Lightning Battery Heating

[GDN]

So we have many new conversations about range and cold and the impact on batteries. One item I'm not sure I've seen or discussed, is what method, if any, does the Lightning heat the battery?

Early Tesla S and X had dedicated battery heaters, the 3 and Y, can generate heat from the motors (without them even turning) and direct that heat into the battery. If you tell your Tesla you are headed to a Supercharger they will add extra heating to the battery any time of the year just to speed up the charging process.

So that brings up the question - do we have any heat loops directed into the battery? From any heat source?

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[F150ROD]

This is a good question. I can’t recall but I believe there was one time early in ownership I was headed to try EA and I put that on the OEM Nav and some message came up about the battery preconditioning for charging. Maybe I’m thinking about my Model 3

 

[chillaban]

Does it really matter? The system while departure conditioning can at least saturate 9.6kW L2 charging when it claims to just be warming the battery. Heat is heat. It kind of is irrelevant whether you generate that via a PTC resistive heater or just short the motor while running coolant and therefore use the motor as a resistive heater.

(and yeah based off the departure conditioning system and overnight battery conditioning power draw in the cold, it absolutely has some way to generate heat from electricity for the battery)

 

[RickLightning]

I believe that the F-150L, like the Mach-E, uses the car's heater to heat the battery, as needed. If you set a Departure Time and are plugged in, then the battery is preconditioned.

There is currently no feature to precondition the battery as you approach a DC Fast Charger.

 

[F150ROD]

And Ford just sent this lol

Show some TLC

 

[F150ROD]

I believe that the F-150L, like the Mach-E, uses the car's heater to heat the battery, as needed. If you set a Departure Time and are plugged in, then the battery is preconditioned.

There is currently no feature to precondition the battery as you approach a DC Fast Charger.

That’s a shame and something you think Ford would have added while using Tesla as a standard…. So many misses, I don’t get it.

 

[GDN]

And Ford just sent this lol

Show some TLC

Just got it too. A reminder of the things you can do is good, but likely in response to the rumble they are hearing. Maybe a lot of first time EV owners out there.

 

[RickLightning]

Just got it too. A reminder of the things you can do is good, but likely in response to the rumble they are hearing. Maybe a lot of first time EV owners out there.

Nearly the same email they sent a year ago to Mach-E owners.

 

[Pioneer74]

That’s a shame and something you think Ford would have added while using Tesla as a standard…. So many misses, I don’t get it.

What exactly are you referring to?

 

[metroshot]

Funny how Ford did not incorporate a battery heater for cold weather areas.

I know that the Honda Clarity when sold to Canadians, had a battery heater added on.

But none for US sales...

 

[Pioneer74]

Funny how Ford did not incorporate a battery heater for cold weather areas.

I know that the Honda Clarity when sold to Canadians, had a battery heater added on.

But none for US sales...

I think the battery shares the cabin heater. That is why it's recommended that you not use the cabin heater while using a DCFC, so the heater can be used solely to heat the battery.

 

[TaxmanHog]

This mornings energy consumption of 2.686 kWh while pre-conditioning from 8:45 to 9:00, (note the cloud server is still on EDT, real current EST was 7:45 to 8:00), I had the MAX Heat switch on as of last shutdown

Note the 18.867 kWh is the final load of charging from last nights cold weather endurance run, I mention in another thread, that was 77% to 90%, it actually finished around 12:35 am early this morning, but the truck does not report to the mothership until the CCS-1 / J-1772 connection is removed.

 

[Halbach]

And Ford just sent this lol

Show some TLC

Getting that message while my truck is stuck at Ramp 51 sent my anxiety into overdrive. Then I remembered the entire country isn't buried under feet of snow at the moment and then it faded gradually back to frustration.

 

[luebri]

So for “2) Keep your battery plugged in whenever possible.

Is there an ideal amperage to just keep it warm?

 

[Maquis]

So for “2) Keep your battery plugged in whenever possible.

Is there an ideal amperage to just keep it warm?

Yes - the truck uses it. It cannot be externally controlled.

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