Official Charging Recommendations

[Scorpio3d]

Thank you all I have read tons of stuff on this forum and elsewhere so I am well aware of most all of that. My understanding was that MikeyAO was doing some deep dive battery testing, so I was just curious what he had come up with more than anything.

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[MickeyAO]

Thank you all I have read tons of stuff on this forum and elsewhere so I am well aware of most all of that. My understanding was that MikeyAO was doing some deep dive battery testing, so I was just curious what he had come up with more than anything.

We are doing our standard consortium testing on actual cells from a Lightning (SKE805A). We harvested the cells from a module (so all of you who still think that an individual cell can be replaced are very wrong)

Characterization testing is complete (and I made a comment in a couple of threads about resistance under a specific SOC and the lower thermal stability point of the cell), and calendar life is on going. Printed out the graphs for capacity fade and I would highly recommend to NOT store your vehicle at 80% actual SOC above 55C (the degradation after 8 weeks is amazing).

The thermal stability point made us change our normal testing in that we will test at 25C, 45C, and 10C, with the normal 55C being a no go on cycling.

 

[Scorpio3d]

Thank you!! that is very interesting!(Even if I don’t understand all of it) 55 C is like 131 F! I saw you were in San Antonio I am in the Dallas area. Hopefully we don’t get to 55C or 131F although I wouldn’t bet against it

 

[invertedspear]

I would highly recommend to NOT store your vehicle at 80% actual SOC above 55C

Unplugged, I could see that being a problem here, but plugged in it should actively cool the pack. Regardless, knowing this now, I'll be reducing my upper limit to 75% unless going somewhere. Thank you for the info

 

[FloridaMan655321]

There is so much good information and research on battery degradation that I find these threads frustrating. People who want to charge to 100% every day (about 94% actual) go right ahead. Ford has done the math and you will most likely have greater than 70% state of health in 8 years.

However, I don’t want 75% or 80% of my original capacity in 8 years - you are transforming your ER into a SR. I want +90% original capacity and the research is clear on this - in you want your truck to have long-term battery health, then charging to 80% (display of 85%) is the way to go. In hotter weather set a lower target. Leaving you truck for a few weeks on holidays then leave it at 50%. Your battery is happier in the middle states of charge - very high or very low states of charge lead to long term degradation.

We are doing our standard consortium testing on actual cells from a Lightning (SKE805A). We harvested the cells from a module (so all of you who still think that an individual cell can be replaced are very wrong)

Characterization testing is complete (and I made a comment in a couple of threads about resistance under a specific SOC and the lower thermal stability point of the cell), and calendar life is on going. Printed out the graphs for capacity fade and I would highly recommend to NOT store your vehicle at 80% actual SOC above 55C (the degradation after 8 weeks is amazing).

The thermal stability point made us change our normal testing in that we will test at 25C, 45C, and 10C, with the normal 55C being a no go on cycling.

So I take it being in FL where I wouldn't necessarily get to 131f in the summer, I should be ok with charging up to 85% (79% *real*)? Or, in the summer months should I lower this a little? With my daily commute I could get by with 50%, so I'm ok with whatever will help my battery life.

 

[Jim Lewis]

So I take it being in FL where I wouldn't necessarily get to 131f in the summer,

The air temperature in a weather report, typically measured at something like 5 ft above "neutral" ground and the temperature in an black asphalt parking lot bathed in intense sunlight are two different things. When the weather service air temperature is 95F, it can be 130 to 140F in an asphalt parking lot. So, if your vehicle spends a good part of the day sitting unsheltered in an asphalt parking lot, a high state of charge might make a difference over a lengthy exposure to such conditions. Ford recommends parking Lightnings in a garage in hot climates and in the shade, if possible, if a garage is unavailable. If you're just running into a store for an hour, the battery's probably going to stay cool for much of that time. But all day in a hot lot is a different story.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

The air temperature in a weather report, typically measured at something like 5 ft above "neutral" ground and the temperature in an black asphalt parking lot bathed in intense sunlight are two different things. When the weather service air temperature is 95F, it can be 130 to 140F in an asphalt parking lot. So, if your vehicle spends a good part of the day sitting unsheltered in an asphalt parking lot, a high state of charge might make a difference over a lengthy exposure to such conditions. Ford recommends parking Lightnings in a garage in hot climates and in the shade, if possible, if a garage is unavailable. If you're just running into a store for an hour, the battery's probably going to stay cool for much of that time. But all day in a hot lot is a different story.

Yup, I agree. At work I park in a dirt parking lot. At home it's semi shaded, and not black asphalt.

 

[Shawnson]

I put this together a while back.

F150 LIGHTNING CHARGING CHEAT SHEET

Got charging questions and want a single OFFICIAL source for answers? Here ya go. The following guidelines were taken *directly* from the owners manual, the F150 lightning FAQ from Ford's website, and official Ford press releases.

This is NOT the place for stories, anecdotes, YouTube videos, personal experiences, "Well my buddy Jimbo gets blah blah blah" etc. Post that elsewhere. This is what Ford says. Hopefully this can cut down on a lot of the misinformation that's being spread around.


#F150 CHARGING CHEAT SHEET

1. AC home charging is the preferred method of charging.



2. Ford recommends 90% for everyday driving and 100% for travel. Charging to 90% daily helps prolong the life of your battery.



3. Ford recommends ending DC Fast charging at 80% while traveling.



4. CHARGING RATES-
150kW+ DC fast charger, the SR 98kWh pack can charge from 15-80% in about 36 minutes. (260mph). The ER 131kWh pack can charge from 15-80% in 41 minutes. (305mph). 120V home charging cable = (2mph). 240V home charging cable = (13mph). 80A Ford Pro 15-80% in 8 hours (26mph).


5. Keep your F-150 Lightning plugged in when parked. Keep it garaged if possible.



6. ALWAYS push the center padlock button on the light ring before removing the charging cable from the vehicle charge port when DC fast charging. Not necessary with AC charging.



7. If setting a departure time, do it while plugged in. By using energy from the cable while plugged in, battery temperature can be managed for best driving performance and less energy is needed for heating or cooling of the cabin at the start of your drive. This helps maximize your driving range.



8. Most Electrify America DC fast chargers can deliver up to 350kW of power, but your Ford will only accept up to 120kW (SR) or 155kW (ER).



9. If charging in cold weather, shutting off climate control or reducing climate control temperature and fan settings for the first 10 to 15 minutes of DC fast charging will allow the battery to warm up and improve the charging speed dramatically.



10. If equipped, use the heated seats and steering wheel as primary heat to reduce energy consumed by HVAC. Air conditioner uses relatively little energy, but the cabin heater is a large drain on the battery. It is far more efficient for passengers to use heated seats.



11. Allowing your battery to cool 2-3 hours before charging after driving improves maximum longevity of your high voltage battery, but is not required.


12. When you park your vehicle for an extended period of 30 days or more, we recommend your battery be at an approximately 50% state of charge. Storing your vehicle's high voltage battery at higher states of charge is less favorable than storing at lower states of charge. Note: To achieve this state of charge for storage, you can drive your vehicle down to 50% and set a charge limit for your location.

(I read this as keep it plugged in but set the charge limit for 50%)

Once achieved, disconnect the 12-volt (12V) battery to reduce system loads on the HV battery. Note: Before disconnecting, be sure to have your key fob and access to a copy of your Owner's Manual outside of the vehicle.



Bottom line, these vehicles are tough as nails so just drive it and have fun, but if you have specific questions or want to do the right thing at all times, hopefully this guideline helps you.


EDIT: updated info on 240v charger
updated unlock/disconnect button for AC/DC

“8. Most Electrify America DC fast chargers can deliver up to 350kW of power, but your Ford will only accept up to 120kW (SR) or 155kW (ER).”

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