Volvo XC40 Forums

Just been reading the manual, yes I know not something we blokes tend to do, it says preconditioning when plugged in before driving can increase the range of the battery. Anyone tested this ?

I guess it means charging it before using. The plug in hybrid will charge the battery as it drives, but if you start off with a fully charged from the mains battery it makes sense.

I think it's referring to using the climate preconditioning whilst it's still plugged in.

I find it reduces the range. It may be because I'm connected by a granny charger, but preconditioning takes the full 10A from the mains and I thing takes some from the battery too. In any event, after the 30 minutes preconditioning, the battery range starts at about 20 miles and drops to about 18 quite quickly. Maybe getting the full 16A charge will prevent this?

Two things are happening here

Firstly by warming the battery (or cooling in summer) the battery chemistry is at its most efficient. I'm sure we can debate all day if it's noticeable or measurable

But think about when you get into a cold car. You turn on the rear screen, front screen, heated seats, heated steering wheel and the engine is running cold so less efficient. Not surprisingly in the first few miles, the battery (and/or fuel economy) takes a battering with all these demands. The idea of heating whilst still plugged in is that all these energy demands are powered from the mains power rather than the engine or battery and thus don't deplete the battery literally in the first 5 minutes.

Of course there is also the "smug factor". Getting into a lovely warm car with defrosted windows and warm seats on a cold dark December morning is really rather nice isn't it

Except, as I described above, it does deplete the battery.

Greggspies wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 5:50 pm Except, as I described above, it does deplete the battery.

It maybe down to your use of a granny charger (as you point out)

I find that even when pre heating the car on an icy morning for the full 30 minutes, I still have a full 24 miles of range as I pull off the drive.

I am however using a proper 7kW wall charger at home allowing the car to pull a full 3.7kW via the onboard charger

Greggspies wrote: ↑Sat Dec 04, 2021 7:51 pm I find it reduces the range. It may be because I'm connected by a granny charger, but preconditioning takes the full 10A from the mains and I thing takes some from the battery too. In any event, after the 30 minutes preconditioning, the battery range starts at about 20 miles and drops to about 18 quite quickly. Maybe getting the full 16A charge will prevent this?

Strange Im on a granny charger at home. Preconditioning the car when plugged in does not DECREASE my range. I still start off the drive with 27 miles. Preconditioning means the cars heated up so the batter doesn't have to use more energy to get the car heated

Greggspies wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 5:50 pm Except, as I described above, it does deplete the battery.

Doesn't deplete mine so I think you need to get the car in maybe needs an update?

I seem to struggle to get the pre-conditioning to work at all!! Always seems to throw up an error