Question on Battery Preconditioning for Hot Weather Charging

[Reverto_Mnt]

I’ve been wondering how our F-150 Lightning handles preconditioning during hot weather, especially with DC fast charging. After chatting with some folks on the Mach-E forum and a few Ford sources, it seems that while the Mach-E has a set battery temperature range for optimal charging, there’s no clear info about whether our Lightnings actively 'pre-chill' the battery en route to a charger in high temps.

From what I gather, the Mach-E’s software cools the battery if it gets above 95-104ºF, but I’m curious if our Lightnings have any additional measures that cool the battery beyond that range, especially in really hot areas like Arizona. Would love to hear from anyone who’s tested this out or from fellow Lightning drivers in warmer climates, how does your truck’s cooling handle a hot battery during a charging session?

Ford mentioned that the Lightning’s cooling system is beefed up compared to the Mach-E, especially for those with the Max-Tow package, so I’m hopeful.

 

[Adachi_Tohru]

I’ve been wondering how our F-150 Lightning handles preconditioning during hot weather, especially with DC fast charging. After chatting with some folks on the Mach-E forum and a few Ford sources, it seems that while the Mach-E has a set battery temperature range for optimal charging, there’s no clear info about whether our Lightnings actively 'pre-chill' the battery en route to a charger in high temps.

From what I gather, the Mach-E’s software cools the battery if it gets above 95-104ºF, but I’m curious if our Lightnings have any additional measures that cool the battery beyond that range, especially in really hot areas like Arizona. Would love to hear from anyone who’s tested this out or from fellow Lightning drivers in warmer climates, how does your truck’s cooling handle a hot battery during a charging session?

Ford mentioned that the Lightning’s cooling system is beefed up compared to the Mach-E, especially for those with the Max-Tow package, so I’m hopeful.

The Lightning’s cooling system, especially with the Max-Tow package, is built to handle higher heat levels, so it should do well even in hot areas. I haven’t tested mine in super high heat yet, but I did notice the cooling system working harder when charging on a hot day. While there’s no official word on pre-chilling like the Mach-E, I’ve noticed the system cools more aggressively when charging in hot weather, especially at a DC fast charger. It would be nice if Ford clarified this for Lightning owners, but overall, the truck seems well-equipped to manage high battery temps during charging.

 

[ria.macaisa]

So it seems like Ford doesn't do preconditioning the same way other cars do. Like, my wife's car, it lets you turn it on or off whenever you want.I'm not sure if Ford even needs it. I drive a lot, and the battery gets warm just from driving around.

maybe it's only a big deal in really cold places, but I live in [your state], so I don't really worry about it

 

[d'chipmunk]

The Lightning seems to have a beefier thermal system than the Mach-E, particularly with the larger coolant loop and extra capacity for towing. But hot weather preconditioning is still a bit of a question mark. It seems like the Lightning will actively cool the battery if it gets too hot, but there's no confirmation that it pre-cools the battery before you get to a charger like some other EVs do.