Break in ?

[Galiano]

Tomorrow I am picking up our new white SL.

This is likely a dumb question but is there a necessary break in period ? Thank for the help.

 

[surfingslovak]

Tomorrow I am picking up our new white SL.

This is likely a dumb question but is there a necessary break in period ?

Congrats! No break-in required with EVs. Think of the battery and the drivetrain like any other piece of consumer electronics. Idividual components and subsystems are typically pre-tested and go through a burn-in period at the factory.

 

[Galiano]

Tomorrow I am picking up our new white SL.

This is likely a dumb question but is there a necessary break in period ?

Congrats! No break-in required with EVs. Think of the battery and the drivetrain like any other piece of consumer electronics. Idividual components and subsystems are typically pre-tested and go through a burn-in period at the factory.

Thanks.

 

[planet4ever]

Actually, there usually is quite a break in period. - It takes some time to break in the new EV driver to optimize its interface with the car.

Ray

 

[surfingslovak]

It takes some time to break in the new EV driver to optimize its interface with the car.

:lol:

Agreed, but that's the fun part! I actually wanted to trade in the LEAF for a Volt. Considering that, my break-in period was about six months!

 

[JonathanT]

I've just acquired a 2013 SV. My plan is to use 80% charging except when 100% is needed. However, the dealership recommends charging to 100% for the first 2 weeks; they claim this 'trains' the battery. I see nothing in the manual about this, so I should ignore the dealership, yes?

 

[EricBayArea]

I've just acquired a 2013 SV. My plan is to use 80% charging except when 100% is needed. However, the dealership recommends charging to 100% for the first 2 weeks; they claim this 'trains' the battery. I see nothing in the manual about this, so I should ignore the dealership, yes?

Yeah, that makes zero sense. The battery does not have to be trained, nor does it have memory.

This was what my dealer told me about breaking in my LEAF:
Dealer: "Don't take hard right turns for the first few weeks."
Me: "Why?"
Dealer: "You don't want to turn-over a new LEAF.
Me: "Hardy-har-har"

 

[RegGuheert]

The battery does not have to be trained, nor does it have memory.

Ture, the battery does not need to be trained and it does not have memory. However, the Battery Management System (BMS) DOES need to be trained AND it DOES have memory. There is still an open question (in my mind, anyway) about whether or not the BMS will know what the full capacity of the battery is until it has been run from fully charged to dead at least one time. There are mutiple reports here on both 2013 and earlier models of significantly more range being available below LBW and/or VLBW than is generally expected. In addition, it is fairly well accepted around here that if your battery cells are badly out of balance, it can take multiple charges to 100% before a good balance is achieved so that you can attain maximum range.

Regarding the advice of the salesperson, I wouldn't worry about it. If you need a lot of range, you will find that you will charge to 100% often enough.

But regarding the idea of running your LEAF all the way to dead, I, personally, cannot bring myself to do that since I feel it MAY cause some irreversible capacity loss. OTOH, it may be true that doing that might cause the BMS to provide access to more battery capacity in subsequent runs.

As with all the anecdotally-determined advice about the LEAF found on this forum, YMMV.

 

[UBUYGAS]

:lol:

This was what my dealer told me about breaking in my LEAF:
Dealer: "Don't take hard right turns for the first few weeks."
Me: "Why?"
Dealer: "You don't want to turn-over a new LEAF.
Me: "Hardy-har-har"

 

[JonathanT]

Thanks for the speedy advice. Good to know the dealership wasn't completely wrong. Yes, I'm sure I'll charge to 100% now and again, and I won't deliberately drain the battery.

I've been reading this forum since considering the Leaf. It's full of intelligent, well-informed, polite and helpful people, with hardly an angry word anywhere. Driving my new Leaf is fun, and this forum makes it more so.