FCSP Installed: already noticing a difference

[thequackenbush]

So I purchased my Lariat back in April, took a month + of back and forth to receive my FCSP (no ones fault, really). I've been using my 120v mobile charger, couple with nearby EVGo / EA / Ford superchargers at a nearby dealership to make due.
I'm in the Northeast, and temps have been in single digits, so have been seeing an understandable drop in range. My mobile charger actually stopped working to charge my truck at all in the cold (although coincidentally works fine to charge my wife's Honda Prologue)

I got my FCSP installed two days ago, am plugging in overnight and am shocked at the difference in the mi/kwh I've seen since doing so. Whereas in the past few cold spurts I've been lucky to avg 1.1 mi/kwh, since leaving it plugged into the FCSP overnight it jumped up to between 1.8-2. Realizing that's not massive or anything, it was still a very pleasant surprise.

Is this normal? Anyone else seen this?

Also last night, when it got really cold, FordPass told me the truck was "preparing battery and cabin for departure" even though I had none scheduled. Is that normal?

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[TaxmanHog]

Also last night, when it got really cold, FordPass told me the truck was "preparing battery and cabin for departure" even though I had none scheduled. Is that normal?

Yes, spontaneous battery ONLY conditioning is happening when you see that, the cabin is not being warmed.

Your efficiency has improved if you warm the cabin while on the plug, that happens more thoroughly at 240v & 80 amps. Leading to a more efficient drive if you keep the cabin temps reasonably comfortable.

 

[21st Century Truck]

Initially, as our house had a 40-amp Grizzl-E EV "spout" I had refused to even request the FCPS, free for me as a new owner of a leftover 2023 XLT ER.

Once I lived with this truck I realized just how much time the ER battery charging takes. It far exceeded our dedicated (special local power company program) EV submeter's low nighttime TOU rate hours at the Grizzl-E's 40 amp speed, and I thus had to finish charging on our portable secondary plug-in EVSE at 20 amps on the regular house meter rate... this pretty much took almost all day and caused our electricity bills to spike, hard.

In November I requested my free FCSP and in December I had QMerit install it on the special TOU submeter on 3-gauge new circuit and switch the 6-gauge Grizzl-E circuit from the submeter back to the regular house meter.

Now I charge the truck pretty much 100% on the FCPS's 80 amp juice flow, and all on the TOU low low nightly rates. It takes between 5 and 7 hours every night to reach 95%, depending how low I ran the truck that day, and often I bring it home with between 10% to 20% left in the battery. This TOU program alone made the installation costs of the free Ford-provided FCSP worth it. I figure I'll break even on the installation costs within less than a year.

The old Grizzl-E 40-amper has become our just-in-case, supplemental EV juice spout wired separately (same installation contract) on the house meter. Love the 80 amp capability of the FCSP! It translates to a nightly sustained 17.2 amp kW charging speed, which is wicked fast for AC.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Love the 80 amp capability of the FCSP! It translates to a nightly sustained 17.2 amp charging speed, which is wicked fast for AC.

Did you mean 17.2 kW?

 

[21st Century Truck]

Did you mean 17.2 kW?

Yeah jeez I must be tired tonight... brain is a bit fried. Thanks let me fix that.

 

[Ragman]

The FCSP is keeping your battery warm"ish", the 120 can charge cold but doesnt have the oomph to also keep battery warm.

Even without departure the FCSP will keep your pack at some "ideal" storage temp - so when you start driving getting to operating temp isnt a huge draw. If you use Departure then the pack goes right to ideal operating temp and zero draw.

Off 120 it charges but the pack gets as cold as ambient, when you start the truck it immediately starts heating the pack ASAP to operating temp and ramps up that "external temp" percentage in Trip. Hence perceived range difference.

The 120 does provide some heat to pack - when I start truck gauge is far to left but green for Bat Temp. Unplugged completely its Yellow.

I don't have a scanner to back this up but my experienced based logic tells me this is what happens in background.

 

[Scorpio3d]

I forgot to plug my truck in last night and we have been in the low 20s the last few nights which is relatively cold for here. Not a huge deal because I had 70% ish charge but it sure did make a big difference in the efficiency this morning. Did precondition the cabin but not having it hooked up to shore power sure did hurt personally I love the FCSP and it makes a huge difference for TOU as I only have a four hour window.

 

[21st Century Truck]

...I love the FCSP and it makes a huge difference for TOU as I only have a four hour window.

Yes I completely understand. My TOU has low rates 10 p.m. - 1 a.m., then super low rates 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., and again low rate 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.

I find that about 7 hours, centered between about 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., pretty much fills my truck up.

Then, I have DEPARTURE PRECONDITIONING set for 5:45 a.m. so the battery and the cabin are prepped on TOU-rate shore power. Even if I don't get in the truck until noon, the prepped battery still retains quite a bit of the heat.

 

[Henry Ford]

I'm amazed you've had your truck since April without a real home charger. I went a couple weeks without a home charger and about lost my mind. You are only just beginning to understand how nice your truck is.

 

[thequackenbush]

I'm amazed you've had your truck since April without a real home charger. I went a couple weeks without a home charger and about lost my mind. You are only just beginning to understand how nice your truck is.

Still feel like I’m 16 every time I get in it.
The install price was hard to swallow for a while, but after rapid charging a ton in December bc of cold and Xmas trips, we bit the bullet

my wife trading in her old CRV for a prologue helped a lot too

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