feel of it outside this morning ?

 

[David-HC]

So just had a weird thing happen - I’m having one of my very rare days where I’m in the office rather than working from home, and a colleague messaged me to say “do you know your car boot is open?”.

Speedily made my way to parking area - and there she is - boot lid open and on display to the world!

I was working way too far away for it to be a pocket fob press - so lord knows how that happened. Have heard of these phantom opening events, it’s just a good job it’s sunny and dry today ?

Hi @Wonky_Donkey

Out of interest, did you get a SecureAlert message at all?

It is a bit worrying .... I had the charge port door open by itself - hadn't been charging the car or anything for days prior to this and it was open one morning (not kids or anything like that!) ?

I guess that's the problem with software controlled locks ......

Cheers David

 

[Mercury8]

Hi Calum,
Saw you're post and interested in the piece on ChargePlace Scotland.
Can you help with some tips - sounds like you've had some (free) success with your MachE.
Have tried to use 4 separate units around Edinburgh with out success...I connect up following the instructions, blue light (next to the MachE input plug) goes on, wait and wait, then the same light goes red and the ChargePlace Scotland unit flags and error. Un-connect, repeat, same result, really frustrating.
Neither Ford or ChargePlace Scotland have been any use to resolve...ChargePlace Scotland say there are some "cards going out soon, so its free/PAYG for the meantime". I just can't connect, full stop!
All ears for any suggestions from your experience. Happy to pay just want to be able to successfully get any charge out!
Alun

Hi Alun

Yeah. I had a few problems with ChargePlace Scotland at first as well.

I’m in South Lanarkshire and I think I’ve been lucky that the chargers I use are free….for the moment.

I signed up just before the operators changed over to Swarco and I could never get the app to start a charge. I only got the red light once or twice though and that was just after the changeover.

Have you checked any reviews on Zap-Map or similar to see if there’s issues with the chargers?

It sounds like your having more severe problems than I had. May be the chargers aren’t connecting to the network.

Do you have Facebook? If so you can join Scottish EV Drivers Club. They’ve been very helpful to me and there’s someone on there who works for ChargePlace Scotland who may be able to check your account out.

Someone on the group was having the same issue with a Evolt charger in Hamilton. We’re you trying a eVolt charger? I’ve attached the guidance that was given to see if that helps in your situation.

 

[Mercury8]

Hi @Wonky_Donkey

Out of interest, did you get a SecureAlert message at all?

It is a bit worrying .... I had the charge port door open by itself - hadn't been charging the car or anything for days prior to this and it was open one morning (not kids or anything like that!) ?

I guess that's the problem with software controlled locks ......

Cheers David

Hi David

I suppose the only difference is the charge port door doesn’t have a lock on it. It can be opened whether the vehicle is locked or not…?‍

 

[Alungr]

Hi Alun

Yeah. I had a few problems with ChargePlace Scotland at first as well.

I’m in South Lanarkshire and I think I’ve been lucky that the chargers I use are free….for the moment.

I signed up just before the operators changed over to Swarco and I could never get the app to start a charge. I only got the red light once or twice though and that was just after the changeover.

Have you checked any reviews on Zap-Map or similar to see if there’s issues with the chargers?

It sounds like your having more severe problems than I had. May be the chargers aren’t connecting to the network.

Do you have Facebook? If so you can join Scottish EV Drivers Club. They’ve been very helpful to me and there’s someone on there who works for ChargePlace Scotland who may be able to check your account out.

Someone on the group was having the same issue with a Evolt charger in Hamilton. We’re you trying a eVolt charger? I’ve attached the guidance that was given to see if that helps in your situation.

Calum, thanks for such a helpful reply. Full of info and ideas to try. Prompted me to re-contact ChargePlace Scotland again...answered within 2 mins and customer service was very active (in comparison to last time...long wait, not helpful). They're re-set the account and going to send a new card. Alongside the tips above (can't recall if it was eVolt), service updated and new card hopefully charging success will improve. Not in Scotland for a while and able to test but will keep folk posted on any learns when I do. Also applied to the FaceBook forum you mentioned. Big thanks again.

 

[Smuddell]

Hi,

A quick thank-you to @Mopey and @Wonky_Donkey and all for their thoughts on the MME heating systems ?

Following these, I tried a few things yesterday and ..... I now have heating in the car ?? Not sure exactly how, but not complaining!

Just in time by the feel of it outside this morning ?

Yes, I also had a fiddle on the way to work this morning as it was the coldest morning so far, to start with whatever I did, cold air, but suddenly hey presto, I had heat! I'm still not quite sure how I did it so I'll have another fiddle tomorrow!

 

[stinky minky]

Ive got no heat!!
drove to work. Put the seat on and put the temp to 25 nothing. Seat got hot feet got cold
so I asked the car to increase the temperature to 29, again nothing . I think it was warmer outside than inside.

ford said it would be November before they can look at it.

am I wrong e heat needs to be off?

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

Hi @Wonky_Donkey

Out of interest, did you get a SecureAlert message at all?

It is a bit worrying .... I had the charge port door open by itself - hadn't been charging the car or anything for days prior to this and it was open one morning (not kids or anything like that!) ?

I guess that's the problem with software controlled locks ......

Cheers David

I didn’t have SecuriAlert turned on at the time, but I’ve enabled it now so that if it happens again I’ll get notified asap.

I’ve had the car nearly 5 months and this is the first time anything weird like this has happened - I’m putting it down to a one off glitch or some kind of a “fob fumble“ while I was walking away.

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