What % to recharge with level 1 charger?

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D s

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Hi! New to the forum. I tried searching but couldn’t find the answer to my question.

New owner of my first EV. The Kona EV Ultimate is a joy to drive.

I only have access to the level 1 charger that came with the vehicle. I plan to upgrade to a level 2 in the coming weeks or months. In the mean time I’m wondering what my charging protocol should be. I see lots of opinions on what level to charge up to (75%-100%) but when should I charge? It uses about 10% of the battery for the commute to work. Do I plug in each night to charge it from 70%-80% or let it run down to some other percentage? I won’t be able to plug it in for two days+ for a full charge, so I’m wondering if I should plug in each night or try to go a few nights or ...?

Thanks so much. You all seem very welcoming and friendly to those of us taking our first foray into the world of EVs.
 
D s said:
Hi! New to the forum. I tried searching but couldn’t find the answer to my question.

New owner of my first EV. The Kona EV Ultimate is a joy to drive.

I only have access to the level 1 charger that came with the vehicle. I plan to upgrade to a level 2 in the coming weeks or months. In the mean time I’m wondering what my charging protocol should be. I see lots of opinions on what level to charge up to (75%-100%) but when should I charge? It uses about 10% of the battery for the commute to work. Do I plug in each night to charge it from 70%-80% or let it run down to some other percentage? I won’t be able to plug it in for two days+ for a full charge, so I’m wondering if I should plug in each night or try to go a few nights or ...?

Thanks so much. You all seem very welcoming and friendly to those of us taking our first foray into the world of EVs.
Click to expand...
I am relatively new myself, and I do not yet have a l2 charger at home.

My experience is that it takes a out 6 hours on 110V to raise the battery by 10%, so I guess the way I would do it is plug in at night to bring up closer to 80. You can configure the car to stop when it hits 80.

Why 80? Battery longevity is a topic that can result in lots of discussion. Some people only charge to 80%, in the hope that this will maximize the life. I don't know if there is any real data to back this up, but for your commute you don't need 100%.

If you are going on a long trip, you can charge to 100, of course.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Inside EVs mobile app
 
I think the jury is still out on whether or not the battery on the Kona is charged to 95% or 90% (or 100%) when the display shows 100%. Or whether or not the battery management system does a good enough job of keeping the battery healthy, regardless of how you charge it.
What we do know is that Hyundai in the US provides a lifetime warranty on the battery, and the manual says to charge the battery to 100% when not using the car for an extended period of time.

In the end, I don't think it truly matters a whole lot. Even with the min. amount of FULL cycles on a Li Ion battery (500 or so), you aren't going to reach that in less than 2 years if you deplete the battery every (work) day and fully recharge it. Partial charges, from what I understand -- for instance, a 10% charge each day, only counts as 1/10th of a full charge. So you could do that for 20 years before the battery is going to start showing issues. That's longer than most people would ever consider keeping a car....

I personally charge to 90%. When I drive to work (50 miles), I connect to a 120V charger during the workday and maybe add 10% or so. When I get home, I plug in to a L2 charger and charge back to 90%. This helps me with range anxiety, which I think is more important. And if I assume that 90% isn't really 90%, but closer to 85 or 80% of actual battery charge, I should get upwards of 2000 cycles from my battery....
 
R P said:
There has been extensive discussion about this on past threads. Here is one.
https://www.insideevsforum.com/comm...arge-my-64-kwh-kona-ev-to-100-every-day.5311/
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Thanks for the contribution. Unfortunately that thread talks about the optimum amount to charge up to. I’m not looking for that information. I’m actually looking for how low I should run the battery down before I recharge. Is it ok to charge it from 70% to 80% each night? Or should I try to run it down to 20-30% before giving it a big recharge.

Thanks for trying though.
 
Robbert said:
I think the jury is still out on whether or not the battery on the Kona is charged to 95% or 90% (or 100%) when the display shows 100%. Or whether or not the battery management system does a good enough job of keeping the battery healthy, regardless of how you charge it.
What we do know is that Hyundai in the US provides a lifetime warranty on the battery, and the manual says to charge the battery to 100% when not using the car for an extended period of time.

In the end, I don't think it truly matters a whole lot. Even with the min. amount of FULL cycles on a Li Ion battery (500 or so), you aren't going to reach that in less than 2 years if you deplete the battery every (work) day and fully recharge it. Partial charges, from what I understand -- for instance, a 10% charge each day, only counts as 1/10th of a full charge. So you could do that for 20 years before the battery is going to start showing issues. That's longer than most people would ever consider keeping a car....

I personally charge to 90%. When I drive to work (50 miles), I connect to a 120V charger during the workday and maybe add 10% or so. When I get home, I plug in to a L2 charger and charge back to 90%. This helps me with range anxiety, which I think is more important. And if I assume that 90% isn't really 90%, but closer to 85 or 80% of actual battery charge, I should get upwards of 2000 cycles from my battery....
Click to expand...
It sounds like I should be ok regardless of what I do then. If charging from 70% to 80% each night only counts a 1/10 of a charging cycle I should have nothing to worry about.
Thanks for the info.
 
ericy said:
I am relatively new myself, and I do not yet have a l2 charger at home.

My experience is that it takes a out 6 hours on 110V to raise the battery by 10%, so I guess the way I would do it is plug in at night to bring up closer to 80. You can configure the car to stop when it hits 80.

Why 80? Battery longevity is a topic that can result in lots of discussion. Some people only charge to 80%, in the hope that this will maximize the life. I don't know if there is any real data to back this up, but for your commute you don't need 100%.

If you are going on a long trip, you can charge to 100, of course.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Inside EVs mobile app
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I’m not looking for information on what I should set the maximum charge level to, just trying to figure out if giving it small charges every night (back up to 80% from 70%) is not good for the battery. Should I try to do it every other day from 60%-80% or charge once a week for a full weekend for 40%-80%?

I’m just trying to make sure I’m not killing the battery by topping off once a day for 10% or so.

Thanks again.
 
D s said:
Thanks for the reply. I’m not looking for information on what I should set the maximum charge level to, just trying to figure out if giving it small charges every night (back up to 80% from 70%) is not good for the battery. Should I try to do it every other day from 60%-80% or charge once a week for a full weekend for 40%-80%?

I’m just trying to make sure I’m not killing the battery by topping off once a day for 10% or so.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

You'd have to work pretty hard to kill or even overly degrade the battery, especially at Levels 1 and 2. Plug it in whenever you like, relax, and enjoy the car for many years to come.
 
Yeah, I had the same questions when I first got the car. But after spending a little time on this forum (and others), no longer worry about stuff like this.
 
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Keep in mind that regen recharges the battery a tiny bit as you drive. So if frequently charging your battery was harmful, then the car makers would turn off regen completely. But maybe my line of thinking is incorrect on this. Any expert can confirm or correct me?
 
It is also my understanding that charging at a low rate (certainly to include Level 1) is less stress on the battery than Level 3 DC charging. Therefore, charging to higher levels is OK on Level 1. I might still limit myself to 90% for Level 1, just to be overly protective. ;)
 
After a year of ownership using only using Level 2 and DC charging, I'll be able to start using the trickle charger starting November.
My plan is to plug it in most nights and limit it to 70%. I'll use about 10% each day. The (240 VAC, 8 A) trickle charger can add about 20% to the SoC over the 8 hour off-peak electricity rate. If I have a trip planned, I'll bump the limit up to 90 or 100% the previous day. If I have to start a trip with short notice, I'll stop by the nearby DC fast charger and top-off.

I would suggest to OP that it doesn't technically matter how often you charge, but for optimal battery life keep the range centered around 60% and within 40 - 80%.
 
Francois said:
Keep in mind that regen recharges the battery a tiny bit as you drive. So if frequently charging your battery was harmful, then the car makers would turn off regen completely. But maybe my line of thinking is incorrect on this. Any expert can confirm or correct me?
Click to expand...
Certainly regen can reach 130 kW, well over the max continuous DC charge rate of 77 kW, which is about a "1C" level, already high. But regen is very short duration as is discharging via the motor at similar levels. There is little time to heat the cells up.

davidtm said:
It is also my understanding that charging at a low rate (certainly to include Level 1) is less stress on the battery than Level 3 DC charging. Therefore, charging to higher levels is OK on Level 1. I might still limit myself to 90% for Level 1, just to be overly protective. ;)
Click to expand...
Best keep those issues separate. DC warms the battery while charging but that's temporary. Sitting at 100% is cumulatively detrimental.
 
KiwiME said:
Certainly regen can reach 130 kW, well over the max continuous DC charge rate of 77 kW, which is about a "1C" level, already high. But regen is very short duration as is discharging via the motor at similar levels. There is little time to heat the cells up.

Best keep those issues separate. DC warms the battery while charging but that's temporary. Sitting at 100% is cumulatively detrimental.
Click to expand...
As is leaving the SOC at a low# say <20%
 
I agree with RP Charge it every night to 80 90 100 if you want and then get in a drive it. I had a leaf with no battery problems. I had 6% left this morning put it on a DC charger to 50% now its on a level 2 charge to 100% good for a week. it's fine that some people diagnose so many things about their Kona and worry about what could happen and not enjoy the car. You have a 5 year warranty on the car 8 on the battery Drive it
 
D s said:
Hi! New to the forum. I tried searching but couldn’t find the answer to my question.

New owner of my first EV. The Kona EV Ultimate is a joy to drive.

I only have access to the level 1 charger that came with the vehicle. I plan to upgrade to a level 2 in the coming weeks or months. In the mean time I’m wondering what my charging protocol should be. I see lots of opinions on what level to charge up to (75%-100%) but when should I charge? It uses about 10% of the battery for the commute to work. Do I plug in each night to charge it from 70%-80% or let it run down to some other percentage? I won’t be able to plug it in for two days+ for a full charge, so I’m wondering if I should plug in each night or try to go a few nights or ...?

Thanks so much. You all seem very welcoming and friendly to those of us taking our first foray into the world of EVs.
Click to expand...
Hi D,
I've read many publications on the subject and find myself settled on 80-20 charge cycle. Best thing to do is spend time googling as many articles you can find on the subject and make your own decision. Your increased knowledge will make you feel more comfortable with whatever charging structure you might choose.
.
 
My recommendation is follow the manufacturer recommendations. Tesla recommends charging to 80% Hyundai doesn't. Here's what it says:
When the state of charge (SOC) of the battery is low, the EV battery can be recharged through several different charging methods. Refer to “Charging Information" later in this section.

If the vehicle will not be used for an extended amount of time, it is recommended to fully charge the vehicle to 100% before storing, and then charge the vehicle periodically (approximately every 3 months) to prevent the EV battery from discharging completely.

Avoid storing the vehicle with a low battery SOC % (e.g. below 20%). Storing the vehicle with the EV battery capacity at a low SOC may damage the battery over time. ​

It's interesting that it says store at 100%, that must mean there's some reservoir of uncharged battery even at 100%, which also means when you do charge, you may as well charge to 100%. Unlike other ev's - the Leaf for example - 100% isn't really 100% (I assume).

My habit is to at least use up 2/3 of the battery before charging, unless I know I have a long drive the next day. And I always charge to 100%.
 
Tony M. said:
My recommendation is follow the manufacturer recommendations. Tesla recommends charging to 80% Hyundai doesn't. Here's what it says:
When the state of charge (SOC) of the battery is low, the EV battery can be recharged through several different charging methods. Refer to “Charging Information" later in this section.

If the vehicle will not be used for an extended amount of time, it is recommended to fully charge the vehicle to 100% before storing, and then charge the vehicle periodically (approximately every 3 months) to prevent the EV battery from discharging completely.

Avoid storing the vehicle with a low battery SOC % (e.g. below 20%). Storing the vehicle with the EV battery capacity at a low SOC may damage the battery over time. ​

It's interesting that it says store at 100%, that must mean there's some reservoir of uncharged battery even at 100%, which also means when you do charge, you may as well charge to 100%. Unlike other ev's - the Leaf for example - 100% isn't really 100% (I assume).

My habit is to at least use up 2/3 of the battery before charging, unless I know I have a long drive the next day. And I always charge to 100%.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that was something that surprised me, too. They warn against storing low (not running down) but not against storing high, or charging to 100%.
 
Weird. I had read elsewhere not to leave it at 100% for more than a few hours, so definitely not while storing it for several days. 90% might be safer for storage. But to each his own. :)
 
GPM432 said:
I agree with RP Charge it every night to 80 90 100 if you want and then get in a drive it. I had a leaf with no battery problems. I had 6% left this morning put it on a DC charger to 50% now its on a level 2 charge to 100% good for a week. it's fine that some people diagnose so many things about their Kona and worry about what could happen and not enjoy the car. You have a 5 year warranty on the car 8 on the battery Drive it
Click to expand...
Ha Ha! I agree GP. I often find myself wondering why people worry about things that seem so insignificant. At the same time however, I enjoy reading all the posts, insignificant or not.

I do believe there is some importance in trying to preserve battery capacity though. Although the battery warranty is lifetime against defects or failure, I don't believe It covers normal loss of capacity over time.
 
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