🚨We have an updated version of this video that talks about LFP and what automakers are recommending now that there are more EVs on the road! th-cam.com/video/nTOMpxycEss/w-d-xo.html
I had a 2013 Nissan Leaf that I charged overnight to 100% everyday because I needed the range for my wife’s commute. Now the Leafs were notorious for battery degradation. BUT, I had 80% capacity when I sold the Leaf with 80K after 6 years of use. I also frequently charged using the CHADEMO fast charging port when I used the Leaf for Uber driving. This is REAL WORLD experience not theoretical musings. However, I do agree that charging to 100% wastes time.
It's good to hear that even the Nissan Leaf, with its air-cooled battery can hold up well for all those years of hard use. Newer EV designs with properly cooled batteries should fare even better. Thanks for watching and commenting! - Craig
@@AutoEsoterica I agree with you and Big Doug. My first EV was also that 2013 leaf, charged to 100$ twice every day (with type 2 charging, 3,7KW) due to my dayly distance. To much for one charge. At my work I was able to charge. At home also on my private parking (using the 2KW charger deliverd with the leaf). Sold it after 8 years with comparable amount of km , gthe car still going strong. This due to not needing a second car any longer because retrirement from work. And only keeping the long distance car, at that moment (2021) a brandnew ioniq 5.
I saw a study done (I'm sorry I don't have a link handy) that illustrated that there was an effect on battery life, but it was single digit degradation over several years. In short, I don't think regularly charging to 90-95% is anything to worry about. I do try to my (air-cooled) batteries well short of 100% on the hottest days, however. I've never had an overheating problem, just going by what I've read on the net...
You might have had 90% capacity or more had you charged to 80%. I'd hesitate calling them "theoretical musings"!! Real world for sure, but also sure you're just one data point
Thank you for the video. I wonder how many people buying an EV car are told this when they buy it. BUT and it's a BIG BUT, if you are only supposed to charge your EV battery to 80% AND you are ONLY supposed to let the battery get to 20% before charging that means you are ONLY running on a 60% charge! So, if an advertised range of an EV is 300 miles, in reality it is only 180 miles!
Exactly. I usually drive 100 miles out the 265 ,,or about 40%. , I'm afraid of forgetting and ending up with a dead battery, so I usually charge it when it still has 30 to 40 percent.
I’m been charging my Mach E to 90% at home since I got It. I’ve occasionally charged to 100% before road tripping, but only to 80% on D/C fast chargers. Now with over 34000 miles on the odometer, I’ve experienced no loss of battery capacity at all.
The 80% rule is mostly to help with battery longevity but mainly for batteries with significant amounts of nickel in them (NCA and MNC). However, a somewhat newer chemistry (LFP) uses iron instead of nickel. This does three things - lowers the overall energy density, significantly lowers the fire hazard and removes the 80% rule for battery health. Because of the lower energy density, the same size battery will have a shorter range but you get that back by being able to charge to 100% on a daily basis. As pointed out, the closer to 100% you get, regardless of the chemistry, the slower the charging becomes to the point that last 20% takes longer than the first 80%. For my car, I charge to 90% on a daily basis (home charging).
Thanks for the info. As getting accurate and honest information regarding EV's seems a big endeavor as the companies selling them sure don't want you to know the truth. Also, I don't see how using generators less a catalytic converter is helping reduce air pollution at the "quick charge" stations.
If you don’t mind me asking, how does one find this information? I have a 2022 Audi e tron sportback and would like to know the specifics of the battery. Thanks in advance
I heard the 80% rule years ago. I've done it with cell phones, laptops and tablets. I own a Chevy Bolt EUV and I charge it at home at 120 volts and up to 80% like my other electric devices. Time will tell. Nice video.
The batteries in an EV do not work the same as batteries in cell phones, laptops and tablets. Don't fool yourself that because they all have Lithium (which is a small percentage of the materials used) that they function the same. EVs use multi-module, multi-cell packs with cooling systems and sophisticated battery management software. They can stand 100% charging and discharging.
Another great analogy which I learned in high school physics class was filling up a glass or bottle of with water at the tap. The closer you get to the bottom, the slower you have to add the water otherwise the air bubbles trapped in the water will pile up and push water out. The increasing voltage in the battery creates a similar sort of "resistance" to charging which is also why KIA moved to 800 Volt charging technology.
I charge my Bolt to 70% (Level 2) Usually from around 35-45%. Gives me plenty of range. I could easily do with less range, but I feel my current method is better for battery life. I only charge at home (so far), and I only need to charge 2-3 times a week.
Agreed. Day-to-day, most people just don't need the full range of a modern EV. 80% or 70% is fine most weekdays, but it's nice to have 100% right before a road trip.
@@dom09I telecommute most of the time. Sometimes I run errands, or drive family/friends around. I don't drive quite as often as I did when the car was brand new. Nowadays I charge about once or twice every 2 weeks.
People really drive much more than they think. Hence all this range anxiety and disappointments. But for People who truly don't drive that much, EVs are perfect.
I drive a 2020 Kia Niro EV and currently have 50k miles. I financed the car April 2021 and I charge to 100% at electrify America stations. I have a one car in the household so I drive a lot. I haven’t noticed any range difference from when I bought it new. I charge my car twice a week.
Not sure milage matters, but how many cycles in charging does. The 80% rule is a good standard, drive to about 30% and recharge then to 80%. I think less times "Hitting the battery" makes sense. I'm not yet sold on the idea of the current EV market. Yes, a 100K battery warranty is like a 100K gas engine warranty but the EV car value depreciates almost 2x faster than a dinosaur squeezing engine car and most combustion engine cars can last easily 300K now days.
I am a self defense instructor and was using an Ev Charging station for the first time, please note your surroundings- the charging station I was using was in a sketch part of town, and I was using it during the daytime… I truly believe this man that approached me was going to try and rob me until I acknowledged him, he then turned around, and went a different way. I was trying to figure out my app for the first time and was spending more time than normal trying to troubleshoot the app and charge station (I’m a tech guy imagine that). Please everybody be safe out there know your surroundings and walk the perimeter of your vehicle while syncing up to charge… be safe out there God Bless
@SidBonkers51 I disagree. I will definitely purchase an EV...but I have the right consumer profile: Short trips, once a week or so. My challenge is keeping my garage above freezing, during the Winter.
Also the level number of charging matters. Level 3 heats the battery the most and heat degrades the battery. High amp level 2 compared to lower amp level 2 degrades the battery faster too, but not as bad as level 3. Level 1, very slow, prolongs the battery the most. I charge 12 amp level 1 since retired and in no hurry.
This is told but also busted by tesla Bjorn. But I'm sure this is valid for cars with a less optimal battery management. As you correctly state...the temperature is very important for damaging the battery. Modern cars will cool down the battery when charging at level 3 (also when needed at level 2 , 11KW or 22 kw). This prevents that damge process due to heat. Older cars (Nissan leaf) did not cool the battery good but reduced the level 3 charging speed when the battery got warmer.
I am doing 40% ---> 70% now for routine driving and charging. I reckon I won't need to top it up from the home-charger much more often than twice per week, and only save the 100% for long country road trips 👌😃
Ive been offgrid since 2012 and ive learned a lot about batteries. even lithium cant go to 0% without damage, can't fast charge without dammage, cant charge at over 104f or under about 4f without cooling or warming the battery.
Good video. I figured I check this out while charging my 2021 hyundai kona. Went to charge from 30% to 80% on a DC fast, time nearly doubled if I were to go the extra 10%.
Hope you don't mind me asking, but I am looking to purchase Kona or the Chevy Bolt. As an owner, are you pretty happy with the Kona? Is there one thing you wish you knew b4 purchasing?
@Eileen_A_B Me peraonally my 2021 Kona does not have a built-in heat pump, so when you try running the heat, I lose about 33% of my range, and it takes my car forever to heat up. My car was recently hit, and they gave a 22 kona; Car has built-in heat pump, gets hot super fast, and only loses maybe about 3% range which is about 10miles. But the car as a whole I'm very happy with. I'm probably gonna buy the Ionic6 next "big brother car." Hopefully, this helps with your decision and good luck. 👍
When to charge to 100%? I charge at home or at hotels to 100% before starting a road trip. However, helping battery life by stoping 90% may make more sense if you don't need to shorten your first charge stop. Usually the car is ready before I am, so my 100% charge is unnecessary. If I had a car with an LFP battery, I would charge to 100% once per week, and always charge to 100% before road trips.
I feel like this is due to manufacturers trying to make the numbers on paper look better than they really are. Instead of having a lower max range and building in the software controls to optimize battery longevity and charging speed they leave it to the consumer to figure out. If they want more of the general population to adopt EV's they need to do a better job with these types of issues.
Great video. I have my first Ev preordered now. It’s killing me waiting… so as I drive around in my dinosaur 2020 Gmc Sierra I like to educate myself on what’s to come. Thx again for the video. I can’t wait for my Silverado Ev rst
So here's my info. I'm an electronics tech and I've been an EV driver around the last 20 years or so. My current vehicle is my 4th ev. It's a 2012 nissan leaf with over 80,000 miles on it. Purchased it used from the dealer with 5,000 miles on it. It was a demo model, showed hard use, tires and brakes almost shot even with only 5k miles. I do an 80% charge spring through fall, 100% charge in winter due to nissan PPD. My current battery capacity is about 8 of 12 bars according to the leafs guesstimater. Puts the vehicle somewhere around 60% of original battery life. I'll probably get another 2-4 years out before my range to work requirements make a battery swap is unavoidable. Although I may just drop the battery compartment and do a conversion to LiFePO4 batteries, lower initial capacity but more stable an longer overall life. Also DIY battery gives me the opportunity to add thermal battery management. Most used leafs with the same age and mileage as mine that I have seen have around 4 battery bars (30%) life left although this is just my anecdotal experience
Hey, just curious but how do you plan to implement the thermal management? I've seen Evs enhanced has a plan for one, but they're not in the states where I live so I've been thinking of making my own as well.
@@pabloromo9291 I've had multiple ideas about this. Most typical systems involve some kind of heating pads and/or liquid cooling blocks placed between the cells in the battery through which warm/cool liquid is pumped to manage the batteries temperature. The concept I'm working on is one I initially considered for server cooling. Immersing the entire system in a liquid. The issue is finding a liquid that fits all the needed characteristics. It must be non-toxic, cheap enough, available enough, insulating, non-flammable, and remain liquid within the required range of temperatures. Immersing the cells would not only allow for rapid temperature adjustments but could also serve as a ready made way or reducing the risk of lithium battery fires. This by not only temperature regulation but by isolating the cells from air/water. So far this is just in the idea stage, really haven't delved much into it, but the concept seems promising.
The important time spent charging is 10 seconds which is how long it takes me every couple of days, compared to a 10 minute drive to the gas station every week. 51 weeks = 510 minutes filling up per year or 8.5 hours water. When I take a couple of weeks for road trips and have to recharge, I always spend more time in restroom and in line to buy a snack than charging. If you have a driveway or garage BEV is the way to go, if you don't then BEV vs ICE is a more complicated decision.
If you live in an apartment downtown, like I do, and the nearest chargers are a 45 minute round-trip plus charge time, it's an easy decision. Plus, my car can go 700 miles between fill-ups on the highway and I haven't made a car payment in almost 15 years.
Wait so you specifically drive to the gas station to fill up, you don't do it on the way to or from something, seeing as how fast and convenient it is to do so. Huh, strange!
A lithium ion battery is happiest at 50% when there is perfect equilibrium of ion charges between the positive and negative terminals and the least likelihood of electroplating which will permanently remove ions from circulation and thus degrade the battery. This is a chemical reaction and is a function of both heat and time. Up to 60% charge there is virtually no time based degradation. Up to 80% the amount of degradation is fairly minimal and that has been adopted by most batteries as a good compromise between function and degradation. Having said that 70% is better then 80% and 60% is better still. If you don’t need the full range as I don’t then it’s best to keep your charging in 40-60% band
Thanks, that's what I do. for possible city drives, and then the occasional highway runs with full charge. Do you know the reason though, why companies सsay to full slow charge once a month to balance those individual cells?
Agreed 100% , I do 47-53% for my short daily commute , I think if your need is 20% usage, 30-50% is still better for longevity of battery life . but your 40-60% is perfectly fine. Since the benefits of 30-50% is neglectable over 20 -30 years of battery life, Battery charging is like blowing air into a Balloon, the icon of showing it as a bar/ or a cup of water is somehow misleading 😂
@@JY-lg6ee the reason I do 40-60 instead of 30-50 is keep in mind that the batteries usually have a user accessible buffer and they have another buffer to protect the battery that’s not user accessible. So when the battery says 60% it’s probably only 50% actually full. So I do 40-60 because in my mind that’s really 30-50 accounting for the hidden buffers
@@Jeddin Thank You for your feedback, after you mentioned the reserved ( not user accessible ) , then I think it should be opposite as you said , your 40-60% on display is actually 50-70% for the battery ???? Isn't it ??? You can see lots of TH-camr over the world including my friend, they ran Tesla to 0% on display and still can drive for 20 miles 😁 Correct me if I am wrong, so my 30-50% is actually 40-60% to the battery. I guess only the Tesla Engineer knows the truth
If you want to extend life of Nickel based batteries keep regular charge limits to 70-75% and recharge at 40-45%. This usually is more than enough for most daily driving needs . This is especially important in hot weather . This doesn’t apply to LFP batteries .
I have an MG ZS EV Mk1 and the manual advises charging to 100% occasionally to balance the batteries. As far as I can see from the web chit chat, owners of the MGs who home charge their cars cannot find any battery degradation. Most of the time I just bounce between 55% and 80% using solar.
EVs charge the same way you fill a large tire with air. At first the air flows easily into the tire. But the closer you get to full. The more pressure is created. The slower the air flows. Of course the physics are completely different.
I got the same message...but I recall that Hyundai 's 100% is not a technical 100% charge. (The 64KWH konaE is what they call usable energy...the real battery is more like 71KWH.) They topped the usage some lower to expand the lifetime.
One of the things that electric vehicles range is it you really shouldn't be using above 80% or below 10%. Drop the range estimate significantly. For example your 250 mi range really isn't 250 it's 200 if you go to the 80% number unless if you also drop below the 10% number. That would be on a flat road, not carrying a load combo, a decent ambient temperature, and driving at an optimum speed. I'm not sure how that would change with regenerative breaking on non-flat surfaces.
I like the "theater seating" example. I've always said that it's like filling a bucket with water to the top without spilling any. You have to slow down the flow at the end.
better yet, learn the charging curve of your vehicle. some might start dropping speed at 50%, 60%... so if you can, its faster to charge more often. where i am from, a 300 mile EV shouldn't really struggle reaching the next charger. as for battery longevity, its ok to charge beyond 80% as long as you intend to use it and not just let the car sit at a high SoC for days. looking at you, company fleet managers. it might also reduce regenerative breaking which is a neat feature.
Traditional lead acid batteries in gasoline & deisel vehicles work the same way at obviously lower voltages. A dead flat 12 volt battery will start charging at around 20 amps then as voltage increases the rate of charge slows to 2 amps and eventually charging will stop when battery is fully charged
I have an older Tesla Model S. I charge it to 90 percent and have little battery degradation. But I agree that 100 percent is not a good idea. But Ive heard the new cheap LPF batteries can be fully charged all the time so check which battery you have. This only applies to a 3 at this time I think but it will expand. Range anxiety is for real though. The big failure of the EV;s is when you go 80 or above. Range drops like a rock. 70 is OK though but it hurts watching cars zip by you. Here in FL 80 is just plain normal these days.
You're right. As more LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries come to market, which is happening with the Mach-E now and the Lightning later down the line, the 80% guidance will come with a big asterisk. An addendum to this episode may be necessary in six months or so.
80% depends on the battery type. A iron based LFP can charge to 100% all day all the time. But on public chargers the time slows when fast charging so 80% is faster and fine.
If you aren't concerned about the time it takes because it is normally when you are asleep, does the 80% rule still matter? I have been driving Leafs for years. Done all of my charging at home. And never limited my charging to 80%, I never noted any degradation of the batteries at least not until just recently. I had a problem that seems to have cost me 12 miles of range.
Good video, but it seems the 80% rule is slowly falling to the wayside in favor of 90%. Even the Polestar 2 that you have in the video, now recommends 90% and fast charges reasonably quick to 90% after more recent software updates. Though it still ramps down steadily above 60%, but over 90% is now the REAL drop off in speed. The concern over battery health/longevity seems to have been overly conservative early on, and now that there are more and more EVs out there, it seems the difference between 80% and 90% is negligible. Probably more important is the number of charge cycles done with DC fast charging vs. AC trickle charging, rather than whether the stopping point is 80 or 90%.
Agree with most of your points. Hopefully this video becomes completely irrelevant in a few years. We focused on 80% here than the becoming more common 90% for a few reasons, but the main one is that automakers quote DCFC times from either 5,10, or 15% to 80%. Makes it a bit easier for a novice to grok before getting into more details. Also, LFP batteries have no problems going to 100% each time. Thanks for watching and your input!
It’s already irrelevant GM "We engineered the battery system so that you can charge to 100% and maximize range. Do whatever is best for your personal circumstances. If you want maximum range, charge to 100%. If you want to leave room for regenerative energy when you start to drive, use Target Charge/Hill Top Reserve."
Wow, I am still an ICE owner but, lets see. So, I get an EV with like 240 miles (tesla model Y for example), So, 80% of charge, that is around 190 miles, and now it's winter and is -5 degrees out. So, not want, NEED heat. Take away -41% and that brings it down to around 114 miles of range. Now, EV range is based on how you drive, if you on the highway locked at 65mph, you might get close to 114 but, if you deal with "the moron factor" people not knowing how to drive, passing morons etc. You will get like 75-80 miles out of that EV in the winter depending on how aggressive you drive. Most EV drivers I see on the highway are locked at 65 and will cause traffic problems in the morning. With a lot reading I have done about EV range, it's not exactly like ICE cars, you go 80 instead of 65, you pay big time. ICE cars, normally you know where you stand, I have 400 miles on a fill up on my daily driver, I know if drive aggressively, that will be around 375-390 miles I get out of it. The numbers are there and tested. So based on what my daily gets in range, around 400 miles, for an EV to get same range, in WINTER and summer, with the 80% figure, it would need to be around 750 miles of range to factor in all that (so I can have A/C in the summer, and heat in the winter). By the Way, the biggest one, I think the Lucid Air, is around 550 miles. EVs are not fully ready to replace an ICE car in my eyes. Not going to pay MORE for less (ICE car vs. EV and milage in all cases I stated). They have a long way to go....
In comparison, regular combustion engine vehicles would need 1 or 2 refuels to make the trip. The gas stations are right next to the highway. Fill up, and grab something to eat/drink in 15 mins or less. I'm not even counting restroom breaks in either example, drive time and refuel or recharge only.
I believe manufactures vary in how much buffer the HV battery has in the top and bottom end. Bigger warranty may mean a bigger buffer. So 100% may not mean 100%.
@@EVPulse That depends on the battery management ..The ioniq 5 balances when reaching ca 81 or 82%...Charging to 90% is enough for getting the battery balanced.
I'm a happy non EV buyer and don't have to think about pumping gas to full. I can floor it and get full power. With over 100,000 miles on the odo. I'm totally reassured that the distance I travel is the same rain or shine even at -20.
I have a Tesla Solar system with backup battery and I've noticed once my VW ID.4 gets up to 80% it continues to use about 8.5KWH the whole time its plugged in no matter what percentage the charge is at which I find interesting. Where does that extra power go if the charge slows down at 80%?
I like the airplane seating analogy personally, but essentially the same. Combined with the 80%, seems like there’s always the city vs highway range factor too so that theoretical 240 might be less still if you’re road-tripping. I wish Apple would allow 80% charging for its phones too. I tend to keep phones at least a few years and it grows tiring trying to constantly take on and off a charger to limit the fill myself.
Same wish for phones. Though, with more recent updates Apple does limit charging to 80% until just before it thinks you'll need it, and with laptops if you don't go off battery for awhile it just sits at 80% until you tell it to full charge. The airplane analogy is a good one, too.
I keep my phones FOREVER. I'm still rocking an iPhone 8 Plus, which is a little beat up, but still works perfectly fine. It's old (though I recently had the battery replaced, so holding a charge is no longer an issue), but I can't justify spending big money on a new handset that's not going to do anything beyond what this old one does. Anyway, thanks again for watching and commenting. You might be our No. 1 viewer/commenter, which we appreciate SO MUCH!!! Thanks! - Craig
Why only 80%? Why can't you charge to 100%? This was a interesting video I have a eye on city transformer ev with a range of 111miles I wonder if I'll get the same range on a 80% charge why doss it take alot longer to get to 100 after 80%
What he doesn’t mention is that there are not enough charging ports around the country. You have to purchase your own charging port to have one at home which is about $1500. The free, charging ports they have it parks, constantly consume with people that all electric cars charging their vehicles constantly.
LFP batteries can be charged up to 100% over 1500 cycles without degradation , at 2000 full cycles degradation reach 3-4% it means you can do easy 350k miles range with minimal degradation
But, many cars keep their batteries in a better temperature range when parked on a level 1 or 2 plug. So, which effects battery life more, temperature or state of charge?
Yes, time can be a factor, but charging to over 80% no oknger really impacts the lingevity of the battey, i mean over 10 years, it might add 0.1% to how much it degrades, seriously in something like the Ioniq 5 it wint even be a blip. Also, in the Ioniq 5, they had some bad chargers, in mine if I go to a 350kw EvGo station and wait until it hits 80% and get out of my car, by the time i am unplugging, it is at 85%. This car is a charging beast and amazing in road trips. Incidentally, one day, i was eating while charging and thencar reached 80% and I was still eating, so i ket it continue, then it was so close to 100% that infigured i would ket it finish. 80% to 100% only took about another 15 minutes. Now, that is still substantially slower than the first 70%, but still pretty good. As for the 80% rule, Hyundai does recommend charging to 100% AT LEAST once a month in the manual. So, it should be noted the 80% rule doesnt always hold true anymore. Now, there are times where yoybdint want to charge iver 80%: If you are at the tip of a steep grade, especially if it is a long one, as you will end up riding your mechanical brakes since tegen braking will do nothing st thet point. If you arent going to be driving the car eniugh to get it under 80% in the next 24 hours or so.
I charge about 15% to 85% and it takes about 25m on L3 SC. Pretty good. The last 15% will take another 25m easily but not worth it. Only when starting from home on long commute I charge to 100% then do the 15%-82% to 85%. This keeps the breaks nice and about 22m or so which is perfect to eat and stretch your legs by walking around for about a mile and resuming driving
A battery has internal resistance. The “effective” charge resistance is lower in value when the battery is lower in voltage compared to the charger source voltage. The battery charger has a source current limit along with regulated voltage. When the charger is connected to the battery and the battery is low in power the battery will demand more current to be charged. This is because the battery has a lower “effective” resistance value. As the battery becomes charged the difference between the battery voltage and the charge voltage becomes smaller. This in turn lowers the current being demanded from the charger. The charge rate will slow down. The charge rate speed is not linear. It follows an exponential logarithmic rate. The log rate is 2.71828. Along with this in side of the vehicle is a charging manager circuit. This circuit uses a micro controller along with software to manage it. It senses current, voltage, and temperature. The battery manager circuit is designed to slow down the charge rate if the battery becomes too warm. It also slows down the charge rate if the battery appears to be approaching full charge. This is to help keep the battery system cooler. If you were to have a current meter installed in to the charging system you would see when the battery is near to depleted the charge current will be high. As the battery charge level goes up the current will drop. If you were to log the rate of drop over time you would see the rate of charge vs time would be declining more rapidly as full charge is approached. The demand of only charging to 80% is really to keep the temperature of the electrodes lower and to prevent over saturating of the battery chemistry. Using an 80% charge is more of a theoretical process than actual. When limiting the range or depth of charge cycles this will increase battery life. If you run a battery down to empty and fully charge it back up, over time the number of acceptable charge cycles will be reduced. The number of rated charge cycles on a battery from most manufactures is rated from 20% to 100%. If you are charging at 60% for example, you would probably have about double the available amount of charge cycles. Even though your phone uses a Lithium-ION battery, it is not the same technology as the battery used in an EV. They are based on a different type of design even though they are both using Lithium-ION chemistry in their technology.
With Lithium iron phosphate battery it is better to avoid a deep discharge. And home charger with 3.5 KW charger the charging speed doesn't drop significanty. Avoiding fast charging is the best way to save your battery.
The battery’s cathode/anode expands and contracts as it get to be charged and discharged. The repeated expansion/contraction between 100 and 0 charge level due to daily charging degrade the battery life.
So if it says keep between 20 and 80% does that mean I have to run the battery down for 20% before I charge it back up to 80? Or can I charge it anywhere in between
Will there be a problem if EV (Ioniq5) is veing charged with 200kwh charging everytime? I heard that over heat the battery will also shorten the battery life...
Honestly though the only time anyone needs to charge to 100% is the next day when they are about to leave in a trip. Giving them the full range to drive until they have 80% in their battery.
There are EV owners who have only ever Rapid charged to 100% and suffered no notable ill effect. The conditions affecting battery degradation are more nuanced than just keeping your battery to 80%. The only REAL benefit of charging to 80% is time saving. If you don't absolutely need that extra 20% (and these days most people really don't) then you never need to charge above 80% when the rate slows right down. Most modern EVs can go at least 120 miles on an 80% charge. You're better off plugging into a 3kw or 7kw charger and going away and doing something else for an hour if you really want to fill in that last 20%.
Do you drive 250 miles every day???? You must pay a fortune in gas!!!!! Nobody is saying don't charge to 100% or discharge to 1% once in a while on a road trip, we're talking about what you do on the day to day for your commute, etc.
Und warum ist unter 20% und über 80% nicht gut? Weil sich die Graphide Adode dann stark ausdehnt oder zusammenzieht und somit Risse entstehen können und Lithium Dendriten abbrechen können.
My 2023 Nissan Ariya has 91 kW battery but only 87 kW usable. Nissan does not state that the battery should be charge to 80% rule. With the 4 kW buffer, i usually charge to 95%. Good or bad?
Most OEMs quote usable capacity and not gross capacity. That being said, we'd probably stop at 90% for daily use and then go to 100% when we knew we were going to need it. DCFCing past 80% slows the process down, so we probably wouldn't do that too often (unless we needed to), but look at the rule more as guidance than anything. Some people strictly adhere to it, but if you don't it's not going to be the end of the universe.
@@EVPulse Thank you for your response. Nissan offers free one year unlimited EVgO charging for our Ariya. It’s hard not to take advantage of it. I typically charged up to 95%. 😀
I've been driving ICE cars for the best part of 40 years, and I have never had to worry about filling the tank up to 100% full or running it down to virtually empty.... I've done this thousands of times, and I can't ever remember the engine or fuel tank blowing up 🤣 or my range decreasing 😂 And the first litre goes in the same speed as a last litre (and every litre in between) 🤣🤣🤣
Running to virtually empty every time isn't great for the fuel pump, which is cooled by the fuel in the tank. And car fires do happen quite regularly, even if it's never happened to you.
All I here is only charge your EV battery 10% to 80% from the manufacturer. If that is the case, then the expected range of these EVs should be reported at 80%, not 100%.
From what i've heard EV manufactureres already soft limit the charge to 90% to increase battery life, and is that rule Pplied to all battery technologies?
Hey people, can I ask a very important question here? I'm anxious to get really good informed opinion on this because unfortunately living in Southwest, (specifically Las Vegas) we are more vulnerable to our EV's being permanately damaged right? Well that's my question, does level 2 charging and driving my EV (even if it's liquid cooled with proper thermal management) irrevocably compromise the long term battery range of the battery when the car is charging at night and it's still 85 degrees? I know I should expect less range in the summer, but does driving the car in 100 plus temperatures from May until late August, actually permanately shorten the battery's lifespan , or is driving the car in these temperatures and charging the car during these warm to severe hot summer months, going to have only a ''summer impact'' and when the temperatures cool in the non summer months, I won't see any permanent loss of range over time? I wish there was consistent opinions out there, when I ask this question, but there isn't,
Batteries are consumables, so over time they'll ultimately lose some capacity. But also don't overthink it. If you're plugged in and have active thermal management (like nearly all EVs), the car will maintain the battery in its sweet spot especially when its plugged in pulling power from the grid. You might see less range in the summer just because you're using energy to cool the cabin. Plus if the battery has to be more actively cooled that takes energy. But I wouldn't worry a ton, these are tested in extreme heat and cold. Just leave the car plugged in when you're parked, pre-cool the cabin before you unplug, and just go live life :)
One year later... It doesn't really apply anymore to the new LFP blade batteries. You charge them to 100% with no damage. And if you had only known back then about sodium ion batteries...
My new 2022 Nissan Leaf plus charges to 100% overnight when I plug into a level 2 outlet in my garage. I have no way to set it to less than 80%. I only charge when the battery is 50% or less. What are your thoughts on this?
You'll be fine. The level 2 charging to 100% is better for the battery than fast charging to 100%. Also waiting to charge until it's less than 50% is fine too. We wouldn't make a big habit of waiting until you're under 10%, but your usage shouldn't create any major concerns.
@@EVPulse there are so many contradictory and confusing recommendations out there even from the manufacturers. Earlier leafs allowed setting maximum level 2 charge percentage but my factory service advisor said that is no longer recommended or necessary. Another area is longer term storage say 1-3 months. Tesla said keep plugged in and set charge to 50%. Nissan said charge from 50-80% and unplug and consider disconnecting the 12 volt battery terminal. It goes on and on. Different standards for fast charging…….. all this just slows mass EV adoption. Keep it simple…. KISS
@@MechayaAlta I found elsewhere that the engineers of the gen 2 Leafs (so, 2014 and later) say it's fine to charge to 100% now. DC fast charge is still recommended to be done on a limited basis.
@@AaronSwenson thanks. It’s confusing that for different EVs there are different recommendations. Another example, for a 1-2 month storage, Nissan says leave unplugged, Tesla says leave plugged in.
I do own such an amazing charging monster....an ioniq 5, First. Hyundai tells the battery is 100%....but technically it is NOT. The car just stops charging earlier. Done for prolonging life. second. When I really need to fast charge (only on longer trips, I also need to "recharge " myself...in other words a sanitair stop, coffee ans something to eat. I limit my fastcharging mostly at 90% because the car charges faster than I do myself. When returning to the car I stop the charge, maybe 85% , maybe 88%. (and the ioniq 5 keeps charging more than 100KW until 87% except a one minute stop for balancing the battery at 82%.) When we look to the TeslaS (p85) charge curve it's optimum for driving long distances is charging to 50% only. from nearly empty (with preconditioned battery of coarse) This because that car has another charge curve...starting fast and continuously slowing down.
My friend rented a Tesla for a trip Dayton Ohio to Destin Florida. That is normally a 12 hour drive one way. However, he had to stop 5 times to charge with an average charge time of 1 hour. That's finding a charge station, which are NOT right next to a highway. 45 mins average charge time, and drive back to the highway. Altogether adding over 5 hours to the trip. What was 12 hours became 17.5 hours one way. Did the car drive and perform well, yes. Was it comfortable? No. Seats sucked. You decide.
i thought the rule was 85% for lithium batteries, in general, to reduce an extreme amount dendrite build up within the battery. must be different for EV's with a high torque, high draw demand, electric engine.
Question: How low should you let the charge drop to. If 100% is for long trips, occasionally and 80% is for daily trips, doesn’t the ioniq 5 refuse to restart, after it drops below 30%. So, what range was that 30% that you won’t use amount to? How far does staying between 30 - 80% get you in miles?
@@PeterEVcharade I've seen a couple of videos telling 5 owners to carry a jump pack, so that they could bring the 12v in the 5 back to a point, which allows a fully charged main battery pack, to start the vehicle. Something about the 5s software preserving power, once below 30%. The preservation of power software redirects power from recharging/keeping the 12v battery at 12v. The 12v battery becomes too week to start the car.
@@sjay149 That is only relevant if you have a very weak 12V battery. It would be not much different from having an ICE car that you could jump start but then even after driving a while, could not start again on the 12V battery.
@@sjay149 I know about those video's. What I understand is that they drive their ioniq 5 to under 20% main battery charge and than park it and do not use it for a week. That car does have electronics working all day....draining the 12V slowly. The 12V battery does not recharge itself when the main battery is so low. I've never had any 12V problem with my ioniq 5, but I also never let it parked for a longer time at less than 20% charge. The only issue I had once...the car did not want to go in drive mode at all. The suggestion (at internet) was to shut off the car, lock the car and use the app (bluelink) to activate pre heating...that should reset the electronics. That worked. In other words...when you have such a car (hyundai, Kia) install the bluelink app and connect it to youre car when you buy it.
If the minimum is 10% and 80% the highest, you leave out 30% capacity and the real world consumption does not match estimated range supplied by manufacturers, even worse in winter 😂
some cars are better than other at this... Hyundai Iconiq fro example is rated at 38kw... in actual fact the battery is around 40-41, just by default your not allowed to access as a consumer that part of the battery to keep the health up
This is one of the biggest drawbacks to EVs. In order to get the same range of an ICE car, you'd need something like 1000 miles of range, since only 50% of the battery is safe to use long-term (30-80 rule).
You can go beyond that if you are taking a road trip. But if you aren't driving 300 miles a day (and MOST of Americans do not do that, though there are exceptions), you don't need to always full charge.
If that's the case, then EV company should only allow to advertise their range within the 80% of their battery capacity. If 300 miles range is on 100%, then the real range that consumer should be buying into is 240 miles range. When I pay for it, I should be paying for 240 miles range, not 300 miles range as advertised.
You can charge to 100%. Just like you can charge your laptop to 100%. But like a modern laptop or smartphone that will only charge to 80% unless you need to use all of it, an electric car is similar.
🚨We have an updated version of this video that talks about LFP and what automakers are recommending now that there are more EVs on the road! th-cam.com/video/nTOMpxycEss/w-d-xo.html
I had a 2013 Nissan Leaf that I charged overnight to 100% everyday because I needed the range for my wife’s commute. Now the Leafs were notorious for battery degradation. BUT, I had 80% capacity when I sold the Leaf with 80K after 6 years of use. I also frequently charged using the CHADEMO fast charging port when I used the Leaf for Uber driving. This is REAL WORLD experience not theoretical musings. However, I do agree that charging to 100% wastes time.
It's good to hear that even the Nissan Leaf, with its air-cooled battery can hold up well for all those years of hard use. Newer EV designs with properly cooled batteries should fare even better. Thanks for watching and commenting!
- Craig
@@AutoEsoterica I agree with you and Big Doug.
My first EV was also that 2013 leaf, charged to 100$ twice every day (with type 2 charging, 3,7KW) due to my dayly distance. To much for one charge. At my work I was able to charge. At home also on my private parking (using the 2KW charger deliverd with the leaf). Sold it after 8 years with comparable amount of km , gthe car still going strong. This due to not needing a second car any longer because retrirement from work. And only keeping the long distance car, at that moment (2021) a brandnew ioniq 5.
I saw a study done (I'm sorry I don't have a link handy) that illustrated that there was an effect on battery life, but it was single digit degradation over several years. In short, I don't think regularly charging to 90-95% is anything to worry about. I do try to my (air-cooled) batteries well short of 100% on the hottest days, however. I've never had an overheating problem, just going by what I've read on the net...
You might have had 90% capacity or more had you charged to 80%. I'd hesitate calling them "theoretical musings"!! Real world for sure, but also sure you're just one data point
Does this apply to LFP batteries
Thank you for the video. I wonder how many people buying an EV car are told this when they buy it. BUT and it's a BIG BUT, if you are only supposed to charge your EV battery to 80% AND you are ONLY supposed to let the battery get to 20% before charging that means you are ONLY running on a 60% charge! So, if an advertised range of an EV is 300 miles, in reality it is only 180 miles!
Exactly. I usually drive 100 miles out the 265 ,,or about 40%. , I'm afraid of forgetting and ending up with a dead battery, so I usually charge it when it still has 30 to 40 percent.
My Car needs to go to 100% on a weekly base. This battery performs better when it is full.
I’m been charging my Mach E to 90% at home since I got It. I’ve occasionally charged to 100% before road tripping, but only to 80% on D/C fast chargers. Now with over 34000 miles on the odometer, I’ve experienced no loss of battery capacity at all.
The 80% rule is mostly to help with battery longevity but mainly for batteries with significant amounts of nickel in them (NCA and MNC). However, a somewhat newer chemistry (LFP) uses iron instead of nickel. This does three things - lowers the overall energy density, significantly lowers the fire hazard and removes the 80% rule for battery health. Because of the lower energy density, the same size battery will have a shorter range but you get that back by being able to charge to 100% on a daily basis.
As pointed out, the closer to 100% you get, regardless of the chemistry, the slower the charging becomes to the point that last 20% takes longer than the first 80%. For my car, I charge to 90% on a daily basis (home charging).
Yes correct, the lfp battery is even preferrably charged to 100%.
And the even newer sodium ion battery technology, too.
@@pW-kb8xsThat's needed for estimation of remaining charge and therefore range. Estimating these is trickier with LFP batteries.
Thanks for the info. As getting accurate and honest information regarding EV's seems a big endeavor as the companies selling them sure don't want you to know the truth. Also, I don't see how using generators less a catalytic converter is helping reduce air pollution at the "quick charge" stations.
If you don’t mind me asking, how does one find this information? I have a 2022 Audi e tron sportback and would like to know the specifics of the battery. Thanks in advance
I heard the 80% rule years ago. I've done it with cell phones, laptops and tablets. I own a Chevy Bolt EUV and I charge it at home at 120 volts and up to 80% like my other electric devices. Time will tell. Nice video.
The batteries in an EV do not work the same as batteries in cell phones, laptops and tablets. Don't fool yourself that because they all have Lithium (which is a small percentage of the materials used) that they function the same. EVs use multi-module, multi-cell packs with cooling systems and sophisticated battery management software. They can stand 100% charging and discharging.
Personally I know it is more important to not undercharge than to charge to 100÷ . More than enough dead drone batteries to prove .
Another great analogy which I learned in high school physics class was filling up a glass or bottle of with water at the tap. The closer you get to the bottom, the slower you have to add the water otherwise the air bubbles trapped in the water will pile up and push water out.
The increasing voltage in the battery creates a similar sort of "resistance" to charging which is also why KIA moved to 800 Volt charging technology.
I charge my Bolt to 70% (Level 2) Usually from around 35-45%. Gives me plenty of range. I could easily do with less range, but I feel my current method is better for battery life. I only charge at home (so far), and I only need to charge 2-3 times a week.
Agreed. Day-to-day, most people just don't need the full range of a modern EV. 80% or 70% is fine most weekdays, but it's nice to have 100% right before a road trip.
2-3 times a week? How many miles is your daily commute?!
@@dom09I telecommute most of the time. Sometimes I run errands, or drive family/friends around. I don't drive quite as often as I did when the car was brand new. Nowadays I charge about once or twice every 2 weeks.
People really drive much more than they think. Hence all this range anxiety and disappointments. But for People who truly don't drive that much, EVs are perfect.
I drive a 2020 Kia Niro EV and currently have 50k miles. I financed the car April 2021 and I charge to 100% at electrify America stations. I have a one car in the household so I drive a lot. I haven’t noticed any range difference from when I bought it new. I charge my car twice a week.
Not sure milage matters, but how many cycles in charging does. The 80% rule is a good standard, drive to about 30% and recharge then to 80%. I think less times "Hitting the battery" makes sense. I'm not yet sold on the idea of the current EV market. Yes, a 100K battery warranty is like a 100K gas engine warranty but the EV car value depreciates almost 2x faster than a dinosaur squeezing engine car and most combustion engine cars can last easily 300K now days.
@@japc4326the million mile tesla owner said the 4 or so motors they had to replace lasted on average 200k miles each
I am a self defense instructor and was using an Ev Charging station for the first time, please note your surroundings- the charging station I was using was in a sketch part of town, and I was using it during the daytime… I truly believe this man that approached me was going to try and rob me until I acknowledged him, he then turned around, and went a different way. I was trying to figure out my app for the first time and was spending more time than normal trying to troubleshoot the app and charge station (I’m a tech guy imagine that). Please everybody be safe out there know your surroundings and walk the perimeter of your vehicle while syncing up to charge… be safe out there God Bless
Also, when you charge to 100% . You get no re-gen until the battery charge drops to 80-90%;..
Thank you. I would have included a 20% discharge limit too. You may exacerbate range anxiety but at a great service to your viewers.
@SidBonkers51 I disagree. I will definitely purchase an EV...but I have the right consumer profile: Short trips, once a week or so. My challenge is keeping my garage above freezing, during the Winter.
Also the level number of charging matters. Level 3 heats the battery the most and heat degrades the battery. High amp level 2 compared to lower amp level 2 degrades the battery faster too, but not as bad as level 3. Level 1, very slow, prolongs the battery the most. I charge 12 amp level 1 since retired and in no hurry.
This is told but also busted by tesla Bjorn.
But I'm sure this is valid for cars with a less optimal battery management. As you correctly state...the temperature is very important for damaging the battery. Modern cars will cool down the battery when charging at level 3 (also when needed at level 2 , 11KW or 22 kw). This prevents that damge process due to heat.
Older cars (Nissan leaf) did not cool the battery good but reduced the level 3 charging speed when the battery got warmer.
I am doing 40% ---> 70% now for routine driving and charging. I reckon I won't need to top it up from the home-charger much more often than twice per week, and only save the 100% for long country road trips 👌😃
This guy is very good. Thanks for the 80% information. I am wondering if charging at low voltages also preserves the battery a little more.
Ive been offgrid since 2012 and ive learned a lot about batteries. even lithium cant go to 0% without damage, can't fast charge without dammage, cant charge at over 104f or under about 4f without cooling or warming the battery.
Good video. I figured I check this out while charging my 2021 hyundai kona. Went to charge from 30% to 80% on a DC fast, time nearly doubled if I were to go the extra 10%.
Glad we could help demystify the situation!
Hope you don't mind me asking, but I am looking to purchase Kona or the Chevy Bolt. As an owner, are you pretty happy with the Kona? Is there one thing you wish you knew b4 purchasing?
@Eileen_A_B Me peraonally my 2021 Kona does not have a built-in heat pump, so when you try running the heat, I lose about 33% of my range, and it takes my car forever to heat up. My car was recently hit, and they gave a 22 kona; Car has built-in heat pump, gets hot super fast, and only loses maybe about 3% range which is about 10miles. But the car as a whole I'm very happy with. I'm probably gonna buy the Ionic6 next "big brother car." Hopefully, this helps with your decision and good luck. 👍
@Brian Murray thanks, I appreciate the info and definitely good to know!
When to charge to 100%? I charge at home or at hotels to 100% before starting a road trip. However, helping battery life by stoping 90% may make more sense if you don't need to shorten your first charge stop. Usually the car is ready before I am, so my 100% charge is unnecessary.
If I had a car with an LFP battery, I would charge to 100% once per week, and always charge to 100% before road trips.
I feel like this is due to manufacturers trying to make the numbers on paper look better than they really are. Instead of having a lower max range and building in the software controls to optimize battery longevity and charging speed they leave it to the consumer to figure out. If they want more of the general population to adopt EV's they need to do a better job with these types of issues.
Great video. I have my first Ev preordered now. It’s killing me waiting… so as I drive around in my dinosaur 2020 Gmc Sierra I like to educate myself on what’s to come. Thx again for the video. I can’t wait for my Silverado Ev rst
Did you receive your EV? My basic electric Citroen EC4 changed my life and Im very happy with it. It is good to educate before you get your EV!
Early congrats, feeling better than F's Lightning, exciting!
So here's my info. I'm an electronics tech and I've been an EV driver around the last 20 years or so. My current vehicle is my 4th ev. It's a 2012 nissan leaf with over 80,000 miles on it. Purchased it used from the dealer with 5,000 miles on it. It was a demo model, showed hard use, tires and brakes almost shot even with only 5k miles. I do an 80% charge spring through fall, 100% charge in winter due to nissan PPD. My current battery capacity is about 8 of 12 bars according to the leafs guesstimater. Puts the vehicle somewhere around 60% of original battery life. I'll probably get another 2-4 years out before my range to work requirements make a battery swap is unavoidable. Although I may just drop the battery compartment and do a conversion to LiFePO4 batteries, lower initial capacity but more stable an longer overall life. Also DIY battery gives me the opportunity to add thermal battery management. Most used leafs with the same age and mileage as mine that I have seen have around 4 battery bars (30%) life left although this is just my anecdotal experience
Hey, just curious but how do you plan to implement the thermal management? I've seen Evs enhanced has a plan for one, but they're not in the states where I live so I've been thinking of making my own as well.
@@pabloromo9291 I've had multiple ideas about this. Most typical systems involve some kind of heating pads and/or liquid cooling blocks placed between the cells in the battery through which warm/cool liquid is pumped to manage the batteries temperature.
The concept I'm working on is one I initially considered for server cooling. Immersing the entire system in a liquid. The issue is finding a liquid that fits all the needed characteristics. It must be non-toxic, cheap enough, available enough, insulating, non-flammable, and remain liquid within the required range of temperatures. Immersing the cells would not only allow for rapid temperature adjustments but could also serve as a ready made way or reducing the risk of lithium battery fires. This by not only temperature regulation but by isolating the cells from air/water. So far this is just in the idea stage, really haven't delved much into it, but the concept seems promising.
The important time spent charging is 10 seconds which is how long it takes me every couple of days, compared to a 10 minute drive to the gas station every week. 51 weeks = 510 minutes filling up per year or 8.5 hours water. When I take a couple of weeks for road trips and have to recharge, I always spend more time in restroom and in line to buy a snack than charging.
If you have a driveway or garage BEV is the way to go, if you don't then BEV vs ICE is a more complicated decision.
If you live in an apartment downtown, like I do, and the nearest chargers are a 45 minute round-trip plus charge time, it's an easy decision. Plus, my car can go 700 miles between fill-ups on the highway and I haven't made a car payment in almost 15 years.
Wait so you specifically drive to the gas station to fill up, you don't do it on the way to or from something, seeing as how fast and convenient it is to do so. Huh, strange!
A lithium ion battery is happiest at 50% when there is perfect equilibrium of ion charges between the positive and negative terminals and the least likelihood of electroplating which will permanently remove ions from circulation and thus degrade the battery. This is a chemical reaction and is a function of both heat and time. Up to 60% charge there is virtually no time based degradation. Up to 80% the amount of degradation is fairly minimal and that has been adopted by most batteries as a good compromise between function and degradation. Having said that 70% is better then 80% and 60% is better still. If you don’t need the full range as I don’t then it’s best to keep your charging in 40-60% band
Thanks, that's what I do. for possible city drives, and then the occasional highway runs with full charge.
Do you know the reason though, why companies सsay to full slow charge once a month to balance those individual cells?
Agreed 100% , I do 47-53% for my short daily commute , I think if your need is 20% usage, 30-50% is still better for longevity of battery life . but your 40-60% is perfectly fine. Since the benefits of 30-50% is neglectable over 20 -30 years of battery life, Battery charging is like blowing air into a Balloon, the icon of showing it as a bar/ or a cup of water is somehow misleading 😂
@@JY-lg6ee the reason I do 40-60 instead of 30-50 is keep in mind that the batteries usually have a user accessible buffer and they have another buffer to protect the battery that’s not user accessible. So when the battery says 60% it’s probably only 50% actually full. So I do 40-60 because in my mind that’s really 30-50 accounting for the hidden buffers
@@Jeddin Woow, I am so impressed with your feedback., Really appreciated , Thank You 😇
@@Jeddin Thank You for your feedback, after you mentioned the reserved ( not user accessible ) , then I think it should be opposite as you said , your 40-60% on display is actually 50-70% for the battery ???? Isn't it ??? You can see lots of TH-camr over the world including my friend, they ran Tesla to 0% on display and still can drive for 20 miles 😁 Correct me if I am wrong, so my 30-50% is actually 40-60% to the battery. I guess only the Tesla Engineer knows the truth
If you want to extend life of Nickel based batteries keep regular charge limits to 70-75% and recharge at 40-45%. This usually is more than enough for most daily driving needs . This is especially important in hot weather . This doesn’t apply to LFP batteries .
That is important to note. For LFP charge it to 100%. 100 is better.
I have an MG ZS EV Mk1 and the manual advises charging to 100% occasionally to balance the batteries. As far as I can see from the web chit chat, owners of the MGs who home charge their cars cannot find any battery degradation. Most of the time I just bounce between 55% and 80% using solar.
EVs charge the same way you fill a large tire with air. At first the air flows easily into the tire. But the closer you get to full. The more pressure is created. The slower the air flows. Of course the physics are completely different.
That's a great analogy as well. Thanks!
- Craig
Hyundai ioniq 5 dealer says: max 80% on DC, 100% everyday on AC (11kw) is totally fine. Any thoughts on that?
I got the same message...but I recall that Hyundai 's 100% is not a technical 100% charge. (The 64KWH konaE is what they call usable energy...the real battery is more like 71KWH.) They topped the usage some lower to expand the lifetime.
One of the things that electric vehicles range is it you really shouldn't be using above 80% or below 10%. Drop the range estimate significantly. For example your 250 mi range really isn't 250 it's 200 if you go to the 80% number unless if you also drop below the 10% number. That would be on a flat road, not carrying a load combo, a decent ambient temperature, and driving at an optimum speed. I'm not sure how that would change with regenerative breaking on non-flat surfaces.
I like the "theater seating" example. I've always said that it's like filling a bucket with water to the top without spilling any. You have to slow down the flow at the end.
That works, too!
Replace “bucket” with “bottle”, and this analogy would be even more spot on.
better yet, learn the charging curve of your vehicle. some might start dropping speed at 50%, 60%... so if you can, its faster to charge more often. where i am from, a 300 mile EV shouldn't really struggle reaching the next charger. as for battery longevity, its ok to charge beyond 80% as long as you intend to use it and not just let the car sit at a high SoC for days. looking at you, company fleet managers. it might also reduce regenerative breaking which is a neat feature.
Traditional lead acid batteries in gasoline & deisel vehicles work the same way at obviously lower voltages. A dead flat 12 volt battery will start charging at around 20 amps then as voltage increases the rate of charge slows to 2 amps and eventually charging will stop when battery is fully charged
LFP charge at higher rates. 100 amp hr battery charges at 50 amps. It doesn't slow down till it is almost full.
I have an older Tesla Model S. I charge it to 90 percent and have little battery degradation. But I agree that 100 percent is not a good idea. But Ive heard the new cheap LPF batteries can be fully charged all the time so check which battery you have. This only applies to a 3 at this time I think but it will expand. Range anxiety is for real though. The big failure of the EV;s is when you go 80 or above. Range drops like a rock. 70 is OK though but it hurts watching cars zip by you. Here in FL 80 is just plain normal these days.
You're right. As more LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries come to market, which is happening with the Mach-E now and the Lightning later down the line, the 80% guidance will come with a big asterisk. An addendum to this episode may be necessary in six months or so.
80% depends on the battery type. A iron based LFP can charge to 100% all day all the time.
But on public chargers the time slows when fast charging so 80% is faster and fine.
My rav 4 prime apparently has built in buffer…. So full charge actually only fills 80% of the battery. Software won’t allow 100% charge.
I understand that any rechargeable battery should mostly be charged to 80% but sometimes on long highway trips I would go to 100% now and then
If you aren't concerned about the time it takes because it is normally when you are asleep, does the 80% rule still matter? I have been driving Leafs for years. Done all of my charging at home. And never limited my charging to 80%, I never noted any degradation of the batteries at least not until just recently. I had a problem that seems to have cost me 12 miles of range.
Good video, but it seems the 80% rule is slowly falling to the wayside in favor of 90%. Even the Polestar 2 that you have in the video, now recommends 90% and fast charges reasonably quick to 90% after more recent software updates. Though it still ramps down steadily above 60%, but over 90% is now the REAL drop off in speed.
The concern over battery health/longevity seems to have been overly conservative early on, and now that there are more and more EVs out there, it seems the difference between 80% and 90% is negligible. Probably more important is the number of charge cycles done with DC fast charging vs. AC trickle charging, rather than whether the stopping point is 80 or 90%.
Agree with most of your points. Hopefully this video becomes completely irrelevant in a few years. We focused on 80% here than the becoming more common 90% for a few reasons, but the main one is that automakers quote DCFC times from either 5,10, or 15% to 80%. Makes it a bit easier for a novice to grok before getting into more details.
Also, LFP batteries have no problems going to 100% each time. Thanks for watching and your input!
It’s already irrelevant GM "We engineered the battery system so that you can charge to 100% and maximize range. Do whatever is best for your personal circumstances. If you want maximum range, charge to 100%. If you want to leave room for regenerative energy when you start to drive, use Target Charge/Hill Top Reserve."
I charge my 2023 I5 entirely at home on a L2 charger set at 32A, and after reading thru various sites and threads have adopted 90%.
Wow, I am still an ICE owner but, lets see. So, I get an EV with like 240 miles (tesla model Y for example), So, 80% of charge, that is around 190 miles, and now it's winter and is -5 degrees out. So, not want, NEED heat. Take away -41% and that brings it down to around 114 miles of range.
Now, EV range is based on how you drive, if you on the highway locked at 65mph, you might get close to 114 but, if you deal with "the moron factor" people not knowing how to drive, passing morons etc. You will get like 75-80 miles out of that EV in the winter depending on how aggressive you drive. Most EV drivers I see on the highway are locked at 65 and will cause traffic problems in the morning.
With a lot reading I have done about EV range, it's not exactly like ICE cars, you go 80 instead of 65, you pay big time. ICE cars, normally you know where you stand, I have 400 miles on a fill up on my daily driver, I know if drive aggressively, that will be around 375-390 miles I get out of it. The numbers are there and tested.
So based on what my daily gets in range, around 400 miles, for an EV to get same range, in WINTER and summer, with the 80% figure, it would need to be around 750 miles of range to factor in all that (so I can have A/C in the summer, and heat in the winter). By the Way, the biggest one, I think the Lucid Air, is around 550 miles.
EVs are not fully ready to replace an ICE car in my eyes. Not going to pay MORE for less (ICE car vs. EV and milage in all cases I stated). They have a long way to go....
I charged my PHEV to 100% every day for 6 years. I lost maybe 5% battery capacity.
Sounds like regular degradation
Charging at home I nearly always charge to 100% because I'm doing a long journey the next day.
In comparison, regular combustion engine vehicles would need 1 or 2 refuels to make the trip. The gas stations are right next to the highway. Fill up, and grab something to eat/drink in 15 mins or less. I'm not even counting restroom breaks in either example, drive time and refuel or recharge only.
I believe manufactures vary in how much buffer the HV battery has in the top and bottom end. Bigger warranty may mean a bigger buffer. So 100% may not mean 100%.
I also read once that charging to 100% once a month was a good idea to “balance” the charge across cells or something like that. Is that also true?
The charging software should be “balancing” cell usage. I don’t think that’s necessary.
@@EVPulse That depends on the battery management ..The ioniq 5 balances when reaching ca 81 or 82%...Charging to 90% is enough for getting the battery balanced.
My plug in hybrid has such a small battery that charging to 80% won't get me very far before combustion starts. 😊
Yes, I always fill my gas tank to 80% capacity to make the gas tank last longer.
We've never heard that one before. 🙄
@@EVPulse Ha, I was kidding.
Next time you get ripped off getting your oil changed, you can think of us EV owners that dont have oil changes.
what if your home charging? is it ok to charge to max? knowing that its alow charging anyways?
I'm a happy non EV buyer and don't have to think about pumping gas to full. I can floor it and get full power. With over 100,000 miles on the odo. I'm totally reassured that the distance I travel is the same rain or shine even at -20.
@@richystar2001 how often do you do oil changes ? How often do you check the antifreeze level ??
Don't let the charge fall below 20%. Don't charge over 80%. The real range of an EV is 60% of that advertised by the manufacturer.
I have a Tesla Solar system with backup battery and I've noticed once my VW ID.4 gets up to 80% it continues to use about 8.5KWH the whole time its plugged in no matter what percentage the charge is at which I find interesting. Where does that extra power go if the charge slows down at 80%?
I like the airplane seating analogy personally, but essentially the same. Combined with the 80%, seems like there’s always the city vs highway range factor too so that theoretical 240 might be less still if you’re road-tripping. I wish Apple would allow 80% charging for its phones too. I tend to keep phones at least a few years and it grows tiring trying to constantly take on and off a charger to limit the fill myself.
Same wish for phones. Though, with more recent updates Apple does limit charging to 80% until just before it thinks you'll need it, and with laptops if you don't go off battery for awhile it just sits at 80% until you tell it to full charge.
The airplane analogy is a good one, too.
I keep my phones FOREVER. I'm still rocking an iPhone 8 Plus, which is a little beat up, but still works perfectly fine. It's old (though I recently had the battery replaced, so holding a charge is no longer an issue), but I can't justify spending big money on a new handset that's not going to do anything beyond what this old one does.
Anyway, thanks again for watching and commenting. You might be our No. 1 viewer/commenter, which we appreciate SO MUCH!!!
Thanks!
- Craig
Might? Pretty sure that "is."
@@EVPulse :) just trying to support awesome content makers as best I can (appeasing the YT algorithm as it were).
Why only 80%? Why can't you charge to 100%? This was a interesting video I have a eye on city transformer ev with a range of 111miles I wonder if I'll get the same range on a 80% charge why doss it take alot longer to get to 100 after 80%
Bulk, Absorption,and Trickle charge.
Bulk ends around 80%.
What he doesn’t mention is that there are not enough charging ports around the country. You have to purchase your own charging port to have one at home which is about $1500. The free, charging ports they have it parks, constantly consume with people that all electric cars charging their vehicles constantly.
LFP batteries can be charged up to 100% over 1500 cycles without degradation ,
at 2000 full cycles degradation reach 3-4% it means you can do easy 350k miles range with minimal degradation
But, many cars keep their batteries in a better temperature range when parked on a level 1 or 2 plug. So, which effects battery life more, temperature or state of charge?
Yes, time can be a factor, but charging to over 80% no oknger really impacts the lingevity of the battey, i mean over 10 years, it might add 0.1% to how much it degrades, seriously in something like the Ioniq 5 it wint even be a blip.
Also, in the Ioniq 5, they had some bad chargers, in mine if I go to a 350kw EvGo station and wait until it hits 80% and get out of my car, by the time i am unplugging, it is at 85%. This car is a charging beast and amazing in road trips. Incidentally, one day, i was eating while charging and thencar reached 80% and I was still eating, so i ket it continue, then it was so close to 100% that infigured i would ket it finish. 80% to 100% only took about another 15 minutes. Now, that is still substantially slower than the first 70%, but still pretty good.
As for the 80% rule, Hyundai does recommend charging to 100% AT LEAST once a month in the manual.
So, it should be noted the 80% rule doesnt always hold true anymore.
Now, there are times where yoybdint want to charge iver 80%:
If you are at the tip of a steep grade, especially if it is a long one, as you will end up riding your mechanical brakes since tegen braking will do nothing st thet point.
If you arent going to be driving the car eniugh to get it under 80% in the next 24 hours or so.
Good video. Love the movie analogy….
I charge about 15% to 85% and it takes about 25m on L3 SC. Pretty good. The last 15% will take another 25m easily but not worth it. Only when starting from home on long commute I charge to 100% then do the 15%-82% to 85%. This keeps the breaks nice and about 22m or so which is perfect to eat and stretch your legs by walking around for about a mile and resuming driving
I've charged my Model S to 90% every day for the past 4 years. Degradation is only 3% at 116kkms.
A battery has internal resistance. The “effective” charge resistance is lower in value when the battery is lower in voltage compared to the charger source voltage. The battery charger has a source current limit along with regulated voltage.
When the charger is connected to the battery and the battery is low in power the battery will demand more current to be charged. This is because the battery has a lower “effective” resistance value. As the battery becomes charged the difference between the battery voltage and the charge voltage becomes smaller. This in turn lowers the current being demanded from the charger. The charge rate will slow down. The charge rate speed is not linear. It follows an exponential logarithmic rate. The log rate is 2.71828.
Along with this in side of the vehicle is a charging manager circuit. This circuit uses a micro controller along with software to manage it. It senses current, voltage, and temperature. The battery manager circuit is designed to slow down the charge rate if the battery becomes too warm. It also slows down the charge rate if the battery appears to be approaching full charge. This is to help keep the battery system cooler.
If you were to have a current meter installed in to the charging system you would see when the battery is near to depleted the charge current will be high. As the battery charge level goes up the current will drop. If you were to log the rate of drop over time you would see the rate of charge vs time would be declining more rapidly as full charge is approached.
The demand of only charging to 80% is really to keep the temperature of the electrodes lower and to prevent over saturating of the battery chemistry. Using an 80% charge is more of a theoretical process than actual. When limiting the range or depth of charge cycles this will increase battery life. If you run a battery down to empty and fully charge it back up, over time the number of acceptable charge cycles will be reduced. The number of rated charge cycles on a battery from most manufactures is rated from 20% to 100%. If you are charging at 60% for example, you would probably have about double the available amount of charge cycles.
Even though your phone uses a Lithium-ION battery, it is not the same technology as the battery used in an EV. They are based on a different type of design even though they are both using Lithium-ION chemistry in their technology.
With Lithium iron phosphate battery it is better to avoid a deep discharge. And home charger with 3.5 KW charger the charging speed doesn't drop significanty. Avoiding fast charging is the best way to save your battery.
The battery’s cathode/anode expands and contracts as it get to be charged and discharged. The repeated expansion/contraction between 100 and 0 charge level due to daily charging degrade the battery life.
So if it says keep between 20 and 80% does that mean I have to run the battery down for 20% before I charge it back up to 80? Or can I charge it anywhere in between
Will there be a problem if EV (Ioniq5) is veing charged with 200kwh charging everytime?
I heard that over heat the battery will also shorten the battery life...
Honestly though the only time anyone needs to charge to 100% is the next day when they are about to leave in a trip. Giving them the full range to drive until they have 80% in their battery.
What about the reason not to let it go below 10%?
There are EV owners who have only ever Rapid charged to 100% and suffered no notable ill effect. The conditions affecting battery degradation are more nuanced than just keeping your battery to 80%. The only REAL benefit of charging to 80% is time saving. If you don't absolutely need that extra 20% (and these days most people really don't) then you never need to charge above 80% when the rate slows right down. Most modern EVs can go at least 120 miles on an 80% charge. You're better off plugging into a 3kw or 7kw charger and going away and doing something else for an hour if you really want to fill in that last 20%.
Smart money is buying a battery that far exceeds your range - charge from 20% to 80% rapidly, and that 60% is all you ever need!
So, eg, say an ev range has a miserable 250 miles on a full charge, but you don't full charge to 100%...so the range is less... Marvellous
And if you don’t completely fill your petrol/diesel car its range will be less, and your point was?
Do you drive 250 miles every day???? You must pay a fortune in gas!!!!! Nobody is saying don't charge to 100% or discharge to 1% once in a while on a road trip, we're talking about what you do on the day to day for your commute, etc.
So does this 80% rule apply only on fast charging or on 220 home charging as well?
Mines on a 2 year lease and will be 100% charge from day one.
Aren't you supposed to charge to 100% every few charge cycles to allow the BMS to balance the batteries?
Not even mentioning that it costs more charging to 100 percent because you can't recuperate when on or near 100 percent.
Und warum ist unter 20% und über 80% nicht gut? Weil sich die Graphide Adode dann stark ausdehnt oder zusammenzieht und somit Risse entstehen können und Lithium Dendriten abbrechen können.
1:16 Accurate number, in Summer, yes. In fall, winter and spring (at least those we got here in northern Euorpe) - not so much.
My 2023 Nissan Ariya has 91 kW battery but only 87 kW usable. Nissan does not state that the battery should be charge to 80% rule. With the 4 kW buffer, i usually charge to 95%. Good or bad?
Most OEMs quote usable capacity and not gross capacity. That being said, we'd probably stop at 90% for daily use and then go to 100% when we knew we were going to need it. DCFCing past 80% slows the process down, so we probably wouldn't do that too often (unless we needed to), but look at the rule more as guidance than anything. Some people strictly adhere to it, but if you don't it's not going to be the end of the universe.
@@EVPulse Thank you for your response. Nissan offers free one year unlimited EVgO charging for our Ariya. It’s hard not to take advantage of it. I typically charged up to 95%. 😀
Great video Carig! You're still funny as ever 🤣
I've been driving ICE cars for the best part of 40 years, and I have never had to worry about filling the tank up to 100% full or running it down to virtually empty.... I've done this thousands of times, and I can't ever remember the engine or fuel tank blowing up 🤣 or my range decreasing 😂 And the first litre goes in the same speed as a last litre (and every litre in between) 🤣🤣🤣
Running to virtually empty every time isn't great for the fuel pump, which is cooled by the fuel in the tank. And car fires do happen quite regularly, even if it's never happened to you.
All I here is only charge your EV battery 10% to 80% from the manufacturer. If that is the case, then the expected range of these EVs should be reported at 80%, not 100%.
Help!. Can't figure out how to limit my 2023 Nissan Leaf Plus to only 80% charge. Any suggestions. No, not in owner's manual.
There is no way to. If you only use L1/L2 then you don't need to worry about battery health.
This is true for any Lithium battery system.
True for normal battery packs but the newer LFP batteries can charge up to 100% daily!
Yup, and when we talk about it in future videos / series we will mention the LFP difference. Especially now more OEMs are using it.
Does the 2023 VW ID.4 Standard trim have LFP? @@EVPulse
From what i've heard EV manufactureres already soft limit the charge to 90% to increase battery life, and is that rule Pplied to all battery technologies?
Hey people, can I ask a very important question here? I'm anxious to get really good informed opinion on this because unfortunately living in Southwest, (specifically Las Vegas) we are more vulnerable to our EV's being permanately damaged right? Well that's my question, does level 2 charging and driving my EV (even if it's liquid cooled with proper thermal management) irrevocably compromise the long term battery range of the battery when the car is charging at night and it's still 85 degrees? I know I should expect less range in the summer, but does driving the car in 100 plus temperatures from May until late August, actually permanately shorten the battery's lifespan , or is driving the car in these temperatures and charging the car during these warm to severe hot summer months, going to have only a ''summer impact'' and when the temperatures cool in the non summer months, I won't see any permanent loss of range over time?
I wish there was consistent opinions out there, when I ask this question, but there isn't,
Batteries are consumables, so over time they'll ultimately lose some capacity. But also don't overthink it. If you're plugged in and have active thermal management (like nearly all EVs), the car will maintain the battery in its sweet spot especially when its plugged in pulling power from the grid.
You might see less range in the summer just because you're using energy to cool the cabin. Plus if the battery has to be more actively cooled that takes energy. But I wouldn't worry a ton, these are tested in extreme heat and cold. Just leave the car plugged in when you're parked, pre-cool the cabin before you unplug, and just go live life :)
One year later... It doesn't really apply anymore to the new LFP blade batteries. You charge them to 100% with no damage. And if you had only known back then about sodium ion batteries...
My new 2022 Nissan Leaf plus charges to 100% overnight when I plug into a level 2 outlet in my garage. I have no way to set it to less than 80%. I only charge when the battery is 50% or less. What are your thoughts on this?
You'll be fine. The level 2 charging to 100% is better for the battery than fast charging to 100%. Also waiting to charge until it's less than 50% is fine too. We wouldn't make a big habit of waiting until you're under 10%, but your usage shouldn't create any major concerns.
@@EVPulse there are so many contradictory and confusing recommendations out there even from the manufacturers. Earlier leafs allowed setting maximum level 2 charge percentage but my factory service advisor said that is no longer recommended or necessary. Another area is longer term storage say 1-3 months. Tesla said keep plugged in and set charge to 50%. Nissan said charge from 50-80% and unplug and consider disconnecting the 12 volt battery terminal. It goes on and on. Different standards for fast charging…….. all this just slows mass EV adoption. Keep it simple…. KISS
@@MechayaAlta I found elsewhere that the engineers of the gen 2 Leafs (so, 2014 and later) say it's fine to charge to 100% now. DC fast charge is still recommended to be done on a limited basis.
@@AaronSwenson thanks. It’s confusing that for different EVs there are different recommendations. Another example, for a 1-2 month storage, Nissan says leave unplugged, Tesla says leave plugged in.
Very little info in this video
Great video i hate electric cars i got stranded not being able to find a port
Great Video and information.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! Have a great day!
I do own such an amazing charging monster....an ioniq 5,
First. Hyundai tells the battery is 100%....but technically it is NOT. The car just stops charging earlier.
Done for prolonging life.
second. When I really need to fast charge (only on longer trips, I also need to "recharge " myself...in other words a sanitair stop, coffee ans something to eat. I limit my fastcharging mostly at 90% because the car charges faster than I do myself. When returning to the car I stop the charge, maybe 85% , maybe 88%. (and the ioniq 5 keeps charging more than 100KW until 87% except a one minute stop for balancing the battery at 82%.)
When we look to the TeslaS (p85) charge curve it's optimum for driving long distances is charging to 50% only. from nearly empty (with preconditioned battery of coarse) This because that car has another charge curve...starting fast and continuously slowing down.
My friend rented a Tesla for a trip Dayton Ohio to Destin Florida. That is normally a 12 hour drive one way. However, he had to stop 5 times to charge with an average charge time of 1 hour. That's finding a charge station, which are NOT right next to a highway. 45 mins average charge time, and drive back to the highway. Altogether adding over 5 hours to the trip. What was 12 hours became 17.5 hours one way. Did the car drive and perform well, yes. Was it comfortable? No. Seats sucked. You decide.
i thought the rule was 85% for lithium batteries, in general, to reduce an extreme amount dendrite build up within the battery. must be different for EV's with a high torque, high draw demand, electric engine.
Isn't LFP battery like in MG4 capable of charging 100%?
LFP is an exception.
Why not have batterie changing stations instead of charging stations?
I take care of my battery and wouldn’t want the unknown battery swap. Nio does it , but I’m not sure of others.
I top it off to 100% and drain it to nearly 0% in the hope my battery capacity will hit below 70%. That way, I can get a brand-new battery.
Question:
How low should you let the charge drop to.
If 100% is for long trips, occasionally and 80% is for daily trips, doesn’t the ioniq 5 refuse to restart, after it drops below 30%.
So, what range was that 30% that you won’t use amount to?
How far does staying between 30 - 80% get you in miles?
I have stopped and restarted my Ioniq 5 at less than 30%. You can stop and restart at any state of charge above utterly flat.
@@PeterEVcharade
I've seen a couple of videos telling 5 owners to carry a jump pack, so that they could bring the 12v in the 5 back to a point, which allows a fully charged main battery pack, to start the vehicle.
Something about the 5s software preserving power, once below 30%. The preservation of power software redirects power from recharging/keeping the 12v battery at 12v. The 12v battery becomes too week to start the car.
@@sjay149 That is only relevant if you have a very weak 12V battery. It would be not much different from having an ICE car that you could jump start but then even after driving a while, could not start again on the 12V battery.
@@sjay149 I know about those video's. What I understand is that they drive their ioniq 5 to under 20% main battery charge and than park it and do not use it for a week.
That car does have electronics working all day....draining the 12V slowly.
The 12V battery does not recharge itself when the main battery is so low.
I've never had any 12V problem with my ioniq 5, but I also never let it parked for a longer time at less than 20% charge.
The only issue I had once...the car did not want to go in drive mode at all.
The suggestion (at internet) was to shut off the car, lock the car and use the app (bluelink) to activate pre heating...that should reset the electronics. That worked.
In other words...when you have such a car (hyundai, Kia) install the bluelink app and connect it to youre car when you buy it.
If the minimum is 10% and 80% the highest, you leave out 30% capacity and the real world consumption does not match estimated range supplied by manufacturers, even worse in winter 😂
6:05 Well, punishing batteries with charge rates of 200+ kW doesn't exactly prolong battery life either, and no one seems to care :D
theater is the best example lol
No one speaks to the etiquette of using a charger for an additional hour for a measly 20% from 80 to 100%
We discuss this very topic here! th-cam.com/video/eBbblNudfmY/w-d-xo.htmlm10s
some cars are better than other at this... Hyundai Iconiq fro example is rated at 38kw... in actual fact the battery is around 40-41, just by default your not allowed to access as a consumer that part of the battery to keep the health up
This is one of the biggest drawbacks to EVs. In order to get the same range of an ICE car, you'd need something like 1000 miles of range, since only 50% of the battery is safe to use long-term (30-80 rule).
You can go beyond that if you are taking a road trip. But if you aren't driving 300 miles a day (and MOST of Americans do not do that, though there are exceptions), you don't need to always full charge.
If that's the case, then EV company should only allow to advertise their range within the 80% of their battery capacity. If 300 miles range is on 100%, then the real range that consumer should be buying into is 240 miles range. When I pay for it, I should be paying for 240 miles range, not 300 miles range as advertised.
You can charge to 100%. Just like you can charge your laptop to 100%. But like a modern laptop or smartphone that will only charge to 80% unless you need to use all of it, an electric car is similar.