Explanation
Preconditioning is when your car actively heats or cools the battery to bring it to the optimal temperature range for fast charging, typically between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius. This happens while you drive toward a fast charger, using energy from the battery to run the thermal management system.
When preconditioning works well, you arrive at the charger with a battery at the perfect temperature, and your car ramps up to peak charging speed quickly. Without preconditioning, especially in cold weather, the battery might be too cold for fast charging. The car will limit power to protect the cells, and you might see only 50 kW when your car is capable of 200 kW.
Most modern EVs precondition automatically when you set a fast charger as your navigation destination. Tesla, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, and others all support this. The key is to use the car's built-in navigation to route to the charger. If you use Google Maps or Waze on your phone instead, some cars will not know to start preconditioning. Check your car's manual or settings to see how preconditioning is triggered.
Read more at U.S. Department of Energy AFDC.
Where you'll see this
- On your car dashboard
Common confusion
Drivers sometimes think preconditioning only matters in winter. While cold weather has the biggest impact, preconditioning can also help in extreme heat by cooling an overheated battery before a fast charge.
Example
A Tesla Model 3 in winter without preconditioning might charge at 80 kW initially. With preconditioning active for 20 minutes before arrival, it can reach 200 kW almost immediately.
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