Triggering Battery Preconditioning via Nav System

[WRSNH]

I have used a charger as a destination and waypoint and pre containing does work. I could see this in the energy usage as external temp creeping up and confirmed by car scanner. It does appear to start around 25/30km out. However, one thing I noticed is if you pick a charger that is 50kw or less it will not pre condition. Maybe it feels it doesn’t need to waste energy for small chargers. I have never experienced any slow charge rate at 50kw even in winter and without preconditioning. But I can also confirm that summer or winter if I don’t pre condition and arrive at a 150kw charger or higher I will only get 60 to 85kw rate. Precondition will run 130/160 right out of the gates.
One thing I wish chargers should show is the vehicle charge rate requested. Many folks think it is the charger broke, but I am sure half the time the vehicle is just not ready or conditioned to ask for the high rates. Hope that helps.

Great observations. Thank you.

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[Joneii]

The Tesla Supercharger may not be loaded in the Ford nav as a charger yet. Last time I passed one it did not show up with the charger symbol. Hopefully this is fixed soon so that folks can use the MagicDock and preconditioning.

 

[RickLightning]

I have used a charger as a destination and waypoint and pre containing does work. I could see this in the energy usage as external temp creeping up and confirmed by car scanner. It does appear to start around 25/30km out. However, one thing I noticed is if you pick a charger that is 50kw or less it will not pre condition. Maybe it feels it doesn’t need to waste energy for small chargers. I have never experienced any slow charge rate at 50kw even in winter and without preconditioning. But I can also confirm that summer or winter if I don’t pre condition and arrive at a 150kw charger or higher I will only get 60 to 85kw rate. Precondition will run 130/160 right out of the gates.
One thing I wish chargers should show is the vehicle charge rate requested. Many folks think it is the charger broke, but I am sure half the time the vehicle is just not ready or conditioned to ask for the high rates. Hope that helps.

I tested this back in February in the Mach-E. I saw battery temps climb, specifically to 73 degrees, starting 30km (18.6 miles) before the charger. All chargers were EA. Air temps were high 50s and up. Once I verified it worked, I did not continue to montior it.

I can also state that my experience with warmer weather charging, doesn't match yours, i.e. "if I don’t pre condition and arrive at a 150kw charger or higher I will only get 60 to 85kw rate." In fact, when I drove my truck from Missouri to Michigan back on 5/12, I saw great charging rates at EA chargers, and since my navigation died 1/2 way home the truck had no idea where I was, so no preconditioning happened. And, prior to the update providing this feature, my Mach-E over 2 years has had great charging rates in warm weather.

The newest EA chargers show the requested rate by the vehicle. You can also see it in CarScanner, along with the battery and coolant temps, which is the only way you know that the battery is preconditioning.

Since this update early this year, I have not had any chance to be driving in warm weather headed to a charger. Next trip I take I will monitor battery temp (whether it's in the Mach-E or the Lightning), and verify whether the system attempts to cool it or not. I suspect it won't, because normal driving should keep the battery at acceptable temperatures, but who knows.

 

[Zprime29]

I'll be road tripping to El Paso for July 4th, temps will be 100+. I can also see if the truck has to cool the battery.

From: https://blog.epectec.com/battery-charging-and-discharging-at-high-and-low-temperatures

"Nickel-based batteries undergo a circumstance where the heat tricks the charger into thinking that the battery is fully charged when it is not. This problem occurs due to the oxygen in the battery not being generated as much. With the lower oxygen level, the battery does not accept as much of a charge. So, charge acceptance becomes reduced at a rate that is based on the temperature. For example, if the temperature is at 113°F, then the battery may only charge up to 70% capacity."

The ambient air temp in this region can and does exceed this every year so I hope there is some cooling to prep the battery for DCFC.

 

[RickLightning]

I'll be road tripping to El Paso for July 4th, temps will be 100+. I can also see if the truck has to cool the battery.

From: https://blog.epectec.com/battery-charging-and-discharging-at-high-and-low-temperatures

"Nickel-based batteries undergo a circumstance where the heat tricks the charger into thinking that the battery is fully charged when it is not. This problem occurs due to the oxygen in the battery not being generated as much. With the lower oxygen level, the battery does not accept as much of a charge. So, charge acceptance becomes reduced at a rate that is based on the temperature. For example, if the temperature is at 113°F, then the battery may only charge up to 70% capacity."

The ambient air temp in this region can and does exceed this every year so I hope there is some cooling to prep the battery for DCFC.

That will be a good test.

Ideally, set a departure time, and check the battery temp before it starts, then after it's done preconditioning, then while you're driving, then when you get 18.6 miles from the charger.

 

[Nikos]

Waypoint should work as long as you can specifically select the charge station, not the address that happens to be the location of the station. Can you even do that? I haven’t tried.

When you plug in your nav points,( start point and end point), your truck will calculate your next stop where are chargers in the Ford network. Towing my camper to the coast of SC, requires that I make 2 stops for charging. I don't know if there is preconditioning for charging but after towing a 5K camper for 100 miles, the battery is already conditioned for a charge.
This is a question for Ford to answer and explain of what exactly happens.
The things that I have observed when charging my truck is that when I start charging on my trips, with or without a camper, the truck will open the cooling louvers, the fans will be on max speed while recharging. To me, the battery is preconditioned, and the truck is cooling down the battery during fast charging operation.

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