Charging limit at 80%?

[MG Volcano]

I’ve read somewhere that optimal charging strategy is to charge to a max of 80% and not let drop below 15%. What are others doing?

 

[Deleted member 13624]

I’ve read somewhere that optimal charging strategy is to charge to a max of 80% and not let drop below 15%. What are others doing?

SE Standard Range : Does not matter, but charge to 100% weekly so battery balances.
SE Long Range & Trophy : 20% to 80% for daily, 100% when you need it. Balance will happen as you have the charge limit feature. Try not to leave it sat at 100% if you are not using it for more than a couple of days.

 

[MG Volcano]

Useful info. Thanks kilberz

 

[ukslim]

I don't think there's any harm in draining below 20%.

The system starts nagging you to recharge at 20%, I think because the whole industry is very very keen not to have scare stories of people running out and being stranded. (I gather all the brands nag and nag and nag, the lower you go, then go into increasingly severe low-power modes, so it's really difficult to reach the state where you can't reach any charger).

If I understand it right, rapid chargers go fastest between 20% and 80%, so if you're doing very long journeys and want the shortest possible stops, optimal approach is an ultra-rapid charger each time you hit 20%, and take it to 80%.

But in reality that doesn't happen. You'll go earlier or later, based on what's available, and how your bladder / appetite / tiredness guide you. You'll decide to resume your journey before it reaches 80% because you're bored; or you'll see it go over 80% because that's how long it took to use the loo, queue for coffee, browse in WHSmiths...

And a lot of this doesn't matter very much. If you occasionally work the battery hard, for occasional long journeys, the impact will be minimal. If you go long distances daily, well, treating it nicely will help, but you're still hammering it and should probably just accept that -- like the business driver who puts 40,000 miles on a leased diesel car in a year, then returns it to the lease company; it's their problem now.

 

[MG Volcano]

All good points. Thanks

 

[Rolfe]

I think it's all about the size of the ions. When they're all at one end or the other, then the space they take up isn't good for the battery. So over 80% or under 20% they're crowding in to one or other end, but in between the pressure is off.