doates625
New member
- Likes
- 0
- Location
- Amherst, NH
TLDR: I reached out to Stark Future with cold weather questions and suggested a built-in battery heater for cold weather charging and storage. The rep answered my questions, loved the suggestion, and passed it onto the engineers.
I asked the questions below:
"I have an unheated garage and where I live it gets down to under 10F (-12C). If I leave the bike plugged into the charger and set to 50% with the new software:
1. Will it warm the battery enough to let it charge (> 0C), or does the battery only have a cooler?
If it only has a cooler, I suggest future models have a battery heater for cold climates that runs off the charger when plugged in and can be turned on and off via the Stark Varg phone app.
2. Will it keep the battery topped off at 50% and counteract phantom drain, or will the battery drain indefinitely after reaching 50% the first time and require I unplug and plug it in again?
3. If it does top off, how much does the battery drain (in %) before it starts topping off again?"
I just got back a great detailed response with some interesting insights I thought would be worth sharing:
"Thank you for your detailed questions regarding the battery management in cold climates. Here are the answers to your queries:
Please let us know if there’s anything else we can assist you with."
In short, if you leave the Stark Varg plugged in and set to 50% charge, it should maintain at 40-50%, with the should being a CYA. Still wise to check every few weeks to be sure. I'm replying to ask if battery charging is throttled or disabled automatically by SW at cold temperatures or if it's the responsibility of the user, and will try to remember to post the reply when I get it.
I asked the questions below:
"I have an unheated garage and where I live it gets down to under 10F (-12C). If I leave the bike plugged into the charger and set to 50% with the new software:
1. Will it warm the battery enough to let it charge (> 0C), or does the battery only have a cooler?
If it only has a cooler, I suggest future models have a battery heater for cold climates that runs off the charger when plugged in and can be turned on and off via the Stark Varg phone app.
2. Will it keep the battery topped off at 50% and counteract phantom drain, or will the battery drain indefinitely after reaching 50% the first time and require I unplug and plug it in again?
3. If it does top off, how much does the battery drain (in %) before it starts topping off again?"
I just got back a great detailed response with some interesting insights I thought would be worth sharing:
"Thank you for your detailed questions regarding the battery management in cold climates. Here are the answers to your queries:
- Battery Heating: The current models typically have a cooling system but may not have a dedicated battery heater. If the battery is exposed to temperatures below 0°C (32°F), it may not charge effectively. Your suggestion for a battery heater that operates when plugged in is excellent and could be beneficial for future models. I will pass this feedback along to the development team.
- Topping Off the Battery: If you leave the bike plugged in at 50%, it should maintain that level and counteract phantom drain. However, the specifics can depend on the battery management system. In some cases, it may require unplugging and plugging back in if the battery drains significantly.
- Battery Drain Before Topping Off: The exact percentage at which the battery will start topping off again can vary based on the battery management system's settings. Typically, it may start to recharge when it drops to around 40-45%, but this can differ.
Please let us know if there’s anything else we can assist you with."
In short, if you leave the Stark Varg plugged in and set to 50% charge, it should maintain at 40-50%, with the should being a CYA. Still wise to check every few weeks to be sure. I'm replying to ask if battery charging is throttled or disabled automatically by SW at cold temperatures or if it's the responsibility of the user, and will try to remember to post the reply when I get it.