CONDITIONING AN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE BEFORE DEPARTURE

A system and method for controlling operation of an electric vehicle (10, 100), comprising a power assembly (12, 120) comprising an energy storage system (ESS), (14, 140) are provided. The method comprises, responsive to detecting a request for a vehicle shutdown, estimating (304) a time to freeze for the ESS; responsive to determining that the time to freeze is longer than a duration of the vehicle shutdown, instructing (314) the vehicle to perform the vehicle shutdown without performing a keep-warm strategy for the ESS; responsive to determining that the time to freeze is not longer than the duration of the vehicle shutdown, determining (316) a keep-warm time limit; and, responsive to determining that the keep-warm time limit is longer than the duration of the vehicle shutdown, instructing (320) the electric vehicle to perform the vehicle shutdown and initiate the keep-warm strategy for the ESS that comprises maintaining the temperature of the ESS above a second threshold temperature.