energitestdriver Posted May 1, 2018 at 03:15 AM Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 at 03:15 AM So I was given a loaner Energi by my local dealer while I wait for parts for my V6 3.0 Fusion... I have been charging it at a nearby Chargepoint station about 2.5 hours for a full charge. So I've been charging to 100% and then driving the next day and using that charge up. I'll stay in EV Later mode on the highway and EV mode in stop and go traffic. Just wondering if there is a problem in charging or using the vehicle this way. Reading some of the comments it seems that maybe it isn't a good idea to charge to 100% all the time. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdginmo Posted May 1, 2018 at 04:22 AM Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 at 04:22 AM I charge mine to 100% all the time. Actually, short of manual intervention during charging there's really no way to avoid it. I just don't leave it at 100% for longer periods of time especially when it's hot outside. jsamp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
energitestdriver Posted May 1, 2018 at 05:12 AM Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 at 05:12 AM Thanks for the info. I have to say I really like this car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzicman61 Posted May 1, 2018 at 07:00 PM Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 at 07:00 PM You'll hate giving it back. :) jsamp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustAnOldCountryBoy Posted June 25, 2018 at 06:48 PM Report Share Posted June 25, 2018 at 06:48 PM I always charge mine to 100%. I try to let the battery get below 20% before I charge it unless I am topping off for a longer trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16vjohn Posted June 28, 2018 at 02:30 PM Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 at 02:30 PM (edited) I had a Nissan Leaf, which has the worst battery degradation of any EV ever made. This topic has been beat to death on the Leaf forums. The common wisdom, and any lithium battery chemist should agree, it's charging it to 100% and leaving it there that is really bad. For example, you take it to the airport. leave it plugged in, and it sits in a hot parking lot for a week at 100% charge. Very very bad for lithium cells. Yes, the two extremes of 100% and 0% are hard on the cells, but that's the battery's job. Use the car, drive more, worry less is how I look at it. In a perfect world, we would never go below 20%, never go above 80%, and only use the car on mild-weather days of 65 degrees F. Note that there is some hidden capacity in EVs... 0% typically means there is still 5-10% in the battery you can't use. This helps prevent the wear that comes with depth of discharge. Likewise, 100% really is only about 90%. Cell phone batteries are charged to 4.2v, because they are disposable and cheap. EV batteries, at least in the Nissan, they tried to keep them under 3.9v each. Like countryboy says above, I wouldn't plug it in again until it was below 20%. Edit for one more anecdote: If you ever get into hobby batteries, for RC planes, cars, helicopters, etc... there is a "storage" charge, which keep the cell at about 80% of it's capacity. That seems to be where lithium cells like to live long-term. If you're using the car every day, I'd say just charge it to maximum, charge it when below 20% Edited June 28, 2018 at 02:35 PM by 16vjohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted June 28, 2018 at 03:30 PM Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 at 03:30 PM When the Energi indicates 0% the battery is not at 0%. That is where hybrid mode begins and the battery still has 1.5 kWh left. The car will never let the hybrid portion get anywhere near 0.. The HVB is used to start the engine, it does not have a traditional starter motor or an alternator for that matter. It is believed that when the battery is charged to 100% it is not the actual 100% but a lower value selected by the Ford engineers to be an artificial 100%. My car is over 5 years old and has always been charged to 100% and left to sit for a week or more. I still get the rated 21 miles in the summer time. 4cylinder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16vjohn Posted June 28, 2018 at 05:37 PM Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 at 05:37 PM When the Energi indicates 0% the battery is not at 0%. That is where hybrid mode begins and the battery still has 1.5 kWh left. The car will never let the hybrid portion get anywhere near 0.. The HVB is used to start the engine, it does not have a traditional starter motor or an alternator for that matter. It is believed that when the battery is charged to 100% it is not the actual 100% but a lower value selected by the Ford engineers to be an artificial 100%. My car is over 5 years old and has always been charged to 100% and left to sit for a week or more. I still get the rated 21 miles in the summer time. I don't mean to keep bringing up the Nissan... but really it was the southwest US (including southern california) where the highest rate of degradation occurs. In some Nissans, the degradation was greater than 30% in the first 3 years. In Pennsylvania and the northeast in general, degradation is not a concern. Not sure where the OP lives, but if it's anywhere south of Fresno, nighttime heat is a big factor. That said, Ford's batteries have active cooling which is probably why it's much less of an issue. Drive more, worry less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.