2.5 Hours around town at -35F - Some Statistics

[Bandit216]

It's been a bit brisk around here for the last month, so I thought I might share a little battery and temp info driving the Lightning around town during extreme conditions.

The Basics: 22 Lightning Lariat, extended range battery, 12v battery replaced 15 Nov 25.

Start: 0920. 60 degrees F in a Heated Garage, Level 2 plugged in with departure time set. I normally don't use departure times in a heated garage, but I forgot I had it set. HVB Charge 90% and 114.1 kWh available. HVB Battery Temp 59 F.

1st Stop: 0935. After 15 minutes driving

Stop 2: 1205. Includes 75 minutes "Idling" + 30 minutes driving

So: 2.5 Hours Total Runtime. 41.1 kWh Used. (50 minutes driving + 100 minutes parked but left "running" with interior heat in manual mode, set to 73 degrees, fan speed 2, with windshield heat and footwell heat on. Seat Heat and Steering Wheel heat low) . As you can see the HVB battery does appear to get below 32 degrees however, I'm not sure where that sensor is actually located. As it isn't an LFP battery, super cold has never presented problems even when cold soaked outdoors at extreme temps. My battery is still showing 98% SOH after 4 years.

I normally don't recommend leaving a vehicle running unattended due to theft concerns, but at -35F the interior will cool down very quickly and be difficult to fully regain a nice comfort level when competing with the battery's needs. I do turn off the lights, put the center screen in sleep mode by pressing and holding the volume bezel, and I put a towel across the drivers display. Without any exhaust to tip off the bad guys, they are going to be focusing on all the idling ICE (pun intended) vehicles that are telegraphing their "please steal me" status by belching clouds of exhaust.

I typically pay little attention to the "This Journey" miles per kWh indicator at extreme cold temps because it basically always sits at 1.2 for most of the winter. This is because the inline coolant heater always runs at near max temp since it is continuously heating the battery and the cabin.

The attached images are from the Car Scanner App pages I built using their included interface.

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[chriserx]

Very nice to see how the trucks technicals work.

I normally don't use departure times in a heated garage, but I forgot I had it set.

Weird conflicting statement, but I'll assume the truck isn't normally in the garage.

 

[PJnc284]

-35F? I'm cold just reading that. Supposed to be 19 here Thursday night and that's too darn cold for me.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Nice report!!!

Next time you have a chance to repeat this, try lowering the cabin temp to minimum tolerable, I wonder if that would help divert more heat energy to the HVB and reflect on the sensors you're monitoring.

 

[jamelski]

if it’s -35 outside and your truck heater is set to 73. Seems too high why not go 60 or max 65. That would still put out heat compared to outside temp.

I can’t stand my heater higher than 69 when it’s 35-55 outside. Maybe it’s just me

 

[FloridaMan655321]

if it’s -35 outside and your truck heater is set to 73. Seems too high why not go 60 or max 65. That would still put out heat compared to outside temp.

I can’t stand my heater higher than 69 when it’s 35-55 outside. Maybe it’s just me

He had it on fan speed 2, so probably not keeping it anywhere close to 73f. I used to do the same thing when I lived in the cold climate, just have the fan on low with the heat turned up, but in reality the cabin was probably around 60f. I mean, you have a hat and jacket on, you can't really keep it much higher.

 

[Bandit216]

Yes, I had it set to 73F, but, as you can see above, the cabin never got above 70F. I've found, that to keep the windshield mostly fog free, you need to set the temp higher to ensure the warm air reaches the upper part of the windshield. I never use 'Auto' in extreme cold, or set the Fan speed above 3, because when using Auto and the defrost comes or when using a high fan speed the system will pull in cooler air from outside the cabin to ensure adequate flow, and at -35F you will likely never regain the same warm cabin.

At tropical temps of 0F and above, I do typically set the cabin at 68-69 and the interior stays very comfortable. For those from normal environments, a world at -30-50F, like it was for the last month, is an entirely different ball game.

 

[B177y]

How did you get a graphic display on the center screen with Carscanner? I have Carscanner on Android and I can only get text displays of the PIDs through Android Auto on the car display.

 

[PJnc284]

How did you get a graphic display on the center screen with Carscanner? I have Carscanner on Android and I can only get text displays of the PIDs through Android Auto on the car display.

You need one of those fancy boxes to mirror your phone instead of going through AA or Carplay.

 

[Lytning]

You need one of those fancy boxes to mirror your phone instead of going through AA or Carplay.

Nice display!
Can you tell us which fancy box you are using?

 

[Maxx]

Yes, I had it set to 73F, but, as you can see above, the cabin never got above 70F. I've found, that to keep the windshield mostly fog free, you need to set the temp higher to ensure the warm air reaches the upper part of the windshield. I never use 'Auto' in extreme cold, or set the Fan speed above 3, because when using Auto and the defrost comes or when using a high fan speed the system will pull in cooler air from outside the cabin to ensure adequate flow, and at -35F you will likely never regain the same warm cabin.

At tropical temps of 0F and above, I do typically set the cabin at 68-69 and the interior stays very comfortable. For those from normal environments, a world at -30-50F, like it was for the last month, is an entirely different ball game.

I remember once in Toronto, my eyeballs froze walking from my car to the door and i think it was only in low teens. I wouldn’t have a clue how to handle -50F temp. Aug is the time I would visit Alaska. A few hours of night time and lots of heat, works very nicely for me. Those large mosquitoes, not so much.

 

[Bandit216]

Nice display!
Can you tell us which fancy box you are using?

How did you get a graphic display on the center screen with Carscanner? I have Carscanner on Android and I can only get text displays of the PIDs through Android Auto on the car display.

This is the box I am currently using:

ATOTOOUT Magic Box - AI Box CarPlay & Android Auto Wireless, 8GB+128GB Android Car Video Box with Built-in 4G/ Wi-Fi/Dual Bluetooth/USB, Built-in GPS & AI, microSD Playback, OTA, Black, CB6D

It's not as a big as it looks in this image - a little less than palm-sized. It plugs into the port in the little compartment at the top of the console and you can close the lid with this and multiple sets of sunglasses sharing the compartment.

It is currently available on Amazon for $179.99. Not cheap, but I've tried other less expensive standalone boxes, and they have had have various, quirks that I found unacceptable. The one I reference is nice because it has standalone Android in addition to Carplay and Android Auto. So, it is basically a $180 android phone. It takes it's own Sim so it has it's own data source, if you want.

I find these standalone boxes preferable to auto-linking my standard Android phone. Plus with a device like this you are not bound by some of the silly "this button doesn't work because the car is moving" restrictions that Android Auto has.

 

[Bandit216]

I remember once in Toronto, my eyeballs froze walking from my car to the door and i think it was only in low teens. I wouldn’t have a clue how to handle -50F temp. Aug is the time I would visit Alaska. A few hours of night time and lots of heat, works very nicely for me. Those large mosquitoes, not so much.

August is typically very gray and damp here in AK. I recommend June and September if you are playing the weather odds. Of course, many of the tourist sites are closed after mid Sept.

By the way, while the charging situation between the Canadian border and Fairbanks and Anchorage is currently very limited, the road between Fairbanks and Anchorage thru Denali Park now has Tesla Superchargers every 90 miles or so.

 

[Maxx]

August is typically very gray and damp here in AK. I recommend June and September if you are playing the weather odds. Of course, many of the tourist sites are closed after mid Sept.

By the way, while the charging situation between the Canadian border and Fairbanks and Anchorage is currently very limited, the road between Fairbanks and Anchorage thru Denali Park now has Tesla Superchargers every 90 miles or so.

Thanks for the tips.

Last time I was there, it was more than 3 decades ago. Went with a local friend from Delta Junction. I remember, everyone had already married everyone else in town so all combinations were exhausted. To top it all off, we were getting all the gossip from an interesting old dude with only a few teeth remaining that apparently had to be exposed while talking to us because his doctor said he “had to get some air”.

The other thing I remember was going on a hike on a glacier/mountain. We got to the top,. And next thing I know, I am looking at barrels of a machine gun off of side of a Blackhawk pointing at me. I am super lucky folks back then were not as trigger happy. Now I always look at the map before going on a hike.

there is a lot more I needed therapy for on that trip but I am already going off topic.

 

[chl]

-35F? I'm cold just reading that. Supposed to be 19 here Thursday night and that's too darn cold for me.

Why I don't live in Alaska!

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