Storage mode

[jeffand]

The ability to program the car so it only charges to only about 80%. This is good for when full driving range is not needed. Also to promotes longer battery life. This should lessen range reduction as the battery ages over time. Most EV don't charge the battery to 100% of the full capacity. Doing so will degrade the battery faster. Instead the FFE charges the battery to about 92%. This improves the over all life of the battery.

 

[michael]

Not just 80%, but ability to set it to any value, just like Tesla provides. I need only 70% to reach my next recharge point, have to stop the charging manually.

 

[jmueller065]

I keep seeing people request this feature for prolonging the battery life, but as far as I can tell nobody has really lost any battery capacity? There are people on here with FFEs that are almost two years old now..none of them have reported any significant loss of capacity.

 

[twscrap]

Unless you run it out completely on a semi regular basis, you may not notice a loss.

 

[dmen]

I keep seeing people request this feature for prolonging the battery life, but as far as I can tell nobody has really lost any battery capacity? There are people on here with FFEs that are almost two years old now..none of them have reported any significant loss of capacity.

Pretty sure I've seen some small capacity losses posted between this forum and myfordmobile. The only one I remember for sure was Palo Alto Jim on the other site: measured 17.5 kWh capacity at 21000 miles. He said temp was 5-10C which is 40-50F, sounds cold for Palo Alto but anyway... That might account for a bit of the difference but my car's battery capacity seems much less affected by cool/not freezing temps: with ~10k miles on the car I measured more like 18.5 capacity at temps around 50F, which went back up to 19.4 when the weather warmed up.
So if our testing is compatible I'd say this shows one car with 5% capacity loss after 21000 miles in a mild climate. Not bad.

 

[v_traveller]

I keep seeing people request this feature for prolonging the battery life, but as far as I can tell nobody has really lost any battery capacity? There are people on here with FFEs that are almost two years old now..none of them have reported any significant loss of capacity.

After 21000 miles in 16 months I have no noticeable loss in capacity. But I still try to keep the battery as close to 50% SOC as possible because even under ideal environmental conditions the battery will degrade based on # of charge cycles and the depth of those charge cycles. I'm turning my FFE in at the end of its lease (most likely for another FFE), so perhaps I shouldn't care about battery life, but I want to do my part in leaving the next owner(s) with a battery capacity that's useable for a long, long, time.

 

[michael]

I can't see any reason to resist providing this feature. Maybe it's not necessary, but maybe it's helpful. Why not provide the option and let those of us who believe there is advantage in minimizing charge levels have peace of mind. And give us a way to stop charging without running outdoors to unplug (which, incidentally disables thermal control).

Once the damage is done, there is no undoing it. Please just provide the feature and those who don't wan't to use it can fully charge every time.

 

[scoops]

Please just provide the feature and those who don't wan't to use it can fully charge every time.

What do you want Michael?! An EV with EV features?! It's not like Ford has been selling the same exact car for 3 years now! Do you think this is a Tesla where you actually get continued support and updates?! :evil:

The above is written with a very sarcastic tone... Duh.

I expect at least one major software update from Ford for my FFE that fixes a few of the two dozen or so bugs and adds some of the roughly dozen missing features. Otherwise this will be my last Ford in a long while. (Big whoop... :roll: )

 

[michael]

At first I got a little hot under the collar til I realized...

Despite the shortcomings, I think this is a very good car. But I do wish they would update the features...wouldn't increase manufacturing cost, simply would make it a better, even more attractive product.

For what it's worth, Volt also has its share of blemishes. But I would pick these cars above anything else I could possibly afford.

 

[scoops]

At first I got a little hot under the collar til I realized...

Despite the shortcomings, I think this is a very good car. But I do wish they would update the features...wouldn't increase manufacturing cost, simply would make it a better, even more attractive product.

For what it's worth, Volt also has its share of blemishes. But I would pick these cars above anything else I could possibly afford.

I agree Michael,

There are currently no other EVs available in my state (and price range) that can beat the FFE. I just really wish that Ford & MS would fix the many bugs in MFT and sync. I love driving my FFE but as it currently stands I will not be keeping the car after the lease is over because of these issues.

 

[zolorin]

It is already done. This is why it is only 80 to 85% of the rated capacity

 

[michael]

It is already done. This is why it is only 80 to 85% of the rated capacity

Right, but I mean yet another 80%....a real "easy on the battery" level for those days I don't need all the available range. I currently accomplish this by walking outside and unplugging. The car is one big computer...it should be possible to do this automatically.

Most days I need only about 10 kWh each way for my commute. I manually stop the charging around 75% (of the 100% shown on the dash). This provides roughly 14 kWh usable so I have plenty of reserve

Incidentally...normal charge (100% on the dash) turns out to be about 90% state of charge as reported on an OBD scanner. The battery runs between approx 90% SOC and 8% SOC, thus approx 82% of its full capacity.