Battery Preservation

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Ed C

Ed C

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Hello, I got a question.

I commute in my Kona EV daily around 100 miles. The max range of the Kona comes around 250 miles. To help preserve the battery, it is better to charge it every day but keep it between 40-80% OR to charge it every other day but run it down from 100-90% to 20-10%???

I can either do both. More cycles but keep it between 40-80% or less cycles but a larger drain between 100-90% to 20-10%. So far I chose the more cycles route, but not sure if that is the best thing. I was hoping you are more of the expert than I am in this area. Thanks!
 
Several threads out here about the recommendations on charging. I had asked the question as well last month after picking up mine. (which I LOVE btw!)

Recommendation is to only charge to 80% after running down to 20-30%, if you can. Apparently always charging to 100% degrades the batteries. YMMV.
 
Ed C said:
Hello, I got a question.

I commute in my Kona EV daily around 100 miles. The max range of the Kona comes around 250 miles. To help preserve the battery, it is better to charge it every day but keep it between 40-80% OR to charge it every other day but run it down from 100-90% to 20-10%???

I can either do both. More cycles but keep it between 40-80% or less cycles but a larger drain between 100-90% to 20-10%. So far I chose the more cycles route, but not sure if that is the best thing. I was hoping you are more of the expert than I am in this area. Thanks!
Click to expand...

This topic comes up frequently though it can be hard to find.

A little research on batteryuniversity should answer your question. The short version is that it doesn't make a whole lot of difference, but lower SOC is generally a good tonic.
 
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More cycles, stay with what you are doing! Don't charge to 100% unless you need to, better above 20%. AC rather than DC...
 
Ed C said:
I commute in my Kona EV daily around 100 miles. The max range of the Kona comes around 250 miles. To help preserve the battery, it is better to charge it
Click to expand...
I drive about 100 miles per day (my commute is only 50 miles but I drive around town a lot every day, so I average 100 miles per day). Ideally, you should charge every night to 80%. 100 miles will get you down to 50% or so. Charge back up to 80% every night and your SoC will always be between 50 and 80% which will give you great battery life. I also charge at many places that I go to as they offer free charging.. Almost ever day, when I have dinner, there is a free charger close to the place I eat. I charge away from home many times each week as there are free chargers at many places that I go to..
 
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Ed C said:
I commute in my Kona EV daily around 100 miles. The max range of the Kona comes around 250 miles. To help preserve the battery, it is better to charge it every day but keep it between 40-80% OR to charge it every other day but run it down from 100-90% to 20-10%?
Click to expand...
There is no question you are better off to charge nightly from 40 to 80, an average SoC of 60%. Any technical reference would support that staying in the middle of the range increases life and this is the trick the Prius hybrid uses.
 
KiwiME said:
There is no question you are better off to charge nightly from 40 to 80, an average SoC of 60%. Any technical reference would support that staying in the middle of the range increases life and this is the trick the Prius hybrid uses.
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Presumably a Prius hybrid built after 2015 with lithium ion chemistry as prior to this they had nickel metal hydride batteries a very different battery.
To Op : bad things for you battery are high heat, keeping your SOC at high SOC 100% or low SOC below 10% for extended periods of time, a lot of high voltage DC charging. I charge daily from 50-60 to 80 percent, periodically charge up to 100% and run down to whatever SOC( had it as low as 5%) I need on long trips. In the end use whatever battery you need and don't worry about it.
 
apu said:
Presumably a Prius hybrid built after 2015 with lithium ion chemistry as prior to this they had nickel metal hydride batteries a very different battery.
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Prius models Gen1-3 hybrid 1997-2015, plus model Gen4 Entry level 2016 - have NiMH batteries. Gen4 Mid-grade and Premium levels 2016 -, plus all Prius plugin-hybrid models (PHV/Prime) from 2012 have Li-ion batteries.
 
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Heh. NiMH is also a lot better at absorbing positively abusive charge
rates, like well over 10C during heavy regen in a Prius. 6.5 Ah, 100 amps
slammed into it, and it just happily sucks that up minus a bit of heating.

_H*
 
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