Peter P
Well-known member
- First Name
- Peter
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- Jan 8, 2020
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- Fort Lauderdale
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- 2019 Ranger XLT
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Saw this great writeup and discussion at sister site macheforum.com
All credit goes to @mach-lee
______________________
As most of the US will be baked with a heat wave of 100ºF+ temps in the next few days, it's important to remember a few tips for battery health:
If you have poor connections or faulty charging equipment, it will show up in the heat. Charging errors should be investigated. Feel all cords and plugs for hotness after the car has been charging a while. Anything hot enough to burn you is a red flag. Bad connections may be solved by replacing faulty receptacles, plugs, the charging port, J1772 handle, or the EVSE itself depending on the problem.
The Mach-E was designed to handle the Arizona heat (≤122ºF) provided some pack cooling precautions are taken such as plugging in. You will see a warning about plugging in during extreme temps. Keeping the pack cooler will prolong its life. The battery cells prefer a temperature range similar to humans, around 75ºF is optimal.
Avoid charging during peak demand/heat during the day (unless you have solar), 4-7 PM is the worst possible time to charge during a heat wave because that's when the electrical grid is already at its limits with A/C loads. Charging during peak demand puts more stress on the grid and costs the most money. It's important to understand that electricity used during a peak time may cost your utility 100x more than the normal rate. Therefore it's important that everyone with an EV tries to charge at night when power is cheap and abundant, otherwise the costs will be passed on to us in the form of rate hikes. This applies even if you have a fixed kWh rate all day long, your fixed rate will increase if too many people in your city charge their EVs at the wrong times regardless of rate structure. Overloading and overheating your neighborhood transformer may also be a concern charging at a peak time. Allowing the pack to rest for several hours after driving and charging when the temps are cooler outside is better for the pack as well.
Other tips/tricks are welcome.
All credit goes to @mach-lee
______________________
As most of the US will be baked with a heat wave of 100ºF+ temps in the next few days, it's important to remember a few tips for battery health:
- Set a charge schedule so your car only charges at night (10 PM - 8 AM recommended), do not charge during the heat of the day.
- Keep battery charged between 15-85%, do not charge to 100% unless absolutely necessary. Very high or low charge levels put more stress on the pack in extreme heat.
- Park in the shade as much as possible. I recommend window shades or ceramic tint.
- Consider leaving the vehicle on while you go into a store (take all keys with you and be sure the doors lock). Vehicle will not shift from park without a key present, and will shut off after 30 minutes.
- Plug in as soon as you arrive at your destination so the battery pack can cool itself with shore power if necessary.
- Ventilate your garage in hot weather so the heat can escape rather than building up inside, especially while charging. Charge outside if temps are cooler.
- If you leave at a regular time, set a departure time (different than remote start) so your battery pack can cool before driving.
- Departure time cools the battery pack, unlike remote start which is focused on cabin cooling.
- Drive conservatively, using less regen is advised in hot weather to reduce pack heating (Whisper mode uses less regen).
- Avoid DC fast charging if possible.
- Consider reducing your EVSE charge rate setting to 32A or less to reduce charger heat load if you desire less fan noise or have charging errors.
- Do not set climate temp below 70ºF and use recirculation mode in extreme heat/humidity to reduce cabin cooling demand (leaves more capacity for pack cooling).
- Expect that your Ford Mobile Charger may start to have charging issues (amber light) in the heat due to a poor thermal design, using an aftermarket wall-mounted EVSE is recommended.
- Some features may be unavailable (BlueCruise) and performance may be limited in extreme temps.
If you have poor connections or faulty charging equipment, it will show up in the heat. Charging errors should be investigated. Feel all cords and plugs for hotness after the car has been charging a while. Anything hot enough to burn you is a red flag. Bad connections may be solved by replacing faulty receptacles, plugs, the charging port, J1772 handle, or the EVSE itself depending on the problem.
The Mach-E was designed to handle the Arizona heat (≤122ºF) provided some pack cooling precautions are taken such as plugging in. You will see a warning about plugging in during extreme temps. Keeping the pack cooler will prolong its life. The battery cells prefer a temperature range similar to humans, around 75ºF is optimal.
Avoid charging during peak demand/heat during the day (unless you have solar), 4-7 PM is the worst possible time to charge during a heat wave because that's when the electrical grid is already at its limits with A/C loads. Charging during peak demand puts more stress on the grid and costs the most money. It's important to understand that electricity used during a peak time may cost your utility 100x more than the normal rate. Therefore it's important that everyone with an EV tries to charge at night when power is cheap and abundant, otherwise the costs will be passed on to us in the form of rate hikes. This applies even if you have a fixed kWh rate all day long, your fixed rate will increase if too many people in your city charge their EVs at the wrong times regardless of rate structure. Overloading and overheating your neighborhood transformer may also be a concern charging at a peak time. Allowing the pack to rest for several hours after driving and charging when the temps are cooler outside is better for the pack as well.
Other tips/tricks are welcome.
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