Maximize Battery Life/Health for New EVers

[Graffi]

We have had our 2013 Leaf SL Premium Package for just over 3 months and 4,300 miles. We wish to protect the battery as much as we can and were looking for a thread that gave battery tips for newbees. Is there one that has been created by those of you with a lot more experience? I would like to know now, rather than later, if I am doing something that is destroying our battery.

So far, we keep it set to charge to 80% and have only gone to 100% a couple of times when we needed to drive greater distances. We charge every time we get home on the 240v EVSE that was installed with the CEC free program, sometimes multiple times in a day. We also use the Dealer's DCFC once every week or so, to 80%. We try to never let it discharge below 20 miles remaining, but a couple of times it has gotten down to 9 miles.

So far we have averaged just over 4 miles/kwh, but are curious how Stuart658 and others are able to get 30 to 60 miles/kwh.

Thanks for your kind assistance.

 

[EVDRIVER]

We have had our 2013 Leaf SL Premium Package for just over 3 months and 4,300 miles. We wish to protect the battery as much as we can and were looking for a thread that gave battery tips for newbees. Is there one that has been created by those of you with a lot more experience? I would like to know now, rather than later, if I am doing something that is destroying our battery.

So far, we keep it set to charge to 80% and have only gone to 100% a couple of times when we needed to drive greater distances. We charge every time we get home on the 240v EVSE that was installed with the CEC free program, sometimes multiple times in a day. We also use the Dealer's DCFC once every week or so, to 80%. We try to never let it discharge below 20 miles remaining, but a couple of times it has gotten down to 9 miles.

So far we have averaged just over 4 miles/kwh, but are curious how Stuart658 and others are able to get 30 to 60 miles/kwh.

Thanks for your kind assistance.

I am curious as well, 600-1200 mile per charge is impressive.

 

[WetEV]

We have had our 2013 Leaf SL Premium Package for just over 3 months and 4,300 miles. We wish to protect the battery as much as we can and were looking for a thread that gave battery tips for newbees. Is there one that has been created by those of you with a lot more experience? I would like to know now, rather than later, if I am doing something that is destroying our battery.

So far, we keep it set to charge to 80% and have only gone to 100% a couple of times when we needed to drive greater distances. We charge every time we get home on the 240v EVSE that was installed with the CEC free program, sometimes multiple times in a day. We also use the Dealer's DCFC once every week or so, to 80%. We try to never let it discharge below 20 miles remaining, but a couple of times it has gotten down to 9 miles.

So far we have averaged just over 4 miles/kwh, but are curious how Stuart658 and others are able to get 30 to 60 miles/kwh.

Thanks for your kind assistance.

Please add your location to your profile so we can comment, as the comments will be different for coastal Alaska then for southern Arizona.

The major issue identified that limits battery life is battery temperature. I suggest you read the wiki on this subject:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery_Capacity_Loss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Carwings only can report on trips that the user (in 2011 and 2012 Leafs) pushes the "Ok to send data" button on power up.

I could get 99 miles per kWh by leaving home, pushing the Ok, driving down a hill, stopping, power cycling the car, pushing the Cancel then and for any other trips other than this first mile.

 

[RonDawg]

You're doing just about everything reasonably possible (and practical) to minimize premature degradation. But, the battery will degrade eventually.

You didn't set your location in your profile, or mention it in your post, but local climate probably has the biggest impact on how long the battery will last. If you live in Seattle or Portland, your battery will last a long time, but if you live in Phoenix, Las Vegas, or Palm Springs, you'll lose capacity bars rather quickly no matter what you do short of keeping your car in a gigantic refrigerator during the summer.

If you don't already do so, try to park the car in the shade as much as you can during the summer, especially if you are in a warm climate. That's about the only thing I would add.

 

[planet4ever]

Conventional wisdom is that the battery does best when its average charge is around 50%. I tend to believe that, though I have no hard facts to back it up. You appear to be driving 40-45 miles/day on average. Depending on climate (as others have said, please include your location under User Control Panel -> Profile) I wouldn't think that multiple charges per day would be needed as a normal thing, and they would tend to push your average charge well above 50%. Your reference to multiple charges also makes me suspect that you aren't using a timer. Having a timer, too, would reduce your average charge level.

Ray

 

[surfingslovak]

We charge every time we get home on the 240v EVSE that was installed with the CEC free program, sometimes multiple times in a day.

The reference to the CEC program would suggest California.

Stoaty documented best battery practices on the Wiki. In general, owners have not been able to see any significant difference in battery degradation in relation to their charging habits and behavior. The average ambient temperature at the place of residence seemed to have the largest impact on longevity.

That said, anecdotal reports from 2013 owners would suggest that the battery chemistry in the recent model year has been changed to a point, where they claim to notice an improvement in battery longevity. Since 2013 LEAFs have not been in the field that long, we will have to wait and see.

In the meantime, you can watch this YouTube video by one of the active MNL members (adric22). A lot of the concepts he explains in his video apply to automotive batteries as well, and according to adric22, he picked up most of it here on the forum.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy9Mp1vik-s[/youtube]

 

[smkettner]

As long as you do not abuse the battery with heat or extended sitting at 100% you will be fine.
Normal time and cycling is most of the wear and tear.

 

[RonDawg]

The reference to the CEC program would suggest California.

Fair enough, but our state's climate can range from the cool rain forest of far northwestern California to the searing heat of Death Valley.

 

[surfingslovak]

The reference to the CEC program would suggest California.

Fair enough, but our state's climate can range from the rain forest of far northwestern California to Death Valley.

Of course, but it does narrow it down a bit, in terms of geography at least. Regional climates and local micro-climates abound, which will definitely be a significant factor. Hopefully, the OP will list the location in the profile, as requested up-thread.

 

[RonDawg]

The reference to the CEC program would suggest California.

Fair enough, but our state's climate can range from the rain forest of far northwestern California to Death Valley.

Of course, but it does narrow it down a bit, in terms of geography at least. Regional climates and local micro-climates abound, which will definitely be a significant factor. Hopefully, the OP will list the location in the profile, as requested up-thread.

But that's the thing...our climate is so diverse, merely saying "California" doesn't narrow it down significantly enough in regards to the topic of battery degradation. I live in Los Angeles County, but that can mean anywhere from the beach to the high desert of the Antelope Valley.

If the OP lived in San Francisco, no problem. Palm Springs, expect to use that battery warranty.

 

[surfingslovak]

But that's the thing...our climate is so diverse, merely saying "California" doesn't narrow it down significantly enough in regards to the topic of battery degradation. I live in Los Angeles County, but that can mean anywhere from the beach to the high desert of the Antelope Valley.

If the OP lived in San Francisco, no problem. Palm Springs, expect to use that battery warranty.

Yes, and I thought that I already acknowledged that. If you wish to continue to argue this further, let me point out that the vast majority of LEAFs in California is sold in LA, San Francisco, and in San Diego. The plurality of those owners live less than 50 miles from the coastline. Chances are that the OP fits this profile as well, and in this sense, when we say "California", that implies quite a bit. I would go even further, and suggest that the OP is from the SF Bay Area. Can we please move on now?

 

[Graffi]

Sorry about not having the loction. I live in San Diego, California, about 10 miles from the coast. I can actually see the Ocean from the crest of the road a few houses down from mine, about 400ft altitude.

Anyway, I finally discovered how to change my profile, so the location shows.

Daily commute is only 10 miles each way, car parked in parking structure, and in garage at home. The extra mileage is from evenings and weekends. Saturday was over 100 miles, and today (Sunday) was about 50. We use Graffi (my wife named her, the Leaf color is Metalic Slate) for all our driving if we can, even though BeeBee (for Bright Blue, the color of her previous daily driver, a 2012 Mitz Lancer GT) gets 25 to 30mpg.

Thank you to everyone replying here. It is so very nice to have an active forum.

Another issue that I have been hearing about is Balancing the cells by charging to 100%. Is this correct? How often should I do it?

Thanks Much!!!

 

[LeftieBiker]

Another issue that I have been hearing about is Balancing the cells by charging to 100%. Is this correct? How often should I do it?

The car should handle it in normal driving and charging. Charging to 100% once in a while will just guarantee it.

 

[RonDawg]

Yes, and I thought that I already acknowledged that. If you wish to continue to argue this further, let me point out that the vast majority of LEAFs in California is sold in LA, San Francisco, and in San Diego. The plurality of those owners live less than 100 miles from the coastline. Chances are that the OP fits this profile as well, and in this sense, when we say "California", that implies quite a bit. I would go even further, and suggest that the OP is from the SF Bay Area. Can we please move on now?

Firstly, no need to get snippy.

Second, I will move on, if you will.

 

[surfingslovak]

Firstly, no need to get snippy.

Second, I will move on, if you will.

My comment was meant to be helpful, not provocative. I only mentioned that the CEC program implied California, when we were looking for the OP's location. He happens to live in coastal San Diego, which was relevant to this thread at the time. I don't think that a continued discussion on this particular topic is beneficial to anyone.

Thank you to everyone replying here. It is so very nice to have an active forum.

Another issue that I have been hearing about is Balancing the cells by charging to 100%. Is this correct? How often should I do it?

Battery balancing has been a much discussed topic. Although Nissan did not provide many specifics on battery care, owners found through simple observation that charging the battery to full helps maintain the pack balanced, which can result in slightly improved range. If you don't need the full range of the LEAF on a daily basis, then charging to 80% would be appropriate. We haven't see much benefit in terms of longevity in the field to justify charging to 80% otherwise, even though it's a conservative practice and it certainly helps. Below is a recent thread on the topic. The Google Search feature of the forum typically yields better results.

2013 Battery balancing

 

[Nubo]

Another issue that I have been hearing about is Balancing the cells by charging to 100%. Is this correct? How often should I do it?

The car should handle it in normal driving and charging. Charging to 100% once in a while will just guarantee it.

My experience is this:

For the first 8 months or so I probably charged to 100% once or twice a month simply because of driving needs. Then, several months went by with strictly 80% charging. Then I attempted a long-range trip that I knew would take close to the full capacity. As I got within 12 miles or so of home, the numbers on the GOM started dropping very rapidly even though I was driving a very steady slow speed on a rural lane. I hit LBW and VLBW quite a bit earlier than I'd expected. I was able to make it home just before turtle mode, but the behavior sounded much like someone's earlier report of driving an "unbalanced" pack -- that the rug sort of gets pulled out from under you near the low end of SOC.

The empirical evidence of "needing a balance" seemed to be that after a 100% charge, the car would report another "charging complete" message some time later (up to 4 hours later). Sure enough, that's what happened to me after the long drive, and again after another 100% charge the following day. After this "balancing" another long drive did not exhibit the sudden drop-off behavior at the end.

Since that experience, I make it a point to charge to 100% (and time the completion about 4 hours before I depart), once a month whether or not I need the range. Sometimes I get a 2nd "charging complete" message, sometimes not. For any other 100% charges during the month I try to finish as close to departure as possible, to minimize time spent at full charge.

 

[Graffi]

Thanks again, very helpful info. I am reading the 2013 Battery Balancing thread now. I think I will start doing the 100% plus the extra hours charge on a monthly basis also.

 

[DaveEV]

Thanks again, very helpful info. I am reading the 2013 Battery Balancing thread now. I think I will start doing the 100% plus the extra hours charge on a monthly basis also.

For a '13 LEAF, there really is no need to wait for many extra hours. The '13 LEAFs do a much better job of balancing than the '11-12 LEAFs. If you simply wait until the '13 LEAFs stops charging on a 100% charge and you'll be fine. The '13 LEAF will taper the charger down a lot when it approaches 100% compared to the '11-12 LEAF.

To verify pack balance, pick up a cheap Android phone, a OBD-II bluetooth adapter and the LEAF Spy app. Charge to 100% and look at the cell-pair voltages. If under < 30 mV difference, you are fine. Most '13 LEAFs I've seen are well under that. Have not seen many '11-12 LEAFs significantly under that unless they charge to 100% daily.

 

[Stoaty]

To verify pack balance, pick up a cheap Android phone, a OBD-II bluetooth adapter and the LEAF Spy app. Charge to 100% and look at the cell-pair voltages. If under < 30 mV difference, you are fine. Most '13 LEAFs I've seen are well under that. Have not seen many '11-12 LEAFs significantly under that unless they charge to 100% daily.

That's odd. I charge to 100% about once a week (and recently much less), yet always have a cell-pair voltage difference around 20 mv at full charge. However, I noted recently that a full charge showed only 92% SOC. The next week it went up to 93%. I assume that a SOC less than 95% after a full charge means the pack is slightly unbalanced... or is there another explanation for that?

 

[Graffi]

To verify pack balance, pick up a cheap Android phone, a OBD-II bluetooth adapter and the LEAF Spy app. Charge to 100% and look at the cell-pair voltages. If under < 30 mV difference, you are fine. Most '13 LEAFs I've seen are well under that. Have not seen many '11-12 LEAFs significantly under that unless they charge to 100% daily.

Drees, I have a dumb phone, my wife has an I-phone. However, I did see the thread talking about the LeafDD. Will it be useful to purchase one of those? Will it help us to prolong the battery life to know the details, or is it just another gadget for the technocrats to know more useless data?