Battery Capacity

[sourcejockey]

I've had my 2012 FFE since October of last year. As you all know, the stated capacity of the battery is 23kWh. As you probably also noticed, you cannot actually use 23kWh of the battery pack. I have only been able to squeeze 16kWh out of the pack, leaving me with a significantly stunted range, and several SSNs. I brought it into the dealer, and communicated with Ford Corporate to determine the cause of the lost capacity. According to my conversation with corporate, it is expected to be unable to use 20-30% of the stated battery capacity. I'm in Southern California with beautifully warm weather, so I doubt temperature has anything to do with the difference.

Frankly, Ford advertising a capacity of 23 kWh when you can only use 16kWh is the same as them advertising a car with a 23 gallon gas tank, but 7 gallons is filled with concrete. Unusable.

I'd love to know from the board: how much of your battery are you able to use, and were you informed when you bought the car that you'd be unable to use the full battery pack?

 

[dmen]

I drove my FFE from full to 0 range using 19.8 kWh in ideal weather when it was basically new, <5000 miles on it. You'll see 19.5 often quoted here. Usable capacity is known to drop when operated at cold temps. For instance I used 16.5 kWh to get battery down to 7% when temps were 20-30F, for a usable capacity estimate of 17.7 kWh.

So 16 kWh is really low, esp if you are in So CA.

I believe the battery is warranted to keep 80% of original capacity for 100,000 miles. Based on my car's new capacity, you are already down to 80.8%. I would take this up with Ford.

 

[davideos]

The life of a Lithium Battery can be extended if you don't charge it all the way. It also isn't good to fully drain the battery either. So the reduced capacity is intended. True, Ford does advertise the capacity of the battery as 23KWhs when you cannot use the whole thing, but they are also doing what every other EV is doing. Not saying it is right. I did know that the full capacity could not be used when I bought the car. The only thing I really didn't know was how much range I would get....and that is hard to predict. Over the year I've had the car, I know how to drive to get the advertised range and then some. I don't drive that way normally...just when I need to go further than 76miles.

 

[unplugged]

I have only been able to squeeze 16kWh out of the pack, leaving me with a significantly stunted range, and several SSNs.

How do you guys know the amount of kWh's used? Are you using the dash readout, because that thing is not terribly accurate from what I have heard.

Has your usable kWh and/or range changed from when you purchased your FFE?

BTW, I don't think your comparison to advertising gas tank capacity is quite the same as advertising battery capacity. We all know how much a gallon is. Not so much a kWh. And the battery capacity is all relative. If Nissan, Chevy, Fiat, etc. don't use all the battery capacity in their cars, how is the expectation that Ford would do differently?

 

[sourcejockey]

How do you guys know the amount of kWh's used? Are you using the dash readout, because that thing is not terribly accurate from what I have heard.

Yeah, the dash readout. Ford never corrected me when I was discussing it.

Has your usable kWh and/or range changed from when you purchased your FFE?

No, it's always been pretty crappy.

BTW, I don't think your comparison to advertising gas tank capacity is quite the same as advertising battery capacity. We all know how much a gallon is. Not so much a kWh. And the battery capacity is all relative. If Nissan, Chevy, Fiat, etc. don't use all the battery capacity in their cars, how is the expectation that Ford would do differently?

Gas tank vs. battery capacity is exactly the same. Electric cars all have different consumption rates, just like gasoline powered cars. Not all gasoline powered cars have the same fuel tank capacity, and companies do show that capacity in the specifications.

 

[dmen]

How do you guys know the amount of kWh's used? Are you using the dash readout, because that thing is not terribly accurate from what I have heard.

From where have you heard that the dash energy display is not terribly accurate? I don't see any reason to question its accuracy any more than questioning the odometer's accuracy.

 

[unplugged]

From where have you heard that the dash energy display is not terribly accurate?

Maybe that was the MFM website number that wasn't accurate. So I probably had it the wrong way around. Frankly, I haven't paid much attention to my kWh use. I mostly concentrate on range.

 

[unplugged]

Has your usable kWh and/or range changed from when you purchased your FFE?

No, it's always been pretty crappy.

So what would you call crappy?

Since we're both from SoCal, in our normal 75 degree temp I can reliably (with a 10% reserve) get 65 miles going 65 mph. Around 110 doing stop and go or only city driving, or about 85 miles mixed highway/city driving. Note that elevation increases will have a major impact on range, so these numbers only apply to relatively level driving. Also, my driving is neither zippy nor sedate, although my brake score is 97%.

How are your numbers compared to this?

 

[sourcejockey]

The best I ever got was 80 miles, and that was while driving absurdly conservatively. On average, I'm seeing 60ish miles, though I *did* get 70 last night while drafting a semi... I rolled into my driveway with 1 mile left and a 220Wh/mi consumption--ridiculous.