Avoid these common mistakes while charging your electric vehicle
What's the story
The surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption has made it imperative to educate customers about proper charging practices.
As the Indian market continues to expand with new EV launches, knowing how not to charge these vehicles is critical.
Here are some key tips that every EV owner should keep in mind to ensure optimal battery health and performance.
Overcharging
Avoid overcharging your battery
Just like smartphone batteries, overcharging can take a toll on an EV battery's health.
It is advisable to avoid charging an EV battery to 100%. Most lithium-ion batteries (used in many EVs) perform best within a charge range of 30-80%.
Charging the battery to its full capacity, time and again, can stress it unnecessarily. So, unless for long trips, don't charge beyond 80%.
Draining
Never let battery drain out completely
Allowing an EV battery to drain out completely can also negatively impact its health.
It's recommended to start recharging when the charge level falls to about 20%.
Lithium-ion batteries favor partial cycles over deep discharges or complete drain outs.
Keeping a charge between 20-80% not only preserves battery health but also leaves room for energy storage from regenerative braking, possibly cutting down your charging costs.
Cooling
Wait before recharging after a ride
Lithium-ion batteries produce a lot of heat while powering the motor.
To avoid thermal problems, it's better to wait at least 30 minutes after driving/riding the EV before charging the battery.
This cooling period helps eliminate any potential thermal problems that may occur from charging immediately after driving.
Frequency
Don't charge your EV too frequently
Frequent charging can reduce an EV battery's lifespan and impact its performance and durability.
While natural degradation is inevitable, excessive charging can speed up the process.
To extend battery life, it's advisable to minimize charging frequency.
The general guideline is to plug in and charge the battery whenever possible, but not after every single drive.