Remote start to warm battery?

[Cottonwood]

Yesterday, we got the first good winter temps of the season in Boulder. I was at a concert for about 3 hours and the MS had a chance to cold soak outside in temperatures dropping from 20˚F to 17˚F over those 3 hours. I had plenty of charge, a short drive home, and luckily remembered to turn on the climate control with the App. 45 min before I got to the car, I set the interior temp to 79˚F, and then recycled it at 20 minutes before getting to the car. (the climate control times out at 30 min) As I walked down the street to my MS, it stood out dramatically with water drop covered windows while all the other cars had their 3/4" of fluffy snow dust covering them. I got into a nicely warmed car, but to my surprise the regen was limited to 30 kW.

In this example of ~18˚, 3 hour cold soak with a 45 min warm up, the battery was not up to full operating temps. It may have warmed up some or just did not get that cold, because there was no motive power limit that I saw on cold, overnight soaks last year. Given the slippery roads and in town driving, the 30kW regen limit was barely noticeable.

 

[taurusking]

Like Stevezzzz say, use the App to turn on climate control. Set the heat up to quite high (26C or so). Also set the timer so that the charging ends just before you start to drive. Also it helps if you turn off range mode (from the Settings screen) when you plug in the car. (I wish that you could adjust range mode from the App so that you could turn it off if you forgot.)

I tried this today and I did not see big change in the energy consumption and it felt really good.. This works like a charm..:smile:

Only caveat to this is that I was wearing a jacket since it was very cold outside and then sat in the car which was already heated up and then I started sweating on the way to work:tongue:

 

[AmpedRealtor]

At a public meeting in Europe with Elon, someone suggested that and Elon nodded and he said 'I agree'.

Elon also thought that "valet mode" was a good idea, and said that reverse camera backup lines were coming as a point release after 6.0... Here's to hoping!

 

[islandbayy]

Yesterday, we got the first good winter temps of the season in Boulder. I was at a concert for about 3 hours and the MS had a chance to cold soak outside in temperatures dropping from 20˚F to 17˚F over those 3 hours. I had plenty of charge, a short drive home, and luckily remembered to turn on the climate control with the App. 45 min before I got to the car, I set the interior temp to 79˚F, and then recycled it at 20 minutes before getting to the car. (the climate control times out at 30 min) As I walked down the street to my MS, it stood out dramatically with water drop covered windows while all the other cars had their 3/4" of fluffy snow dust covering them. I got into a nicely warmed car, but to my surprise the regen was limited to 30 kW.

In this example of ~18˚, 3 hour cold soak with a 45 min warm up, the battery was not up to full operating temps. It may have warmed up some or just did not get that cold, because there was no motive power limit that I saw on cold, overnight soaks last year. Given the slippery roads and in town driving, the 30kW regen limit was barely noticeable.

The car will not heat the pack to a 100% operating temp. The pack heater consumes A LOT of power (Understatement). The limitation at 30kw Regen is the cut off point. The battery will be at a good temp, and 30kW still gives enough regen.
I have found that one hard acceleration onto the freeway generates enough heat to remove the 30kW limit.

 

[tezco]

I keep my garage at 34F and usually preheat for about 20 mins on shore power @ 30A, but often I get the regen limit if I haven't charged immediately prior. Guess it takes a lot to heat up that pack.

 

[islandbayy]

I keep my garage at 34F and usually preheat for about 20 mins on shore power @ 30A, but often I get the regen limit if I haven't charged immediately prior. Guess it takes a lot to heat up that pack.

I will have to say, that is a MASSIVE UNDERSTATEMENT. It's best to just get in and drive. The car will take care of it's self. Unless your at, say -32F like I was last year.... In that case, the car had the pack heater on most of the night....

 

[tezco]

I just do the preheat for the sake of a warm cabin.

 

[astrotoy]

Don't need to preheat. Just move to California, but bring your own water :smile:. Another advantage to the Tesla over an ICE, no radiator.

 

[Chipper]

Don't need to preheat. Just move to California, but bring your own water :smile:. Another advantage to the Tesla over an ICE, no radiator.

Actually the Tesla DOES have a radiator. In fact, I read recently it has not one but three. That is why there are intake louvers on the front of the car.

 

[mibaro2]

Stevezzzz remembered my tricks well.

By finishing the charge within an hour of departure, and preheating the cabin to 80˚F, 26˚C, during that last hour (you have to turn on the climate control multiple times), I have been able to drive almost 30 minutes with climate control off in the car and use only the seat heaters for the last 15 minutes with outside temps at 30˚F, -1˚C. Starting with a warm cabin and a warm battery heated on shore power are essential for maximizing range when it's cold.

See Realistic Range Expectations in Crummy Winter Weather - Hypermiling in the Winter...Brrr for one of my winter adventures in the Model S last year.

This is my first winter with my S85, so this week when the temperatures were close to freezing, I followed this advice. Had my charging stop almost when I was ready to leave, and preheated the cabin using shore power. Seems to work well. I turn off the cabin heater, and just use the seat heater when I start driving.
I found that my windows were fogging up after a few minutes of driving. The only way to clear it was turning on the cabin heater.
Is there another way to prevent the windows from fogging up?

 

[Cottonwood]

This is my first winter with my S85, so this week when the temperatures were close to freezing, I followed this advice. Had my charging stop almost when I was ready to leave, and preheated the cabin using shore power. Seems to work well. I turn off the cabin heater, and just use the seat heater when I start driving.
I found that my windows were fogging up after a few minutes of driving. The only way to clear it was turning on the cabin heater.
Is there another way to prevent the windows from fogging up?

That's a common problem. If you fiddle around with the climate control settings, you can get a "fan only" mode that works for a while. Another choice is to leave the climate control in auto with a "blue" front defrost that blows a little more air on the windshield and ratchet the temp setting down as the cabin temp falls. If you watch the little fan icon, you are doing this well if the air coming out of the vents is slightly warm, moving slowly and the fan icon only has one blade showing.

You can tell have that I get a little bored driving 55 mph on lonely remote highways hypermiling through the cold...

 

[mibaro2]

That's a common problem. If you fiddle around with the climate control settings, you can get a "fan only" mode that works for a while. Another choice is to leave the climate control in auto with a "blue" front defrost that blows a little more air on the windshield and ratchet the temp setting down as the cabin temp falls. If you watch the little fan icon, you are doing this well if the air coming out of the vents is slightly warm, moving slowly and the fan icon only has one blade showing.

You can tell have that I get a little bored driving 55 mph on lonely remote highways hypermiling through the cold...

Thks for the advice. Sounds like you have had a lot of time to figure out the best way to conserve energy in the cold.

 

[islandbayy]

Thks for the advice. Sounds like you have had a lot of time to figure out the best way to conserve energy in the cold.

Their is a GREAT solution (LITERALLY!)
I used FOG Pro. Fog Fight 100ml Kit - www.CarPro-US.com worth EVERY Penny. When I had a loaner for a day this week, I couldnt believe how much of a difference it had made for me. Loaner was fogged up constantly, while I have been 100% fog free since first getting it. It lasts about 3 months per application, unless you wipe your windows or clean them. I only do it on my windshield now. Worth it!!!

 

[scottm]

Would plugging into 110V help to warm the battery? (after full charge received). My 220 is only active between 11 PM and 7 AM, but I could plug into a regular outlet, wondering if that would help.

I beg to clarify previous opinions / answers...

My findings are, with 110V NEMA 5/15 will charge the battery if you've arrived with a warm pack.
Tested in -18C conditions to be true, got battery back to full SOC after my workday of charging.

There is not enough juice in this connection to operate climate without also taking power from battery.
Tested in -18C conditions to be true, the charge rate will continue at 6 km/hr (12A/120V draw), but the time remaining to charge continues to grow, unbounded, so long as climate is on heating the car. Well, unbounded only until you or the timer on remote climate turns it off. That's probably one of the reasons why remote climate has a timer.

Nor is there enough juice in this connection to heat a cold battery pack to the point of being able to accept a charge, on a stone cold battery. Battery heater takes way more power than climate heater... I would just hate to be the poor sucker who has a cold pack in say -15C, low SOC, and needs charging to get anywhere and all you are facing is a NEMA 5/15 or 5/20 receptacle.

Give up, call a tow truck. Or, light a small fire under the car... air suspension on max height, would help. :wink:


- - - Updated - - -

The car will not heat the pack to a 100% operating temp. The pack heater consumes A LOT of power (Understatement). The limitation at 30kw Regen is the cut off point. The battery will be at a good temp, and 30kW still gives enough regen.
I have found that one hard acceleration onto the freeway generates enough heat to remove the 30kW limit.

Regen is for sissies! Who needs any regen on a freeway anyway? :tongue:

- - - Updated - - -

That's a common problem. If you fiddle around with the climate control settings, you can get a "fan only" mode that works for a while. Another choice is to leave the climate control in auto with a "blue" front defrost that blows a little more air on the windshield and ratchet the temp setting down as the cabin temp falls. If you watch the little fan icon, you are doing this well if the air coming out of the vents is slightly warm, moving slowly and the fan icon only has one blade showing.

You can tell have that I get a little bored driving 55 mph on lonely remote highways hypermiling through the cold...

..now why doesn't the car do THIS for us automatically when we hit the "auto" button for climate.
Maybe needs to be a "hyper auto" button for climate that follows this pattern w/o having to think.