Many Volkswagen EVs Don't Have Battery Preconditioning. Now, There's A Solution

"Many of the early MEB-based Volkswagen Group EVs don't have a battery preconditioning feature, despite the cars having the necessary hardware for it. The Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4 and ID. Buzz, as well as the Skoda Enyaq and Cupra Born are among the affected models. Without battery preconditioning, fast charging in cold climates can be very time-consuming. Now, though, there's a solution. The first batch of Volkswagen's modern electric cars was not without fault."

"In MEB-based EVs assembled anywhere from 2021 to early 2024, there is no way to preheat the high-voltage battery pack before plugging into a DC fast charger. As a result, it will take longer to charge when it's cold outside because the battery restricts power if it's not at the ideal temperature. What makes it even more frustrating is the fact that these cars have all the hardware needed to keep the battery at the right temperature."

"The solution, which was created by security engineer Fredrik Gustafsson, comes in the form of a small circuit board that taps into the car's battery management system (BMS) harness. Gustafsson has instructions on his GitHub page, but here's the gist of it. The small circuit board that sends commands to the BMS needs to be programmed using a separate USB dongle."

Many early MEB-based Volkswagen Group EVs lack a manual battery preconditioning control, though the vehicles include the necessary hardware. Affected models include Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID. Buzz, Skoda Enyaq and Cupra Born built from 2021 to early 2024. Without preconditioning, DC fast charging is slower in cold climates because the battery restricts power until it reaches ideal temperature. The vehicles automatically prevent batteries dropping too low using the heater and coolant pump but do not allow manual preheat. Security engineer Fredrik Gustafsson developed a DIY solution using a small circuit board that interfaces with the BMS. The board requires programming via a separate USB dongle and connects to the BMS harness via an extension cable.

Read at insideevs.com