Tips for Maximizing Range on My Ford Focus Electric?

Hello,


I have recently become a proud owner of a Ford Focus Electric and I am loving the experience so far. However; I am looking for some advice on how to get the most out of my vehicle in terms of range.

What are your best tips for maximizing the battery life and extending the driving range? I have already checked https://www.myfocuselectric.com/forums/general-ford-focus-electric-splunkdiscussion-forum.14/



Are there specific driving habits or maintenance practices that have worked well for you?



Thanks in advance for your help!

Hello. Here is what i do when i have time and not in a hurry: smooth acceleration, driving slow apeed (if that does not disturb traffic), and when i need to decelerate i use coasting by putting gear in neatral. I'm putting it back to drive almost before complete stop, to regenerate last movement before pressing brake.

Also no heating when cold. I installed heated windshield so it wuold not fog during driving. And use heated seat for my but.t In summer it's fine to use A/C - range does not drop so drastically.

Kasputis said:

i use coasting by putting gear in neatral. I'm putting it back to drive almost before complete stop,

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I don't believe that is saving energy and may be using more. Coasting in neutral cancels all regen and should you start pressing the brake pedal, the braking will be 100% friction until you put it back in gear. Coasting in gear will regenerate energy back to the battery. Sure, you may not start coasting as early, but the amount of energy needed to maintain a speed a bit longer is miniscule in the big picture. All speed lost while coasting in neutral is lost to some form of friction.

Leaving it in gear, the car will automatically switch from sending power to the motor, using regen from the motor, or neither as needed based on how you're applying pressure to the accelerator. Check out the Power Flow app on the screen (if you have it - I believe it is only in Sync 3) to see where the energy is or isn't flowing. Overall, I suspect you'll get the best range possible in gear.

I pretty much leave my shifter in "Low" which applies a more aggressive regen and I adjust the right time to coast when approaching a stop. If I'm slowing too fast, I can shift back to "Drive" as needed.

Hello,

What do you mean by the 'installed heated windshield "

Can you please clarify?

calvinhc said:

I don't believe that is saving energy and may be using more.

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I have read scientific article what is the most efficient stopping method. Coasting means that you ride freely without using friction brakes, and the earlier you start to coast before stopping, the more range you can get without using electricity. Trip meter shows average consumption after going somewhere, and i can see improvement by using this method.

Regeneration is great, I use it also when there is no time for long slow coasting. It's much better than ICE car where you waste everything as heat and even burn fuel while stopping. But regeneration still has electricall losses. Motor does not make all mechanical energy to electricity, battery does not take all of that generated electricity and you get at best 80% energy back to battery. So thats how simply riding in neutral can be more efficient.


Sam,

I had to physically change winshield and button in cabin. Taken those parts from ICE focus. And for controling winshield heating i had to come up with my own control box, becouse apparantly our BCM module does not support windshield button input. (output for relay works fine) Somwhere on this forum i posted pictures