Ideal Charging Practices ?

[FirstF150InCasco]

A much better place to look than "answers on Google" or Facebook, would be your manual...

Ford recommends you charge to 90% daily, leave it plugged in so the battery can warm, and charge to 100% for trips. 80% at DC chargers, but that's because of how slow they are from 80% up.

So, instead of "some people", listen to the manufacturer.

Best advice ever!!!

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[luebri]

And, if you think that charging is giving you any noticeable heat difference, that would also be wrong.

I've noticed the same the few times I did preconditioning, AC charging might not create the same intensity of heat as does DCFC session, but AC charging is adding some heat, optimizing the conservation of energy by adjusting a the clock times of these events can't hurt even if the value is trivial to modest.

My curiosity has gotten the best of me. May the research project begin. I've heard a lot of varying opinions on what charging and what level of charging It takes to "warm the battery". So last night I started my research.

I am thinking a series of tests with and without preconditioning set and 120v and various 240v amp settings (40 & 80?)

Test #1 - EVSE 120v Charging with Preconditioning Set

- AMPRoad EVSE set to 16 AMP
- Charging at 11.2 amps (per Lightning 120v limitations)
- Plugged in at 9:38 PM (65% SOC, 71.65 kWh)
- Per Car Scanner OBD App Start Temp: HVB Min 41 F/ HVB Max 42.8
- Unplugged at 7:07 AM (12.55kWh used) (70.5% SOC, 82.63kWH)
- Temp: HVB Min 53.6 F/ HVB Max 55.4
- Preconditioning was set to occur at 6:55AM
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 43 F at start and at Finish.

(I can attach screenshots if you need to see my work, but did not feel that was necessary as I am not worried about my semester grade)

My conclusion: Even 120v charging makes a temperature difference. Since Only 1.5kWh was "lost" between what the charger used and what the battery gained I would conclude that 120v was enough to warm the battery a decent amount ~12.5F.

 

[Maquis]

My curiosity has gotten the best of me. May the research project begin. I've heard a lot of varying opinions on what charging and what level of charging It takes to "warm the battery". So last night I started my research.

I am thinking a series of tests with and without preconditioning set and 120v and various 240v amp settings (40 & 80?)

Test #1 - EVSE 120v Charging with Preconditioning Set

- AMPRoad EVSE set to 16 AMP
- Charging at 11.2 amps (per Lightning 120v limitations)
- Plugged in at 9:38 PM (65% SOC, 71.65 kWh)
- Per Car Scanner OBD App Start Temp: HVB Min 41 F/ HVB Max 42.8
- Unplugged at 7:07 AM (12.55kWh used) (70.5% SOC, 82.63kWH)
- Temp: HVB Min 53.6 F/ HVB Max 55.4
- Preconditioning was set to occur at 6:55AM
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 43 F at start and at Finish.

(I can attach screenshots if you need to see my work, but did not feel that was necessary as I am not worried about my semester grade)

My conclusion: Even 120v charging makes a temperature difference. Since Only 1.5kWh was "lost" between what the charger used and what the battery gained I would conclude that 120v was enough to warm the battery a decent amount ~12.5F.

My guess is that you will get the same temperature rise with everything else the same except without preconditioning. Just a guess.

 

[luebri]

My guess is that you will get the same temperature rise with everything else the same except without preconditioning. Just a guess.

If that is the case it would validate what I do, which is set my charging window to occur very close to my morning departure time instead of right when I get home.

 

[luebri]

Test #2 - Full 80 AMP FCSP - no Preconditioning

- Plugged in at 5:50 AM (59.5% SOC, 64.48 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 39.2 F/ HVB Max 42.8
- Unplugged at 7:04 AM (72.5% SOC, 85.84kWH)
- Temp: HVB Min 57.2 F/ HVB Max 60.08
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 41 F at start and at Finish.

Summary added ~18 F in 75 minutes. 21.36 kwh added

 

[luebri]

Test #3 - FCSP set to 40 AMP - no Preconditioning

- Plugged in at 7:30AM (51% SOC, 53.88 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 39.2 F/ HVB Max 41
- Soc Check #1 (58 SOC, 65.28 kWh)
- Temp Check #1 @ 8:40 HVB Min 48.2 F/ HVB Max 48.2
- Summary added ~8 F in 70 minutes. 11.4 kwh added
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 39 F at start and at Finish.


- - - -
- Soc Check #2 (64% SOC, 73.81 kWh)
- Temp Check #2 @ 9:40 HVB Min 51.8 F/ HVB Max 51.8
- Summary added ~3 F in from 70 minutes to 130 minutes. 8.6 kwh added in 60 minutes


- - - -
- Soc Check #3 (72.5% SOC, 85.79 kWh)
- Temp Check #3 @ 11:06 HVB Min 55.4 F/ HVB Max 55.4

Total Summary added: ~26 F in 2h:26m, ~32kWh added

Conclusion thus far…. very stark difference in warming ability from 40A to 80A. I will post 60A results next.

 

[Soonerjoe]

If you have the capability, I would love to see 48 amp tested. Thanks!

 

[luebri]

Test #4 - FCSP set to 60 AMP - with Preconditioning


- Charging set to start at 4:00AM (54.5% SOC, 57.8 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 39.2 F/ HVB Max 41
- Charging finished at approx 6 AM. (80.5 SOC, 96.38 kWh)

• NOTE: I did not get the temp checked at the time in which charging technically stopped at 80.5% soc.

- Preconditioning set for 6:55 AM
- Battery temp at completion of preconditioning at 6:55 (HVB Min 57.2 F/ HVB Max 62.6)
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 39 F at start and Finish.

Summary added ~19 to 20 F in 180 minutes. 38.58 kwh added

Hypothesis? 60F is perhaps the target battery temp for Preconditioning? I will test 80 AMP with preconditioning and see how warm it gets to validate.

I also attached my energy graphs from solar to show the "blend" from charging to preconditioning

 

[cwstnsko]

Test #4 - FCSP set to 60 AMP - with Preconditioning


- Charging set to start at 4:00AM (54.5% SOC, 57.8 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 39.2 F/ HVB Max 41
- Charging finished at approx 6 AM. (80.5 SOC, 96.38 kWh)

• NOTE: I did not get the temp checked at the time in which charging technically stopped at 80.5% soc.

- Preconditioning set for 6:55 AM
- Battery temp at completion of preconditioning at 6:55 (HVB Min 57.2 F/ HVB Max 62.6)
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 39 F at start and Finish.

Summary added ~19 to 20 F in 180 minutes. 38.58 kwh added

Hypothesis? 60F is perhaps the target battery temp for Preconditioning? I will test 80 AMP with preconditioning and see how warm it gets to validate.

I also attached my energy graphs from solar to show the "blend" from charging to preconditioning

Nice Enlighten Screenshot

 

[luebri]

Test #5 - FCSP set to 60 AMP - NO Preconditioning

- Charging set to start at 5:00AM (66.5% SOC, 73.36 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 41 F/ HVB Max 42.9
- Charging finished at 6:46 AM. (80% SOC, 95.77 kWh)
- No Preconditioning
- Battery temp at 6:46 AM (HVB Min 57.2 F/ HVB Max 60.8)
- Battery temp at Departure at 7:30 AM (HVB Min 55.4 F/ HVB Max 59)
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 41 F at start and 41 at Finish.

Summary: added ~17 F in 106 minutes. 22.41 kwh added

Hypothesis: Based on previous data, it appears 60F is the target “Precondition temp” that Ford has set. With this said, A 60 AMP 2 hour charge is plenty to fully heat the battery (at least from 40F) to that same 60 F temp. Preconditioning is only needed if you want to warm the cabin or you choose to not charge in the morning prior to departure as I advocate based on my research.

Also note. 1.8 F temp loss in 45 minutes, with ambient of 41 F, which is a bit more than I would have expected based on Darren Palmers comments but still fairly minimal.

Per @Soonerjoe request I'll do the same tests at 48A. Since 40A did not seem to be quite enough to fully warm but 60A was.

Once I do find the lowest amp setting that still fully warms the battery to 60F at 40F ambient, then I will see what that same AMP setting does outside overnight in colder temps.

I also want to do an 80 Amp with Preconditioning to validate the hypothesis of a 60F target "warm to" temp for Preconditioning.

 

[Soonerjoe]

Thanks! 48amp is the highest us SR guys can go!

 

[TaxmanHog]

I also want to do an 80 Amp with Preconditioning to validate the hypothesis of a 60F target "warm to" temp for Preconditioning.

I'm looking forward to this test!!

 

[lightspeed]

Also note. 1.8 F temp loss in 45 minutes, with ambient of 41 F, which is a bit more than I would have expected based on Darren Palmers comments but still fairly minimal.

Just a thought that Darren might have been thinking/speaking in Celsius which would be 1.8F per C of change.

 

[RickLightning]

Test #5 - FCSP set to 60 AMP - NO Preconditioning

- Charging set to start at 5:00AM (66.5% SOC, 73.36 kWh)
- Temp: HVB Min 41 F/ HVB Max 42.9
- Charging finished at 6:46 AM. (80% SOC, 95.77 kWh)
- No Preconditioning
- Battery temp at 6:46 AM (HVB Min 57.2 F/ HVB Max 60.8)
- Battery temp at Departure at 7:30 AM (HVB Min 55.4 F/ HVB Max 59)
- Garage temp per Truck reading was 41 F at start and 41 at Finish.

Summary: added ~17 F in 106 minutes. 22.41 kwh added

Hypothesis: Based on previous data, it appears 60F is the target “Precondition temp” that Ford has set. With this said, A 60 AMP 2 hour charge is plenty to fully heat the battery (at least from 40F) to that same 60 F temp. Preconditioning is only needed if you want to warm the cabin or you choose to not charge in the morning prior to departure as I advocate based on my research.

Also note. 1.8 F temp loss in 45 minutes, with ambient of 41 F, which is a bit more than I would have expected based on Darren Palmers comments but still fairly minimal.

Per @Soonerjoe request I'll do the same tests at 48A. Since 40A did not seem to be quite enough to fully warm but 60A was.

Once I do find the lowest amp setting that still fully warms the battery to 60F at 40F ambient, then I will see what that same AMP setting does outside overnight in colder temps.

I also want to do an 80 Amp with Preconditioning to validate the hypothesis of a 60F target "warm to" temp for Preconditioning.

Could have saved yourself some work, on the Mach-E forum they figured out that preconditioning was to 59 degrees, basically exactly what you came to.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Could have saved yourself some work, on the Mach-E forum they figured out that preconditioning was to 59 degrees, basically exactly what you came to.

But we are not Mach-E enthusiast and don't read that forum on a regular basis, I'll admit to being a geek about things "Lightning" even if it's little brother has already tread that ground.

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