Best charging behaviors?

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CSW

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 17, 2015
Messages
198
Location
Sacramento,CA
I want to make my battery last as long as possible, so I am wondering what technique is best. Lets say you only drive 10 miles a day, is it best to not plug it in and drive 5-6 days until down to about 80% , then re-charge? Or better to plug it in everyday and charge back to 100%? I hear a battery only has so many charge cycles, so I assume best to not plug in at all until down to 80%? (this was probably asked before, but I could not find it)
 
Lots of information can be found on this. Lithium batteries degrade fastest at highest and lowest charge levels. Ideally (but frequently not possible) keep the battery near half charge - only charging to 100% when max range is needed. And try to avoid fully discharging it.
 
CSW said:
I want to make my battery last as long as possible, so I am wondering what technique is best. Lets say you only drive 10 miles a day, is it best to not plug it in and drive 5-6 days until down to about 80% , then re-charge? Or better to plug it in everyday and charge back to 100%? I hear a battery only has so many charge cycles, so I assume best to not plug in at all until down to 80%? (this was probably asked before, but I could not find it)
There is a very informative article you should read titled "BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries". Summarizing the article:
1. A partial discharge reduces stress and prolongs battery life. The deeper the DoD, the fewer number of discharge cycles to be expected from the battery.
2. Elevated temperatures hasten capacity loss. The worst situation is keeping a 100% fully charged battery at elevated temperatures. Try 50%.
3. Charging a lithium battery to its maximum cell voltage every time will stress the battery and shorten its life.
4. Keeping a Spark EV plugged in during very hot or cold weather will keep the battery conditioning system active to protect the battery.

The question I have not seen clearly answered is this - did GM design the battery charging system in the Spark EV so the battery is not stressed to its maximum when it is fully charged? One comment I saw had a table that indicated the battery in the 2014 Spark EV was designed with a margin of charging protection but the battery in the 2015 Spark EV was not. We do know the battery in both the 2014 and 2015 Spark EVs does have a liquid cooling / heating system that helps control heat buildup and freezing. Having said all of that, I have to believe GM engineers are smart enough to know the charging characteristics of their lithium batteries and take measures to maximize battery life including limiting the maximum charge capacity that can be put into the battery.

The only way I think I will be able to see any charge capacity degradation is to compare the best range a full charge gave me in the first year and compare that with the best range I get in subsequent years. My best first-year ranges are 103 to 106 miles for both my 2014 Spark EV and my 2015 Spark EV.
 
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