gregn
Well-known member
The question, "Is DC charging bad for your battery?".
I've read the opinions and gathered that the heat generated is the issue more than the type of charging.
I'm curious about DC charging for a short session, 8-10 min instead of a hours on L2 or L1. Obviously the slows charging creates less heat but if the DC charge was done in the mornings when the ambient is cooler and the battery temp bars remain under 7 segments or below 90°F would the fast charge rate alone be likely to cause significantly more damage than slower charging for more time. I'm talking about charging to 80%. I've noticed when monitoring the session with LeafSpy as soon and the input starts dropping ( usually around 80%) the battery temp rise rate increases. If you keep charging then you end up with a hot battery. If you stop when the input drop starts the rise is no greater than the same charge at an L2. This is with ambient temps above 75°F.
Some background. I have L1 at home, public L2 very near my apartment. L3 on the way to work. 80% gets me to work and back with 20-30% remaining depending on how fast I drive. Sometimes I leave my car at the L2 for several hours then pick it up later. If the next day is a day off I could leave it on L1 the whole time at home. Or I could just use the L3 on the way to work the next day. The L3 stop seems most convenient and charging happens at a cool time of day. The L2 is in the very hot afternoon sun so I should wait till evening before charging there. Not that convenient. We all know how long L1 takes. I can do a combination of the L1 and L2 but again not that convenient for every day.
So, am I harming my battery by using the L3 for the short session it takes to get enough charge for my commute?
Thanks for your time.
I've read the opinions and gathered that the heat generated is the issue more than the type of charging.
I'm curious about DC charging for a short session, 8-10 min instead of a hours on L2 or L1. Obviously the slows charging creates less heat but if the DC charge was done in the mornings when the ambient is cooler and the battery temp bars remain under 7 segments or below 90°F would the fast charge rate alone be likely to cause significantly more damage than slower charging for more time. I'm talking about charging to 80%. I've noticed when monitoring the session with LeafSpy as soon and the input starts dropping ( usually around 80%) the battery temp rise rate increases. If you keep charging then you end up with a hot battery. If you stop when the input drop starts the rise is no greater than the same charge at an L2. This is with ambient temps above 75°F.
Some background. I have L1 at home, public L2 very near my apartment. L3 on the way to work. 80% gets me to work and back with 20-30% remaining depending on how fast I drive. Sometimes I leave my car at the L2 for several hours then pick it up later. If the next day is a day off I could leave it on L1 the whole time at home. Or I could just use the L3 on the way to work the next day. The L3 stop seems most convenient and charging happens at a cool time of day. The L2 is in the very hot afternoon sun so I should wait till evening before charging there. Not that convenient. We all know how long L1 takes. I can do a combination of the L1 and L2 but again not that convenient for every day.
So, am I harming my battery by using the L3 for the short session it takes to get enough charge for my commute?
Thanks for your time.