Battery preconditioning prior to DCFC - has anyone observed this working?

[Zprime29]

I don't have any empirical data to back this up but I have seen the battery temp gauge move when setting my destination in the ford nav to a DCFC.

This summer on a road trip when it was 100F out, the battery temp was well over the middle line. About 30 miles out from the charger the gauge started to slowly move towards the center and was at center when we pulled in to the EA station. This happened multiple times along the trip.

I also saw the same thing when traveling this past summer. I selected a fast charger from the Nav app and the battery temp went from far right of middle to the middle when I got there. I don't know what the "happy" range is for battery temp when preconditioning for DCFC. Would be interesting to start logging temps when we charge and come up with a crowd sourced range.

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[RickLightning]

I tried this on our recent ~800 mile trip, using the NAV for each charging stop, but saw no real signs that any pre-conditioning was happening. I also realize that temps were not 'low', at 55-75 degrees at various times/days... I also realize that while pre-condtioning sounds like a 'reasonable' expectation in order to provide more capable fast charging, I'm quite sure the drive TO the fast charger itself will WARM the battery quite effectively, regardless...

It's starting to feel like pre-condtioning is more for very COLD temp driving times, especially when not many miles have been traveled before expecting a Fast Charger to get up to maximum speed during charging.

I also saw the same thing when traveling this past summer. I selected a fast charger from the Nav app and the battery temp went from far right of middle to the middle when I got there. I don't know what the "happy" range is for battery temp when preconditioning for DCFC. Would be interesting to start logging temps when we charge and come up with a crowd sourced range.

Up front I will state that I haven't yet done this on my Lightning, just the Mach-E.

The Mach-E battery heated up to 77 degrees, which is the sweet spot for batteries. So clearly, if you're at 75 degrees it's not going to do anything.

This starts at 30km (18.6 miles) from the designated DC fast charger. The charger must be the next destination, and the symbol next to it of a charger must appear. It is believe that it also might cool in very hot temperatures. Edit - there was a belief that a recent update is going to lengthen this distance, but not yet confirmed.

As to driving warming the battery, that's a no. I watched with CarScanner after leaving home with the battery at 59 degrees (preconditioned with a departure time), and it dropped to the low 40s while driving on the highway at 70mph in 20 degree temps. After DC fast charging, battery was around 95 degrees. Immediately upon leaving, it started dropping, again to the 40s.

That said, some believe if you drive like an idiot, mashing the pedal, then slowing, then mashing, ... you heat up the battery for charging. Have fun with that...

Ideal battery temps are mid 70s as stated.

 

[Walle1jm]

You have to tell the nav you want to navigate to a charger, then select the charging location from the presented list. You can’t enter the address of the charger.

Maybe stating the obvious.

This is where others’ software like Tesla (disclaimer: I’ve never actually used, only seen in videos), seem to be ahead of things, especially ease of routing.

With the new Apple Maps integration, I wonder if the truck would know to precondition with the destination being a fast charger on Apple Maps or if it only works with the Ford navigation?

 

[Zprime29]

@RickLightning I think most people realize that mid 70's is the sweet spot, but I thought it would be interesting to know at what temperatures (high and low) that the battery will actually do something to precondition for DCFC. If nothing else, to just nerd out on some more numbers.

 

[RickLightning]

@RickLightning I think most people realize that mid 70's is the sweet spot, but I thought it would be interesting to know at what temperatures (high and low) that the battery will actually do something to precondition for DCFC. If nothing else, to just nerd out on some more numbers.

I can just tell you that with battery temps in the 40s it preheats. When I'm on a trip, I don't try a bunch of scenarios, we're heading somewhere and not spending time trying different things.

I also can say that if you turn the heat off, the battery then heats up faster. Also, Ford recommends that for the first 10 minutes or so of DC fast charging you turn the heat off.

 

[luebri]

With the new Apple Maps integration, I wonder if the truck would know to precondition with the destination being a fast charger on Apple Maps or if it only works with the Ford navigation?

Ford in one of its announcement did state that Apple Maps would not be able to trigger a Precondition for DCFC.

In my testing though I have been able to use both Apple Maps and Ford Nav simultaneously

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