"Connected Not Charging"

dsimpkins said:

You can also get this if the cable isn't pushed in fully. Also the weight of the CCS cable can pull down on the connector, stopping it from communicating with the car properly. Some people have found holding the cable until the charge cycle starts helps with this.

Click to expand...

I have experienced this twice charging at home went to the car next morning no charge.I now know why when i insert the connector sometimes it doesn't quite feel right even though the green lights illuminate. i think the solenoid is activating before i insert. So i'm much more aware of this and either remove and try again and if it still doesn't feel right i lock the car and then open again.this gives me the confidence to walk away.

John Green said:

As I am new to running an electric car I am very much on a learning curve. Can you please explain what a "Granny charge" is please.

John G

Click to expand...

Hi John don't be embarrassed to ask there's far too many new EV drivers that have not been given enough information before leaving the dealers.These cars are so easy to drive...but many things to learn but when you do you will see the great things that EV's are capable of other than the smooth drive, like defrosting the windscreen in the morning or preheating the cabin before you leave...the pub! I have been driving an EV for 7 years so i might be classed as experienced but i have hardly charged away from home so not that experienced.

welshwizard said:

This happened to me. after checking my car settings the charge was set to 40%. And as i was over 40% my car wouldn't charge. So check your charge settings to. Make sure to set your charge to 80% if your not doing long runs. And if you like to know how EV batteries work, there,s a YouTube about why charge at 80% . But it's all to do with the cells that consume energy. Short think as if the cells are alive and if overcrowded then they lose cells over a shorter time. And if you run the battery low, as in 10% then they will struggle to repopulate and so you lose more cells. But if I'm wrong someone please tell me. As i don't want to misinform anyone about what I've been watching or reading.
Thanks

Click to expand...

As an analogy it is very confusing. The long and the short of it is that the key point with maintaining a good battery is to keep the cells in balance and that only happens in the MG5 after the battery has been charged to 100%. If you don't do this the cells will not be balanced and the load will not be uniformly distributed. The best way to do this is to charge to 100% on a granny or home charging point. This slow charging rate is also better as it does not cause heating problems with the batteries. The 80% thing is a bit of a mine of misinformation. At 80% the charge rate does decrease as it takes longer to top up that extra. On a rapid the rate will drop to less than a fast or granny. This makes it a bit of waste of a charger slot to sit there getting that last drop. This is why the manufacturers quote a Rapid charge to 80% because that extra 20% could take another hour or two to reach it or even longer! Not attractive to a potential buyer. Similarly at low battery levels, slow charging is the best thing and not Rapid simply because discharged batteries do not like fast charging currents. If necessary AC charge and then move to a rapid.

My other EV is a self built 1976 Reliant Kitten powered by 4 tesla packs made in 2014. Because of the small capacity, they have always been charged to 100% with a 2.5kw charger. Guess what? Still at the same 99% SOH. They have been down at the 5% level but a slow charge brings them back up with no problems.

One other point is that the LR MG5 has a 61.1KWH battery of which only 57.4 kWh is used so when the car is 100% charged it is actually significantly less.

shpub said:

This is why the manufacturers quote a Rapid charge to 80% because that extra 20% could take another hour or two to reach it or even longer! Not attractive to a potential buyer. Similarly at low battery levels, slow charging is the best thing and not Rapid simply because discharged batteries do not like fast charging currents. If necessary AC charge and then move to a rapid.

Click to expand...

There no doubt that slow and steady works best for most Lithium batteries, however I think you’re missing the point when it comes to rapid charging, it’s not a choice but a necessity when you need to go beyond single charge range…

You are right and I probably did not explain myself well. Rapid charging is fine within limits. Having seen what can happen when it is used when the battery is almost totally discharged - I would not risk the battery with a rapid immediately. If it is the only charger then you have no choice. Hopefully the BMS should control the charging current in these cases but having seen how the CCS standard is often misinterpreted - the source of many of the charging issues that are seen - it is just an extra insurance policy.

When I use rapids to extend the range, I tend to charge little and often rather than try and charge to absolutely full which will take a lot longer. It is also quicker because you don't wait around for that last drop.

shpub said:

When I use rapids to extend the range, I tend to charge little and often rather than try and charge to absolutely full which will take a lot longer. It is also quicker because you don't wait around for that last drop.

Click to expand...

That’s exactly why the rapid charge speed to 80% is given in specifications, nobody will have the time to top up fully when going places…

MickeySw said:

That’s exactly why the rapid charge speed to 80% is given in specifications, nobody will have the time to top up fully when going places…

Click to expand...

Or have a need to, it's a common ICE driver's misconception that everybody is having to charge to full every time.
I don't know about anybody else but in my ICE driving days I rarely filled the tank to the top.

5teep said:

Or have a need to, it's a common ICE driver's misconception that everybody is having to charge to full every time.
I don't know about anybody else but in my ICE driving days I rarely filled the tank to the top.

Click to expand...

Before a holiday long journey I did, same as I do in my EV.