Activating range plus function

[MikeP]

Does anyone know how this works? The handbook says:
RANGE PLUS charges when:
you have activated RANGE PLUS via the centre console prior to charging and
the high-voltage battery is fully charged.

So do you have to get back into the car after it’s fully charged, switch on the ignition, hit the range plus button, switch off the ignition and wait?
I’m asking because now the weather is cold and the car’s range has reduced to 50 miles - I can just about get it off my drive!
MikeP is confused!

 

[curmudgeon]

After parking, but before you charge the car, press the Range+ button. You'll see it light up, indicating that the next time it charges, it will do so to the deeper capacity. Plug in and charge normally. When done, you won't notice anything different. There's really no way to tell that you performed a full charge, except that when you start driving, you'll get to drive a few miles before you start to see the range meter come down from 100%.

Don't expect miracles, it's only a 10% bump or so. And in the cold, that's not a lot of extra range.

 

[MikeP]

Ah-ha! Many thanks curmudgeon! I shall give it a whirl.

 

[GlennD]

What is cold? I freeze at 40 degrees F. As been mentioned push the range button before charging. It adds 10% to the capacity . It goes from 80% to 90%. It does not show on the charge meter but the GOM does increase a bit.

 

[MikeP]

Thanks for the input, Glenn. I've pressed the magic button and, as you say, it seems to make hardly any difference. We're around freezing here; -3 deg Celcius at night and around +2 during the day. The range currently is 58 miles on a full, boosted, charge. Presumably the battery performance is degraded owing to reduced chemical reaction at low temperatures? I'm not a master of physics!

 

[GlennD]

I live in Southern California where 40 F is cold. I have never noticed any temperature degradation . I do know the battery has a heater if it is plugged in but I plan to never use it.