Cybertruck AWD cold-weather efficiency test in freezing temperatures

[Thunderstrike44]

Was the 7% loss real, or 7% blue bars due to the cold?
If you defrost the truck (or activate climate in general) from the app it will also warm the pack.
To really heat it up requires unplugging, sitting in the truck, and setting destination to a Supercharger (no need to drive). This is only worthwhile if starting a long trip and you have time to top off the charge afterwards. It pulls around 16kW in this mode, so 10 minutes with Supercharger preheating is around 3% soc and takes 20-30 minutes to replace.

Yes according to the numbers, again I am learning here, so usually I look at the gauge in miles but I am finding the % a little more useable to see the loss overnight. Because to many variables go into the Calculation of Miles (or are not accounted for) I started to see the % since that what you charge in not miles of charge.

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[Thunderstrike44]

Unfortunately, Tesla uses the term "preconditioning" to refer both to climate controls and to battery temperature management.

The option in the app is for cabin climate. The battery preconditioning is not a user-selectable option, but rather is automatic when a Supercharger is the selected destination.

The advantage of activating climate before departure is that it uses shore power.

So if I plug in my Tier 2 Charger but not start it and heat the cabin it will use the shore power and not from the battery? Or do I need to be charging to do that?

 

[Thunderstrike44]

Preconditioning is primarily for the battery, not for the cabin. Yes, you get the benefit of the cabin being raised to your desired temp, but the primary reason is normally to get the battery sufficiently warmed up to get better w/mile and/or for fast(er) charging.

I am going to experiment with pre heating the cabin to 67°F (my setting) 20 minutes before I leave and see what that does. Thanks for the suggestion and explanation.

 

[mongo]

Unfortunately, Tesla uses the term "preconditioning" to refer both to climate controls and to battery temperature management.

The option in the app is for cabin climate. The battery preconditioning is not a user-selectable option, but rather is automatic when a Supercharger is the selected destination.

The advantage of activating climate before departure is that it uses shore power.

Cabin preconditioning also heats the battery.
Supercharger preconditioning boosts pack heating to much higher power levels.
11 minutes of climate on took the pack from 0C/-4C to 6C/-3C in -14C ambient with rear drive unit heating (beast).

 

[mongo]

So if I plug in my Tier 2 Charger but not start it and heat the cabin it will use the shore power and not from the battery? Or do I need to be charging to do that?

It will heat the pack as well as the cabin. The app won't show that it is using shore power, but it is (can check vehicle UI, mobile connector or wall connector lights).

 

[carsly]

So if I plug in my Tier 2 Charger but not start it and heat the cabin it will use the shore power and not from the battery? Or do I need to be charging to do that?

It will heat the pack as well as the cabin. The app won't show that it is using shore power, but it is (can check vehicle UI, mobile connector or wall connector lights).

the app will have the animation of power flowing from the charger to the vehicle, at least for Tesla wall and mobile chargers

 

[mongo]

the app will have the animation of power flowing from the charger to the vehicle, at least for Tesla wall and mobile chargers

Not on my Android phone, it just shows the solid green charge cord, no flow.

 

[CyberGus]

Not on my Android phone, it just shows the solid green charge cord, no flow.

Since I have PowerShare, I can see in the app that A/C power goes to the UWC when preconditioning the climate.

 

[CyberGus]

Cabin preconditioning also heats the battery.
Supercharger preconditioning boosts pack heating to much higher power levels.

Right, the climate "preconditioning" gets the truck ready to drive, including (evidently) unfreezing the pack. But that's a very different proposition from heating the pack for Supercharging, which has a very high optimal temperature (~40ºC).

I'm pretty sure it doesn't pre-heat the pack in Texas summers lol

 

[Thunderstrike44]

the app will have the animation of power flowing from the charger to the vehicle, at least for Tesla wall and mobile chargers

Since I got a Autel Charger it may not work but I am going to try....

 

[Ula]

Did you have a lot of snow tracked into the vehicle? Condensation or moisture into the door switch bank could do that.

Yes it was a lot of snow and dirt trying to upload pictures...

 

[mongo]

Yes it was a lot of snow and dirt trying to upload pictures...

Gotcha,
There have been similar issues when people had the glass tinted and the installers were overly enthusiastic with the spray bottles.

 

[HaulingAss]

Simulating a typical day trip, because I was taking a typical day trip, here in a freezing NJ winter I preconditioned before departure on my 46 mile voyage. The truck then sat outside in freezing temps all day for about 10 hours before following the same 46 mile route on my return.

I expected worse, but was happy to average 2.38 mi/kwh in these frigid conditions implying real-world freezing range of over 280 miles: 2.38 mi/kwh x 120 kwh (leaving buffer) = 285 miles of real-world range in mostly highway travel.

Watch the short video for details and kindly consider liking and subscribing.

Yes, I don't know of any EVs that have heat management efficiency in cold weather that is anywhere near that of Tesla vehicles. Especially since the octovalve was introduced.

Since EPA standardized testing is only done at mild temperatures, the range ratings completely fail to account for how much further a Tesla will go in frigid conditions relative to the competition (if you can even call it that).

 

[HaulingAss]

From what I understand, it's ideal to keep your CT plugged in during the cold weather so the truck can heat the battery without needing to use juice from the battery.

Yes, this reduces the cycling of the traction battery, thus extending its useful life.

 

[HaulingAss]

I really don't get this preconditioning bit here? If this was so important why do we not have a button on the app to "Do it Now'.

The battery uses the same fluid to heat it as the cabin climate control uses. It's heated with the heat pump which can produce 2 to 4 times the amount of heat energy relative to the amount of energy it consumes. By preheating the cabin at home, the fluid has time to warm up (using shore power). It will also put a bit of heat into the battery if it's really cold but a battery can provide normal driving power when pretty cold without damage so the BMS doesn't try to heat it up to a warm temperature until you navigate to a Supercharger. But it will scavenge the waste heat from the computer and drive electronics on longer drives and some of that is used to gently warm the battery (even when not navigating to a Supercharger).

It's a very sophisticated and well-thought out thermal management system that is unmatched in the EV industry when it comes to efficiency. Most new car buyers don't even understand these differences between brands. The guys on the GM SIlverado and Ford EV forums are finding out just how much more juice they need in cold weather. And imagine the physics of trying to heat up a 212 kWh battery pack that has been cold-soaked at -20F for many hours! That is one more disadvantage of having a battery much bigger than needed for daily driving.

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