Winter Range Extender - would you do this?

[Ragman]

So had a sales guy waiting by the door this morning wanting to sell us inline Hydronic Water Heaters for our Lightnings. Anyone who runs semis, mining, construction or farm equipment knows what this is - it's a small gas/diesel powered heater put into the coolant loop for winters. Usually it's used as a pre-heater for equipment that has no "block" heater and warms the engine through the coolant system vs oil pan. Millions of these installed, proven, it works, etc, etc off the shelf technology with zero unknowns.

Units are 1.3 to 5.6 kwh heaters and the "sales pitch" is this heats the cabin and/or battery in cold weather instead of using the HVB - thereby extending winter range back to the factory range. It installs a small "fuel" tank in the box and uses minimal 12v just to operate while the "diesel" does the heating work. Consumption is .65 liters per hour for a "benefit" equal to 20 kwh of electricity in extended range.

No impact in summers, you could even cap the line and remove the tank from box.

Is this the winter "range loss" solve? Particularly for road trips?

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

There’s a thread on here where somebody installed one.
It would help, but I’m not sure “solve” is the correct term.

 

[hturnerfamily]

like other 'miracle' solutions to range, there is no magic pill to solve range in every situation, at least not from a mostly FINANCIAL calculation: yes, ANYTHING is possible, and might work perfectly, but whether it meets the 'smell' test, financial, is probably a no, but can be a VERY expensive add-on, just like any other optional gas tank, or generator, or carrying another batter pack in the bed, if you are willing to pay the price.

 

[RickLightning]

Wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole.

 

[CD4TNF]

No. It's cheaper to plug in and pre-condition the cabin and battery using departure time or the app. $0.20-$0.40 for a few kWh.

#2 maintaining a gas engine. I got the Lightning because it's a low maintenance item. I'm not putting another maintenance task on my to-do list.

#3 Toxic emissions. The generator creates toxic carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, NOx, etc. That does not sound attractive to come out to stinky air.


#4 I fail to understand the technology countering the biggest factors in winter efficiency. Weather conditions like rain, snow, wind, and cold heavy dense air. IMO the aerodynamics matter more.


#5 Having driven in the winter conditions (active snow storm) and up high elevations on a road trip. The range decrease caused from temp drops didn't bother me. I trust what Ford created and out into the Lightning.

 

[Ragman]

My knee jerk this morning was a hard "no" with some this is a joke, I've had time to let it perk - if the trucks were off warranty I'd likely go what the heck and do one just to see.

Our "long term" energy use (Trip 1 never been reset) is 10% for Climate and 9% for Battery, during winter I have seen climate upwards of 17-18% and Battery at 12% - this is fully preconditioned/departure time set on a fixed route 365 days a year.

This means in Jan/Feb the trucks had to stop mid-shift for 15-20 minutes on a fast charger, rest of the year has been fine. I also run 180 miles each way twice a week, either I get home under 5% battery or a Tesla stop if its below 0 F - below -15F the Tesla stop is mandatory. With this that stop would be eliminated saving me an hour a week and $20 of DC charging cost.

When we did the cross country trek in Dec/Jan it would have saved us potentially a day, plus 20% of fast charging costs (less diesel).

Comes down to time is money, and usage. If you drive under 180 miles a day - no value. If you push the limits - which we do - I'm "warming" to it...

Do I feel somewhat "dirty" - yes - though the 87+% efficiency offsets. I constantly hear "winter range" as the barrier to adoption - if $3k makes that go away... I'd rather do this then buy a Hybrid.

 

[Timeless Epoch]

No. It's cheaper to plug in and pre-condition the cabin and battery using departure time or the app. $0.20-$0.40 for a few kWh.

#2 maintaining a gas engine. I got the Lightning because it's a low maintenance item. I'm not putting another maintenance task on my to-do list.

#3 Toxic emissions. The generator creates toxic carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, NOx, etc. That does not sound attractive to come out to stinky air.
[snip]

I don't think OP is talking about a generator, but a diesel heater that ties in with the coolant system. So no engine or real maintenance to perform. These have been around a long time. They do not combust the fuel they burn it (from an emissions standpoint, its a big difference) and they are very fuel efficient.

I think it is rather interesting idea. I don't think I'd be driving long enough distances in the winter to get a net gain from it, but I could see the argument where some would.

Now if it was a factory option...

https://www.webasto.com/en-us/heating/coolant-heaters/thermo-top-evo.html

 

[Heliian]

The technology is mostly for diesel engines that already have a diesel tank and easily accessible coolant loops.

I highly doubt you'd ever see any benefit with a lightning. You'd have to save a lot of kwhs to cover the cost of parts/install/opération.

We need an update from diesel heater guy on how it worked out with his.

 

[GarageMahal]

Its been done and it has an impact. How much depends on the specific use case.

The real question is do you regularly need more range in winter? No point in doing it if you don't.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

In the 1970's back before direct fuel injection engines, winter starting was a big deal in -40 weather.
I had an online electric heater in my 77 mercury monarch - it plugged in like a block heater but heated and recirculated the coolant. As long as you had the cabin heater settings on, it also heated up the cabin area from unimaginable cold to tolerable cool.
For the cost of 5kWh of electricity the pre-condition the cab and warm up battery/electric motors conveniently for low cost.
The idea of a diesel heater to heat the cab and the batteries during hwy travelling, could reduce "environmental" load the truck reports along with the cabin heating required. In cold weather these are reported by the truck to be about 14% of the battery load if I remember correcectly - I have only had the truck since February 2025.

How much trouble it would be to install the inline heater, a fuel tank, some type of controls for it, and if it would cause other unintended issues - ie too much heat when the truck is actually trying to cool down a hot motor etc. could be the real issue.

It would be fun to pull into a fuel station and pump diesel into a Lightning...comical even.

 

[Joe.....Montana]

For OP it is less about "savings" or ROI but being able to actually achieve necessary range in winter. Living in a cold state and putting the Lightning on the shelf (no interstate driving) from December - February I can relate. Although I don't think I would install the device, it is enticing so that we could use the Lightning for winter road tripping.

 

[CD4TNF]

Thank you Timeless Epoch for clarifying a well used tech that works. I looked at a schematic cutaway diagram of it. I grant it may burn cleaner than an ICE generator. I question the goal of using emission generating tech...that goes against my goal of an emissions free vehicle.

I would not want any mods done to the Lightning battery management cooling system. It's a critical system that's closely monitored by the truck. Changes to that system is going to be unexpected by the Lightning's monitoring system and potentially go outside it's parameters.


Agreed with NW Ontario Lightning. Unintended gremlins doesn't sound like a fun time.

 

[Grumpy2]

Is this the winter "range loss" solve? Particularly for road trips?

Here is the entry you may find interesting on this topic.
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/diesel-heater-new-video-of-it-running.12863/

In some cases I could see a diesel heater would be useful, but for most folks preconditioning the battery using the grid would be simpler while having no impact to the 8 year warranty.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Nope and I'd laugh at the salesperson.

 

[22legit2quit]

Sounds cool, but someone else basically said and I agree, the “magic pill” is quite elusive here. The massive headwind in the winter coupled with the already cold temp. Is likely
more of a cause, just my experience having made a few long trips this winter in subzero temps. I mean plugging in a small space heater in the cab, might get you the same energy savings than using the factory installed one.

There is some interesting work being done with small scale hydrogen generators and making the hydrogen solid state inert and having a hydrolysis like reaction to keep it safe, clean and greatly more efficient than electric or ice. Mostly by Japanese companies like Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi. If they’re able to do what they’ve been slowly releasing into the scientific community this would be a long term, quantum leap type scenario. Although, I’m sure big oil will try to keep this down.

I’d say that looking for things in the short term, you may as well buy the heated jackets and pants for a motorcycle and try that out, I have when riding solo and it does help but the wife finds it ridiculous. Or keep yourself bundled up and run the defrost only when you need to. All joking aside, it’s a problem that can be solved only with your individual desire to be ok with whatever solution you arrive at. I’m with everyone here trying to make things work better and trying to share something constructive, but this is a difficult one. Someone in here is probably an electrician/ electrical engineer that has the background to explain it much better than I.

Sponsored