Important points
- Ford has released an Android Auto update to streamline the charging process for EV owners.
- This update includes integration of charging station route planning on Google Maps.
- New on-road battery preconditioning feature improves charging and long-term battery health.
Modern cars and their one-display-do-everything touchscreen mentality can be annoying at best and dangerously distracting at worst. To make your life a little easier and safer, Ford is releasing an Android Auto update for Battery EV owners that greatly streamlines the charging process, making it more efficient while preserving the health of your battery when it matters most. Target.
related
8 Android Auto settings you didn’t know you needed to change
These setting changes give you more control over Android Auto
Let Android Auto do the mapping
Find and schedule the right charging station, and charge while you go
Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners have long enjoyed integrating charging stations into their route planning on Apple Maps. Ford noted in January that such integration was in the works, and we’ve received official information that an over-the-air update is in the process of being rolled out starting today.
Source: Ford
When traveling long distances with batteries, range and charging station availability are the biggest concerns. To help alleviate both of these, our new Directions feature covers four critical points when planning your entire trip and guiding your navigation with Google Maps.
- An estimate of how much battery power you have left when you arrive at each scheduled stop
- Recommendations on which charger locations are best to target
- Recommended minimum spend you should continue to reach
- There are facilities nearby to rejuvenate your body without making your waiting time boring.
Two more interesting improvements complete the long-requested integration. One is to add compatible Tesla Superchargers along the route. This is only useful thanks to the widespread installation of the network. Even more novel is the ability to pre-condition the battery when approaching a DC fast charger.
Battery preconditioning may sound like an afterthought, but it’s an important feature that doesn’t get enough attention. Heat is the enemy of battery cells, especially when charging outside the optimal temperature range, which can slow down chemical processes and increase battery drain excessively. As the most important component of an EV, it is important to improve the health of the battery.
related
5 things Android Auto can learn from Apple CarPlay
Google could take a cue from Apple’s car-friendly dashboard and improve a thing or two.
To take advantage of the new update, make sure all your apps are fully updated (which you should do anyway) and connect your phone to Android Auto on your Ford EV as usual. Fully charged and hit the road with confidence!
