Best Practices For Feeding (Charging) and Caring of Our New Lightnings

[Sdctcher]

I think it would be helpful to start a new discussion. Take your minds off waiting for that all-important email from Ford.

Although your new truck will probably not arrive for maybe 5 months we need to prepare our minds and habits to give it the loving care it deserves.

It is not just a truck. It is the pairing of an iPad and an F150 Truck. It is a Giant Battery on Wheels. It is both Smart and Dumb. It will respond to your care.

We all have experience trying to figure out when to charge our iPhones. Cold Weather? More often. Streaming a Movie? More often. Conditions and Habits will dictate maximum value.

It is time for all you Mach Es (and Teslas and Others) to show off what you have learned to maximize battery life and mileage.

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[sotek2345]

We haven't had our Mach-e long, but I will share what I can.

1) Preconditioning is key, especially when it is cold out. If you don't, you will lose a.lot.of range whole the battery heats up. If you need max range, reduce cabin heat and rely more on the seat and steering wheel heaters (if you have them).

2) having an L2 charger at home is key - set you max charge to whatever Ford recommends (90 percent for the Mach-e) and keep it changed.

3) EVs heat up much faster than ICE vehicles, which is nice for quick trips in the winter.

4) Don't focus too much on the Guessometer range indicated. It is pessimistic and will just stress you out.

5) No break in period for EVs except bedding the brakes - so have fun!

6) make sure you break a little aggressively now and then (to use the friction brakes) to keep rust off of them.

Edit: great thread idea

 

[Sdctcher]

Every Electrical Device in My Lightning Draws Amps - Lightning has No Alternator to Charge the 12v Battery that Normal Trucks Draw from the ICE.

I Wonder What Effect the Following Will have on Maximum Distance....

What Effect - Headlights?
What Effect - Truck Surfaces (Wax vs Dirt?) Less Turbulence - Tonneau Cover/Open Tailgate?
What Effect - AT vs AS Tires?
What Effect - Hot Weather - Open Windows/Moonroof/Back Window vs AC? Strip to T-Shirt/Halter Top?
What Effect - Cold Weather - Seat Heating vs Cabin Heater? Does a Higher/Lower Set Temperature Matter?
What Effect - Best Way to L1/L2 Precondition Battery? Always on Charger? Low Amp Charge vs Trickle Charge?
What Effect - Vehicle Cargo Weight? Buy Light Groceries? Leave the Kids and Dog Home? Have Mom/Dad Lose Weight?
What Effect - Entertainment Center Amp Draw? Use of iPhone Hot Spot Draw Less Power?
What Effect - Best Way to Max Out Regenerative Braking?
What Effect - Headwinds/Tailwinds?
What Effect - Massage Seats?
What Effect - Battery Loves a Ambient Temperature of __F to __F?
What Effect - Moonroof? Open or Closed?
What Effect - Can You Believe What Ford Tells You About the Closest Charge Station as You Run Out?
What Effect - Do Drive Assist Devices Use Much Power (Co-Pilot, Cameras, Etc.)?

I am not as anal as a Hypermiler but I want to know every trick possible if I am 10 miles from a charge station and my Lightning says I have 5 miles left. I want to know how much using each trick will actually mean more miles in real life conditions.

 

[Maquis]

For preconditioning, L2 is almost a must. L1 supplies less power than the E-heat uses to precondition.

 

[sotek2345]

Every Electrical Device in My Lightning Draws Amps - Lightning has No Alternator to Charge the 12v Battery that Normal Trucks Draw from the ICE.

I Wonder What Effect the Following Will have on Maximum Distance....

What Effect - Headlights?
What Effect - Truck Surfaces (Wax vs Dirt?) Less Turbulence - Tonneau Cover/Open Tailgate?
What Effect - AT vs AS Tires?
What Effect - Hot Weather - Open Windows/Moonroof/Back Window vs AC? Strip to T-Shirt/Halter Top?
What Effect - Cold Weather - Seat Heating vs Cabin Heater? Does a Higher/Lower Set Temperature Matter?
What Effect - Best Way to L1/L2 Precondition Battery? Always on Charger? Low Amp Charge vs Trickle Charge?
What Effect - Vehicle Cargo Weight? Buy Light Groceries? Leave the Kids and Dog Home? Have Mom/Dad Lose Weight?
What Effect - Entertainment Center Amp Draw? Use of iPhone Hot Spot Draw Less Power?
What Effect - Best Way to Max Out Regenerative Braking?
What Effect - Headwinds/Tailwinds?
What Effect - Massage Seats?
What Effect - Battery Loves a Ambient Temperature of __F to __F?
What Effect - Moonroof? Open or Closed?
What Effect - Can You Believe What Ford Tells You About the Closest Charge Station as You Run Out?
What Effect - Do Drive Assist Devices Use Much Power (Co-Pilot, Cameras, Etc.)?

I am not as anal as a Hypermiler but I want to know every trick possible if I am 10 miles from a charge station and my Lightning says I have 5 miles left. I want to know how much using each trick will actually mean more miles in real life conditions.

For all of the electrical draws you voted, you can basically ignore them, those loads are TINY compared to driving and the size of the battery. You are talking a few hundred watts for everything which will take hundreds of hours to drain the battery. AC won't take much either, but the cabin and battery heater can take quite a bit of power. Better to keep the temp lower and use the seat and steering wheel heaters (much lower power).

Any increase in drag is going to have a big impact as speeds increase (rule of thumb cutoff is 35 to 40 mph use the AC I stead of opening a window for max efficiency.

If you need to stretch range the absolute number one thing you can do is slow down. If it is cold out, you can also lower the cabin temp a bit, but dropping 10 mph will save you more energy.

 

[adoublee]

I'll bite on this.

Many people's intuition is that one-pedal driving modes will increase driving efficiency because "all braking is regenerative". The truth is that regen is not 100% efficient at recapturing energy and "constant regen braking when not accelerating" prevents benefits of coasting where no energy is expended to start with. One pedal driving should be thought of as a great comfort feature, especially in stop and go traffic where the foot does not have to travel back and forth between brake and accelerator.

What I am wanting to learn more about the Lightning is if using the brake pedal is a blend of regen for light braking and friction brakes are for rapid/emergency braking. In fact brake feel might be my biggest concern based on my test drive of a Mach E, which is to forceful early in the press travel. One-pedal driving helps take care of this but forces the driver into a less efficient drive mode.

My 2nd generation Nissan Leaf has a satisfying manual selector to toggle between one-pedal (regen brake with no accelerator) and normal/coasting drive mode, located right in the area where hand rests while driving. While the vehicle has blended regen built into the brake pedal, it is satisfying to throw it into one-pedal when getting off the freeway - one because you know all momentum is going into regen but also as a bit of a game of timing it to slow/stop at the proper distance. Alternatively, Niro EV has paddle shifters that have to be adjusted on every drive, requires multiple presses to get from zero always-regen to one-pedal regen with appropriate stopping force - significantly worse experience. So implementation is key and I hope Ford is continuously improving in this category and maybe even implements some user programmability.

Has there been any word on blended braking for Lightning?

 

[stimpy]

I'll bite on this.

Many people's intuition is that one-pedal driving modes will increase driving efficiency because "all braking is regenerative". The truth is that regen is not 100% efficient at recapturing energy and "constant regen braking when not accelerating" prevents benefits of coasting where no energy is expended to start with. One pedal driving should be thought of as a great comfort feature, especially in stop and go traffic where the foot does not have to travel back and forth between brake and accelerator.

What I am wanting to learn more about the Lightning is if using the brake pedal is a blend of regen for light braking and friction brakes are for rapid/emergency braking. In fact brake feel might be my biggest concern based on my test drive of a Mach E, which is to forceful early in the press travel. One-pedal driving helps take care of this but forces the driver into a less efficient drive mode.

My 2nd generation Nissan Leaf has a satisfying manual selector to toggle between one-pedal (regen brake with no accelerator) and normal/coasting drive mode, located right in the area where hand rests while driving. While the vehicle has blended regen built into the brake pedal, it is satisfying to throw it into one-pedal when getting off the freeway - one because you know all momentum is going into regen but also as a bit of a game of timing it to slow/stop at the proper distance. Alternatively, Niro EV has paddle shifters that have to be adjusted on every drive, requires multiple presses to get from zero always-regen to one-pedal regen with appropriate stopping force - significantly worse experience. So implementation is key and I hope Ford is continuously improving in this category and maybe even implements some user programmability.

Has there been any word on blended braking for Lightning?

I prefer one petal driving where the break petal is only the friction breaks. I modulate the accelerator to minimize the power to the motors while maintaining speed, effectively coasting at times and using regen breaking when I need to slow down. It takes a little getting used to, but feels natural after a while an I feel like I have better control of the vehicle.

 

[tbinmd]

Every Electrical Device in My Lightning Draws Amps - Lightning has No Alternator to Charge the 12v Battery that Normal Trucks Draw from the ICE.

I Wonder What Effect the Following Will have on Maximum Distance....

What Effect - Headlights?
What Effect - Truck Surfaces (Wax vs Dirt?) Less Turbulence - Tonneau Cover/Open Tailgate?
What Effect - AT vs AS Tires?
What Effect - Hot Weather - Open Windows/Moonroof/Back Window vs AC? Strip to T-Shirt/Halter Top?
What Effect - Cold Weather - Seat Heating vs Cabin Heater? Does a Higher/Lower Set Temperature Matter?
What Effect - Best Way to L1/L2 Precondition Battery? Always on Charger? Low Amp Charge vs Trickle Charge?
What Effect - Vehicle Cargo Weight? Buy Light Groceries? Leave the Kids and Dog Home? Have Mom/Dad Lose Weight?
What Effect - Entertainment Center Amp Draw? Use of iPhone Hot Spot Draw Less Power?
What Effect - Best Way to Max Out Regenerative Braking?
What Effect - Headwinds/Tailwinds?
What Effect - Massage Seats?
What Effect - Battery Loves a Ambient Temperature of __F to __F?
What Effect - Moonroof? Open or Closed?
What Effect - Can You Believe What Ford Tells You About the Closest Charge Station as You Run Out?
What Effect - Do Drive Assist Devices Use Much Power (Co-Pilot, Cameras, Etc.)?

I am not as anal as a Hypermiler but I want to know every trick possible if I am 10 miles from a charge station and my Lightning says I have 5 miles left. I want to know how much using each trick will actually mean more miles in real life conditions.

Any if the normal systems in the truck uses the 12v battery (headlights, seats, infotainment system, stereo)

This discussion will benefit when ford publishers the manual.

 

[Sdctcher]

Not being a Machie with my experience limited to an original FEH a few years ago my techniques may be dated.

My best mileage came from the Regenerative Braking. In town I would stay at the speed limit and always focus on what was happening well ahead of me using the accelerator sparingly and slowly and coasting to intersections ready to just nudge the brakes to a stop, if necessary. The key is tenderness, "hugging" your pedals rather than "grasping" them.

That said, I was always careful not to piss off Straight ICE'ers by Creeping. You've got to stay +/- 5 MPH of the Speed Limit.

On the highway I looked well ahead to terrain (ups and downs and curves). I used just enough "gas" to almost crest a hill staying within the speed limit and then coast over the hill and down, using the regenerative braking as I would do in town. Near the bottom of the hill I would then again slowly accelerate to build speed for the next hill. The same on Curves, accelerate ahead and coast through using physics.

Secondly, the FEH was notorious for having bad Heating and AC; the AC just stopped working without ICE. So I very seldom used the AC, instead dressing right and using wind power. As tbinmd says, we really do not know yet what part the 12v system will contribute to energy needs from headlights, AC, Etc. I wish they would put out the manual sooner than later.

 

[Sdctcher]

Your New Lightning will never be mistaken for a Muscle Truck even though it carries a Torque of 775 lb-ft versus ICE of 265 to 570 lb-ft (depending on engine). It just does not have that noise or looks. It is more of a Cruise-Show-Off Truck.

In addition, it is a very Heavy Moving Object with a weight of about 6,500 lbs. versus an ICE F150 of about 4,069 to 5,697 lbs., depending on the size of the engine, cab and bed.

What concerns me are it's attributes in wet weather (wet/ice/snow). Common Sense tells me a Heavy Pedal could mean Out-Of-Control in a hurry, especially on ice where torque would exceed friction.

 

[Sdctcher]

Thinking about the importance of Preconditioning my Lightning Battery for the best Efficiency.

Cold or Hot Temperatures above or below 21.5 C (70 F), the sweet-spot, can reduce an unplugged EV's range by about 20 percent, according to testing by the Norwegian Automobile Federation, and recharging takes longer than in cold or warm weather.

The Optimum temperature for an EV’s lithium-ion battery is between 15C (59F)and 35C (95F). When the temperature drops much below this, the lithium ions slow down and cannot provide as much power as usual.

Of course, the optimum solutions are having a cooled and heated garage and driving only when the outside temperature is 70F. Perfection is both Expensive and Limiting.

I am wondering about the Efficiency and Cost of:

Keeping Plugged-In with a L1 or L2 Charge Station either outside or inside while not driven.

Using a Heated Pad (110v) under the battery (perhaps on a timer).

*Shield Life TheraMat Floor Warmer is a spacious 79" x 55" space warmer @$359.99.
*HeatTrak Heated Snow Melting Mats are 40" x 60" @$439.95.

Or a Low Cost Efficient Electric Space Heater (if garaged).

Would a "Rule of Thumb" Cost vs Loss be:

Cost per KwH for a Recharge + 20% Premium for Cold/Hot Driving Conditions
=
Cost per KwH for a Recharge + Cost per KwH for a Pre-Conditioning Heater or Pre-Plugging In

 

[Nick Gerteis]

Thinking about the importance of Preconditioning my Lightning Battery for the best Efficiency.

Cold or Hot Temperatures above or below 21.5 C (70 F), the sweet-spot, can reduce an unplugged EV's range by about 20 percent, according to testing by the Norwegian Automobile Federation, and recharging takes longer than in cold or warm weather.

The Optimum temperature for an EV’s lithium-ion battery is between 15C (59F)and 35C (95F). When the temperature drops much below this, the lithium ions slow down and cannot provide as much power as usual.

Of course, the optimum solutions are having a cooled and heated garage and driving only when the outside temperature is 70F. Perfection is both Expensive and Limiting.

I am wondering about the Efficiency and Cost of:

Keeping Plugged-In with a L1 or L2 Charge Station either outside or inside while not driven.

Using a Heated Pad (110v) under the battery (perhaps on a timer).

*Shield Life TheraMat Floor Warmer is a spacious 79" x 55" space warmer @$359.99.
*HeatTrak Heated Snow Melting Mats are 40" x 60" @$439.95.

Or a Low Cost Efficient Electric Space Heater (if garaged).

Would a "Rule of Thumb" Cost vs Loss be:

Cost per KwH for a Recharge + 20% Premium for Cold/Hot Driving Conditions
=
Cost per KwH for a Recharge + Cost per KwH for a Pre-Conditioning Heater or Pre-Plugging In

In my experience you will lose almost no range from air conditioning use, only from heating.

 

[sotek2345]

Your New Lightning will never be mistaken for a Muscle Truck even though it carries a Torque of 775 lb-ft versus ICE of 265 to 570 lb-ft (depending on engine). It just does not have that noise or looks. It is more of a Cruise-Show-Off Truck.

In addition, it is a very Heavy Moving Object with a weight of about 6,500 lbs. versus an ICE F150 of about 4,069 to 5,697 lbs., depending on the size of the engine, cab and bed.

What concerns me are it's attributes in wet weather (wet/ice/snow). Common Sense tells me a Heavy Pedal could mean Out-Of-Control in a hurry, especially on ice where torque would exceed friction.

We have found our Mach-e to be very very good in slippery conditions. The electric power train allows traction control systems to react much faster and with more authority.

 

[Maquis]

In my experience you will lose no range from air conditioning use, only from heating.

A lot less than heat, but not zero. A/C does consume power.

 

[tbinmd]

Will the lightning have a eco mode for the AC?

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