Charging to 100%

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Knarlyd

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Messages
16
Location
Vancouver, WA
I almost always do DCQC because it's close to work and free.

I usu only charge to 80% which is default setting on my '13 Leaf SL. I would like to go to 100% but the car would be at work for 9 hours (in a parking garage).

I've read that charging to 100% and leaving the vehile with that SOC is not good. Can someone enlighten me on this? Can I charge to 100% and say leave it for several hours before driving it without doing any long term damage? If no long term damage after switching to this method, I may just start always letting it go to 100% instead of 80%.
 
"Always" charging to 100% is generally not recommended. Doing that will degrade your battery pack at a faster rate over time. By the same token, charging at a "faster" rate will also, at a certain point, degrade your battery quicker over time. Faster charging rates generate more heat in the pack. Doing either or both of these things should only be done in moderation over the long term. The ONLY time doing so might make more sense is if you're in a "leased" car, and of course, the charges are free. :mrgreen:
 
You can't do that with a QC...

The last 20% takes a relatively long time on a QC and is the hardest on the battery so I would recommend 80%

Nubo said:
Set an "end-time only" timer to 100% so that if finishes shortly before you intend to leave.
 
dsinned said:
"Always" charging to 100% is generally not recommended. Doing that will degrade your battery pack at a faster rate over time. By the same token, charging at a "faster" rate will also, at a certain point, degrade your battery quicker over time. Faster charging rates generate more heat in the pack. Doing either or both of these things should only be done in moderation over the long term. The ONLY time doing so might make more sense is if you're in a "leased" car, and of course, the charges are free. :mrgreen:


Just charging to 100% has not proven to degrade the pack faster, not measurably. In addition, charging fast is not the issue, situations were it generates heat is the issue. Every time you push the brake you fast charge.
 
Ah, my mistake. I was assuming by charging to 100%, they were thinking of charging at work during the 9 hours...

TomT said:
You can't do that with a QC...
Nubo said:
Set an "end-time only" timer to 100% so that if finishes shortly before you intend to leave.
 
What is the P3227 update and how do I know if I have it (or want it?!)

I've charged to 100% a few times on the DCQC, and yes, it takes about 45 mins if I recall from 80%. I usually just sit at the DCQC until it reaches 100% (unless someone is waiting for it.) Then I head to work which is only 2 miles so it would then sit for 9-10 hours until driven home (15 miles).

TomT said:
Unless you have the P3227 update! :lol:

EVDRIVER said:
Every time you push the brake you fast charge.
 
Once you reach above 90% you may as well head to the office. IMHO do not waste your time there after 95%, even if you have the time and no one is waiting. The extra miles of range you get are not needed (unless you are at the limits of the Leaf to get home), and the value of the electricity you will add to the battery is WAY LESS than $1.00. Your time is much more valuable than the electricity.
 
Knarlyd said:
What is the P3227 update and how do I know if I have it (or want it?!)...
The P3227 update does not apply to 2013 and newer LEAFs. It was intended to improve the accuracy of the battery capacity meter and similar battery measurement parameters in older LEAFs. It has a nasty side effect — intended or not isn't really clear — of reducing the amount of regen braking available, which was already low in 2011/2012 LEAFs. At cool battery temperatures, ~12ºC and below, the reduction in regen braking is so severe as to be ridiculous.

Be glad you have decent regen and don't have to worry about the P3227 update.
 
I'd like to post my question here instead of creating yet another thread.

We've only had the Leaf for a little over a month now but I'm a little concerned about prolonging the battery. We intend to get 5 years out of it. My wife charges at work every day and we top off at home on the weekends usually. My question is, in our highly dramatic St. Louis Missouri climate swings, should my wife be charging to 80% while she's at work? Her commute to work is about 13 miles but in the evenings, it's close to 40 since she picks up our child. 80% is obviously more than enough to handle the route home, but I've heard that charging to 100% is only detrimental when the battery level is left at 100% for more extended periods of time. In my wife's scenario, it probably sits at 100% for 2-3 hours before she leaves in the evening every day.

TL:DR version:
For my wife's relatively short commute, is setting a charge limit to 80% worth considering? Is 2-3 hours at 100% everyday a significant degradation risk for the battery?

Thanks guys.
 
IF she can guestimate the charge, using the end timer, so it reaches about 90%, that would be better than 100%. Otherwise, charge to 100% as long as it isn't Hot outside.
 
Belvedere said:
For my wife's relatively short commute, is setting a charge limit to 80% worth considering? Is 2-3 hours at 100% everyday a significant degradation risk for the battery?

What year is your Leaf? Another alternative is charge to 80%, but use an App to start charging to 100% an hour or so before she leaves, to give her a buffer. I do that fairly often, especially if I have extra errands, or know I'm going to need heavy AC.
 
Belvedere said:
TL:DR version:
For my wife's relatively short commute, is setting a charge limit to 80% worth considering? Is 2-3 hours at 100% everyday a significant degradation risk for the battery?

Thanks guys.
The short answer is that we don't know and Nissan won't provide the necessary data to decide. If charging to 80% will easily allow normal usage, you might as well do that. But the newer models don't even have an 80% option, which suggests, but doesn't prove, that Nissan thinks 100% charging isn't very damaging to the battery when left for short periods of time (and a couple of hours is a short period of time).

It is worth pointing out that "100%" is actually about 94-95%; Nissan won't allow the top 5-6% (and bottom 1-2%) of the battery to be used at all.
 
dgpcolorado said:
But the newer models don't even have an 80% option, which suggests, but doesn't prove, that Nissan thinks 100% charging isn't very damaging to the battery when left for short periods of time (and a couple of hours is a short period of time).
Actually, I'm pretty sure the only reason they did that was to boost the EPA range, which was previously the average of the two options.
 
dgpcolorado said:
But the newer models don't even have an 80% option, which suggests, but doesn't prove, that Nissan thinks 100% charging isn't very damaging to the battery when left for short periods of time.
Or it could suggest that they just don't care whether it damages the battery and reduces its useful life unnecessarily.
 
mctom987 said:
Actually, I'm pretty sure the only reason they did that was to boost the EPA range, which was previously the average of the two options.
While I agree with you, if the effects of 100% charging were very deleterious, I think they would have kept the 80% option despite the crazy EPA protocol. Just a WAG though.

As for the original question: if 80% is good enough to handle one's needs, why not use it? Can't hurt, might help. [I tend to keep my car at 20-50% unless I need to take a longer trip, in which case I just use an end-timer setting. But I have very predictable driving needs.]
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I think to err on the safe side, we'll just set her max to 80% for her work week and limit 100% charges to when we really need them.
 
Graffi said:
Once you reach above 90% you may as well head to the office. IMHO do not waste your time there after 95%, even if you have the time and no one is waiting. The extra miles of range you get are not needed (unless you are at the limits of the Leaf to get home), and the value of the electricity you will add to the battery is WAY LESS than $1.00. Your time is much more valuable than the electricity.

Good to know. Thanks ! :)
 
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