Current value setup prior AC fast charging

[Edward Xuereb]

The MG4 standard range offers a selection of current values: max current, 32Amps, 16 Amps etc, on selecting the battery charging menu. Which value is the better one for less battery degradation?

 

[Rolfe]

Frankly I wouldn't worry about it. The LFP battery will still be going when the car rusts round about it.

 

[siteguru]

I just leave it at maximum and let the car/charge points work it out for themselves.

 

[Edward Xuereb]

Thanks for your prompt replies. From your feedback it looks that this setting is not of an issue that one need to be concerned about.

 

[Rolfe]

LFP batteries are very longlasting and can take a fair bit of punishment.

 

[tsedge]

Thanks for your prompt replies. From your feedback it looks that this setting is not of an issue that one need to be concerned about.

The main use of current limiting AC charging is when granny charging on limited quality electrical supplies - so as not to overload them either due to the quality of the wiring or the overall rated maximum load of the supply.

 

[fnegroni]

The main use of current limiting AC charging is when granny charging on limited quality electrical supplies - so as not to overload them either due to the quality of the wiring or the overall rated maximum load of the supply.

Indeed

A second reason is to avoid idle fees when parked at some on street public chargers…

 

[Edward Xuereb]

Thanks for the clarifications.

 

[Speedy Baz]

The MG4 standard range offers a selection of current values: max current, 32Amps, 16 Amps etc, on selecting the battery charging menu. Which value is the better one for less battery degradation?

Actually the higher one(32a)is best for ac conversion to dc(built in charger) there more losses the lower the current you go.

 

[Haggis]

LFP batteries are very longlasting and can take a fair bit of punishment.

That's why I'm in such a dilemma. Trying to select between the NMC and LFP. I was on a thread here about it but people have a concrete thought about it and if you mention it they get very protective. So now I'm all over the place. I don't buy new cars every few years. I wait until the wheels fall off. Better things to do with money. So now I just don't know.

 

[GaryMG4]

That's why I'm in such a dilemma. Trying to select between the NMC and LFP. I was on a thread here about it but people have a concrete thought about it and if you mention it they get very protective. So now I'm all over the place. I don't buy new cars every few years. I wait until the wheels fall off. Better things to do with money. So now I just don't know.

I go for the option which suits your need, if range is your priority go for the NMC, the 1000 cycle life (to 70% capacity) will still last 150,000 to 200,000 miles and still have a range of 150 miles after that. If you want to leave it charging so you always have 100% charge when you set off LFP is a better bet, and 3000 cycle life is around 500,000 miles.

 

[Rolfe]

That's why I'm in such a dilemma. Trying to select between the NMC and LFP. I was on a thread here about it but people have a concrete thought about it and if you mention it they get very protective. So now I'm all over the place. I don't buy new cars every few years. I wait until the wheels fall off. Better things to do with money. So now I just don't know.

I agree with Gary. Each type has its pros and cons, so rather than trying to figure out which one is "better", figure out which one suits your driving requirements.

I like my LFP for a number of reasons, but some of these are probably entirely theoretical. It's less likely to catch fire - but how often do NMC batteries catch fire? Damn seldom. Mine doesn't have the evil cobalt, but cobalt-including batteries are being made and the ethics of their manufacture are being cleaned up, and really, it's not going to make any tangible difference to anybody's life if you buy one now. LFP has a longer life-span than NMC, but see above. If the NMC battery is going to last as long as your car does, how much does this matter?

The day-to-day thing that I like is being able to charge to 100% and balance every time I charge, without worrying about how long I'm going to leave it or how many times I've done that. But I strongly suspect that if I had the LR battery I'd be getting on just fine treating 80% as "full", not least because 80% of the LR is a similar range to 100% of the SR. And really, taking it up to 100% the day before I plan to drive at least 50 miles, once a month, probably wouldn't be any great chore.

I do know that when I've gone on longer trips, just twice in six months, the LR battery would have made a significant difference. I knew that when I bought the car, and the salesman tried to sell me on the LR. I said, £2,500 on the price isn't worth it to me for the few times I might want that range (and charging speed). And I stand by that. But (literally) your mileage may differ on that one. I had a scheduled 2 hours of charging stops with 7 hours driving time on a trip to Brighton. With the LR it would probably have only been an hour. But I'm retired, and taking my time on that journey is a pleasant novelty.

If I'd been concerned about charging time on long journeys I'd have paid that £2,500, and not worried about it. I suggest you work out your requirements in the same way.

 

[Haggis]

I agree with Gary. Each type has its pros and cons, so rather than trying to figure out which one is "better", figure out which one suits your driving requirements.

I like my LFP for a number of reasons, but some of these are probably entirely theoretical. It's less likely to catch fire - but how often do NMC batteries catch fire? Damn seldom. Mine doesn't have the evil cobalt, but cobalt-including batteries are being made and the ethics of their manufacture are being cleaned up, and really, it's not going to make any tangible difference to anybody's life if you buy one now. LFP has a longer life-span than NMC, but see above. If the NMC battery is going to last as long as your car does, how much does this matter?

The day-to-day thing that I like is being able to charge to 100% and balance every time I charge, without worrying about how long I'm going to leave it or how many times I've done that. But I strongly suspect that if I had the LR battery I'd be getting on just fine treating 80% as "full", not least because 80% of the LR is a similar range to 100% of the SR. And really, taking it up to 100% the day before I plan to drive at least 50 miles, once a month, probably wouldn't be any great chore.

I do know that when I've gone on longer trips, just twice in six months, the LR battery would have made a significant difference. I knew that when I bought the car, and the salesman tried to sell me on the LR. I said, £2,500 on the price isn't worth it to me for the few times I might want that range (and charging speed). And I stand by that. But (literally) your mileage may differ on that one. I had a scheduled 2 hours of charging stops with 7 hours driving time on a trip to Brighton. With the LR it would probably have only been an hour. But I'm retired, and taking my time on that journey is a pleasant novelty.

If I'd been concerned about charging time on long journeys I'd have paid that £2,500, and not worried about it. I suggest you work out your requirements in the same way.

That's good advice. But being in Australia and not retired things may change. I've got an i-miev with only the equivalent of 43,000 miles on it. It's 11 years old. That has a lithium ion battery which has similar cycles to a NMC I believe. Now it's off the road with a dropped cell. It's only ever been charged by household 240 volts using the supplied charger. If that battery had been LFP I would have had no problems now. It would likely have gone another 11 years. Here in Australia the climate allows cars to last a very long time. I use a VW EOS diesel when I go to Melbourne which is 1000kms or 620 miles. But when the EOS stops then it would be EV all the way. So that's my dilemma as I use a car until the wheels fall off.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm intending to use mine until it rusts away, and I'm in Scotland. I totally see where you're coming from. But I think you may have had an unfortunate one-off experience with your present car, and it's always possible to have an unfortunate one-off experience with an LFP battery too I imagine.

If you're out and about doing longer trips and using public rapid chargers quite a lot, buy the damn LR battery. You'll be fine. If most of your driving is done from home within the range of the car so that you simply charge overnight, get the SR.