Recommendation to charge to 80%

[Kithmo]

Does the recommendation to charge to 80% to preserve battery life only apply to rapid charging or should you do it on AC as well ?
I'm not one to follow this religiously because I don't keep my cars very long, only 3 or 4 years.
But I was thinking, should my next one be the last new one I buy, maybe I should.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

I generally try to keep it anywhere between 20-80%, especially if the car isn't moving from the drive for a couple of days.

I do a balancing charge about once a month to coincide with a planned journey that'll take the SOC to 80% or lower.

I charge at home 99% of the time, only used a rapid twice in 20 months.

 

[rbpasapera]

I would say it applies to rapid charging, even though I always charge mine to 100% (93-ish% BMS) on AC, if you keep it between 20-80% range would be 98-ish miles with 100% SOH.

 

[Iain]

My feeling is to charge and drive the car to suit your needs rather than the what’s best for the car.
Obviously if a charging regime that keeps the battery between 20 & 80%, along with ac only charging is fine if you can, but the car is there to accommodate your needs not the other way round.
Similarly I only balance the battery before I am planning a reasonable journey rather than leaving it at 100% for days.

 

[Dave53]

Does the recommendation to charge 80% to preserve battery life only apply to rapid charging or should you do it on AC as well?
I'm not one to follow this religiously because I don't keep my cars very long, only 3 or 4 years.
But I was thinking, should my next one be the last new one I buy, maybe I should.

It has a battery management system to look after the battery, charge it how you want, it has a seven-year guarantee

 

[Lovemyev]

Interesting to note that on the charging info screen on the face lift ZS EV it recommends a charging band between 20 - 80% and to charge to 100% only when taking a long trip.
They do appear to be supporting the 20 - 80% charging theory as best practice now ??????.

 

[rbpasapera]

Interesting to note that on the charging info screen on the face lift ZS EV it recommends a charging band between 20 - 80% and to charge to 100% only when taking a long trip.
They do appear to be supporting the 20 - 80% charging theory as best practice now ??????.

With a 72 kWh pack and 273 miles of range, it could be ok to keep the battery between 20-80%, it would be a 160-ish miles of range.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

Of course, being a Yorkshireman, with a 7kw charger on Octopus Go charging from about 20% takes it 80%ish in the 4 hour, 5p KWh, window.

 

[Lovemyev]

With a 72 kWh pack and 273 miles of range, it could be ok to keep the battery between 20-80%, it would be a 160-ish miles of range.

I agree !.
Giving you pretty much the same predicted range of the original ZS EV after a 100% charge - I like that !.
Saving the maximum charge cycle's to 100% for the LONGER trips ( especially in the winter when consumption is higher ).
Less charging, more driving !.

 

[Lovemyev]

Having had the original ZS EV for almost two years and 16,500 miles, I have to say that the range of the car has not prevented us making some longer trips that has stretched it's range on times.
We have arrived home on more than a few occasions with the amber range warning light flashing !.
This was or first full BEV after owning a PHEV for over four years.
I have to openly admit that one factor that had not considered when ordering our first EV was an allowance for battery degradation over time.
I do see this now as a bit of a "School Boy Error" and I would advise other people to factor this into their choice of EV's set against their usage case over a few years.
I can clearly see now, that if you purchased an EV that could JUST satisfy your usage case when it was brand new, then after a few years in this car, it is either going to fall short of your usage case, or you will need to charging more often on route.
Therefore effectively travelling less distance before having to carry out a charge.
If on the other hand you are a low usage case and never get anywhere CLOSE to using the max range of the car, then any of this is of no importance of course, unless your usage case changes.
Hopefully ! - We will upgrade to our second ZS EV with the larger pack, in the new year.
I do see the extra range as massive cushion to both the range and it also offers in a margin for any range reduction suffered by battery degradation for our usage case.
This is the main reason why I would not upgrade to the face lift model with a similar size pack due in the new year.
Everybody has totally different reasons to consider upgrading to the face lift model of course.
Speaking only for myself here, but I now consider the most important thing before buying an EV is matching the battery size, closely to your usage pattern, then add in some redundancy.
Get this wrong and you are going to struggle in a few years times .
Unfortunately, larger packs are expensive and therefore increase the price of the car.
The Kona and the e.Nero with it's 64 kwh packs was surely a target for MG ?.
A lot of people ( including myself ) where hoping that MG would equal that pack size.
But when they over shot both of these cars with the face lift, it has drawn a wave of interest.

 

[prmedloc]

Interesting to note that on the charging info screen on the face lift ZS EV it recommends a charging band between 20 - 80% and to charge to 100% only when taking a long trip.
They do appear to be supporting the 20 - 80% charging theory as best practice now ??????.

It's a different battery chemistry in the new long range so i think that's why. I think it's more easily damaged by being repeatedly charged to 100%.
edit: damaged is a bit glass half empty, prevents capacity loss by being limited to 80% would be a more positive way of looking at it.

 

[Hotlush]

One thing I've not seen mentioned; limiting the charge to 80% means you get more regen so unless you need the range, or to balance, it should be more efficient than charging to 100% routinely.

 

[Gomev]

Interesting to note that on the charging info screen on the face lift ZS EV it recommends a charging band between 20 - 80% and to charge to 100% only when taking a long trip.
They do appear to be supporting the 20 - 80% charging theory as best practice now ??????.

How does it do that ? Is there a message or something ?

 

[Lovemyev]

How does it do that ? Is there a message or something ?

It’s a “Visual” recommendation on the charging screen by what I have briefly seen in the information unit.
The screen has a long horizontal slide bar adjustment.
There is an area that is marked out on the screen that displays an ideal / recommended / suggested charging scale for owners to view.
It has different colours for different area of the battery SOC.
I can’t recall the colours now ( old age ) but I do remember seeing an area marked between 20 - 80% ?.
Not sure if it is the same on the App ?.
Little detail sorry, but I think it is implying that charging in this field is a recommend good practice zone ?.
Charging to 100% only when required for longer trips ???.
I will try and find a screen shot latter, then you can form your own opinions of what it is therefore ?.

 

[Gomev]

I think we need to be careful adding our own interpretations to a graphic. It is common practice to advertise 20-80% charge times, maybe it is just indicating that, maybe it is indicating that after 80% on a rapid your charge rate will slow, maybe......

 

[Kithmo]

Would the current, monthly 100% charge and balance, routine still apply with this new battery technology ?

 

[Lovemyev]

I will try and find a screen shot latter, then you can form your own opinions of what it is therefore ?.

Here is the screen shot, the different colours on the screen are not shown in this shot.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

More info on batteries here for those that haven't heard of Dr Euan McTurk. Very informative.

https://youtube.com/c/PlugLifeTelevision

 

[Gomev]

Here is the screen shot, the different colours on the screen are not shown in this shot.

View attachment 5983

Battery health mode, is that 40-80%

 

[Lovemyev]

Battery health mode, is that 40-80%

Yeah - I think it is.
I have seen a better screen that displays it better, but I just can not find it right now.
I am sure it was broken down n different colours, if my memory serves me well.
Maybe it only displays the different suggested colour bar screen when you about to set up for a charge cycle ?.
But I recall seeing a suggested area ( 20 - 80% ) on the slider control.
Hey ….. We where travelling along the A55 express way in North Wales yesterday, and a silver ZS EV face lift passed us.
First one I have seen on the road !.