Tips And Best Practices On Charging Your EV Batteries
As an electric vehicle (EV) owner, you’ll want to take proper care of its batteries over its life span. Like the batteries in our phones and laptops, EV batteries are expected to gradually lose their capacity over time, and good charging practices can help keep this loss to a minimum. In today’s post, the local HVAC contractors at Green Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. share tips and best practices on charging your EV batteries.
Only Use Rapid Charging When You Have To
Rapid charging is intended for use in situations where your car is running low on energy and charging stations are few and far in between. Using it regularly can degrade an EV battery faster. There are three types of charging stations that can be used on an EV:
- Level 1 utilizes 120 volts and can be plugged into a dedicated standard wall outlet. It usually takes overnight for a full charge.
- Level 2 is the “standard” charging system that delivers 240 volts. An 80% charge can be achieved in 4 to 5 hours.
- Level 3 is the aforementioned rapid charging system. Given the prohibitive cost to operate one, level 3 chargers are only currently used for public-access chargers.
Take Regular Short Drives
Unless you use your EV for your daily commute, you will want to drive it every now and then. Lithium-ion batteries need to be used regularly to maintain its capacity, much like the batteries in your smart HVAC system thermostat or smartphone. Regularly using your car can also help prevent flat spots in your tires, which can result from parking the car in one spot for too long.
Keep The Battery Charged Between 20% To 80%
Change the settings on your car so it limits the charge to 80% maximum. While EV charging systems are equipped to cut the charge once the batteries reach 100%, there is still a small amount of trickle charge that causes strain to the battery. Keeping it at 80% provides some overhead for the trickle charge. Only charge your EV to 100% if you are going on a long trip.
Green Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. is your leading provider of EV charging station installation and HVAC repair services. Give us a call at (925) 954-9998. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve customers in Concord and the surrounding communities in California.
