Potential Buyer advice please

[JohnV6]

Depends on the chemistry and rthe end SOC. if your battery should noramlly charge to 80% but you keep it at 100% the advice is that can damage it. Others can be left at 100%

 

[siteguru]

Regardless of the chemistry, leaving it at 100% SoC for an extended period will have a negative impact on the pack health. It's just that LFP packs will tolerate it better than NMC. (i.e. the impact is seen less quickly).

So both respondents are right - and wrong.

 

[siteguru]

Why would a Motability user be more likely to always charge their vehicle to 100%, compared to any other user?

Exactly. In fact a Motability user is more likely than most to use their car for short journeys, said journeys never needing the 100% range of the battery.

 

[gary333]

Exactly. In fact a Motability user is more likely than most to use their car for short journeys, said journeys never needing the 100% range of the battery.

But more likely to plug it in so “it’s always ready”. Hence it staying at 100% for most of its life, hence like I said more likely to suffer more damage (degradation).

 

[siteguru]

But more likely to plug it in so “it’s always ready”. Hence it staying at 100% for most of its life, hence like I said more likely to suffer more damage (degradation).

I don't agree .. where's your evidence to support your assertion?

 

[gary333]

I don't agree .. where's your evidence to support your assertion?

As I said earlier it’s anecdotal based on numerous posts across many EV forums I’m a member of where people have purchased ex. Motability cars and seen excessive battery degradation upon testing range out and have been dissappoinred. I’m not saying all Motability cars are knackered, I’m saying it’s worth anyone considering older ex Motability cars with very low mileage cars to perform more diligence on battery and not just focus on how the bodywork looks.

Many (most) EV purchasers are given no or often incorrect advice about how to charge their car. Couple this with many Motability cars having tiny mileage there’s a risk the batteries being left to charge constantly. Is this higher or lower than a lease car, maybe, maybe not, but it’s a factor to consider when buying and this is a thread about buying.

 

[siteguru]

As I said earlier it’s anecdotal based on numerous posts across many EV forums I’m a member of where people have purchased ex. Motability cars and seen excessive battery degradation upon testing range out and have been dissappoinred. I’m not saying all Motability cars are knackered, I’m saying it’s worth anyone considering older ex Motability cars with very low mileage cars to perform more diligence on battery and not just focus on how the bodywork looks.

Many (most) EV purchasers are given no or often incorrect advice about how to charge their car. Couple this with many Motability cars having tiny mileage there’s a risk the batteries being left to charge constantly. Is this higher or lower than a lease car, maybe, maybe not, but it’s a factor to consider when buying and this is a thread about buying.

I understand that, but .. in many cars (certainly non-LFP cars) the target SoC defaults to 80%, so even if they left the car plugged in a lot of the time, and left it idle for longer periods, the battery won't be sitting at 100% anyway.

 

[nogbad]

The problem with mobility cars which has been called out on other forums is that some EV's are just left on charge all of the time knackering the batteries.

This could indeed happen to any car, bought, financed, leased, stolen lol. However, as many people with mobility might have mobility issues, then it does seem logical they might leave their cars plugged in all the time. Leaving an ICE car for a week at a time isn't going to matter, leaving an EV on charge all the time will certainly ruin it.

Wow! There is a lot happening here, I wonder if you could break it down a little? For example, how many of these anecdotes are there? The plural of anecdote isn't data, after all. How many have been verified? What % of second hand Motability cars does this cover? What battery degredation is being seen? Is it catastrophic or will the car still run to the end of the warranty? Is it all models or just SE, or Trophy, or XP? What age or doesn't that matter?

Moving on to the users... Why might this cohort be more likely to leave a vehicle plugged in? You've mentioned possible mobility issues but these can be equally problematic for people who are not using part of their PIP to pay for a Motability car. Pensioners might not do high mileage, and/or those who work from home - do you have any information on these cohorts?

I'm an academic; we tend to like evidence, "My mate told me..." is less valuable as advice, don't you think?

 

[JeffNaylor]

Swerving the Fact Fight, I've just paid a deposit on a 72 plate long range Trophy at a main dealer (Salisbury Penton). More questions incoming

 

[ReintjeWA]

Swerving the Fact Fight, I've just paid a deposit on a 72 plate long range Trophy at a main dealer (Salisbury Penton). More questions incoming

What colour did you get?

 

[nogbad]

What colour did you get?

Colour matters above everything else!

 

[johnb80]

Regardless of the chemistry, leaving it at 100% SoC for an extended period will have a negative impact on the pack health. It's just that LFP packs will tolerate it better than NMC. (i.e. the impact is seen less quickly).

There are some EV's where its recommended to keep it at 100% - BMW i3 - ABC - Always Be Charging.

So both respondents are right - and wrong.

I guess that now makes 3 of you to incorrect

 

[JeffNaylor]

What colour did you get?

Black Pearl. Look great, might take some keeping clean!

 

[salty]

Black Pearl. Look great, might take some keeping clean!

Will take some keeping clean! But does look fantastic when clean.

 

[siteguru]

There are some EV's where its recommended to keep it at 100% - BMW i3 - ABC - Always Be Charging.

I guess that now makes 3 of you to incorrect

They only make that recommendation because the battery is (was) small.

 

[nogbad]

Black Pearl. Look great, might take some keeping clean!

I can only assume that they didn't have a Tango for you ;-)

 

[Kithmo]

There are some EV's where its recommended to keep it at 100% - BMW i3 - ABC - Always Be Charging.

I guess that now makes 3 of you to incorrect

Busted.

 

[Roger001]

To resolve the 'fact' firefight

The battery state of health should have been recorded at each service and so should be part of the service history.

 

[siteguru]

Busted.

(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party).

 

[siteguru]

To resolve the 'fact' firefight

The battery state of health should have been recorded at each service and so should be part of the service history.

That doesn't resolve anything, because a) We weren't talking about warranty, and b) The SOH is just a number and bears little reality to actual degradation .. with LFP packs the stated SOH is known to be a time-based calculation. The only relevance of the stated SOH is in regards the warranty.