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As an electric car driver, it is quite legitimate to wonder whether it is a good idea or not to charge your electric car every day. But, there is no simple answer to this question. Charging frequency is mainly linked to a number of criteria such as use and range. Basically, it comes down to battery capacity. For better understanding, find out more about the ideal charging option for your electric car!
The charging frequency depends on how you use your electric car. To assess the rhythm of charges, you should consider the following factors:
1. Vehicle use
For everyday urban journeys of less than 30 km, it’s not necessary to charge your car every day. However, if you use your vehicle for long journeys (going on holiday or away for the weekend, etc.), you should plan several daily charges.
2. Range
This varies depending on the make and model, from 100 to 600 km for the most powerful version of the battery.
3. Battery composition
Most electric cars are fitted with a lithium-ion battery. This will last between 1000 and 1500 charging cycles (the equivalent of over 10 years’ use). Being sensitive to extreme temperatures, the lithium-ion battery is also, relatively sensitive to systematic 100% charging.
It’s true that lithium-ion batteries don’t appreciate systematic 100% charging, but a battery is a relatively complex object. It is made up of materials whose composition varies from one technology to another: lithium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, aluminium, graphite, etc. All these elements have unique properties.
Is charging to 100% risky for the battery in my electric car? Charging beyond 80% is not necessarily bad for the battery. Other factors exert a greater influence on its ageing.
Other behaviours exert a much greater influence on the wear and tear of your battery, such as the type of chargepoint used on a daily basis, driving behaviour, storage and weather conditions.
If you charge your electric car at home, it may be common to leave the battery charging overnight. If this is the case, don’t panic, it is possible to leave it plugged in until the morning. Most electric vehicles have systems that automatically switch off charging once the battery is 100% charged*.
You can also save money by charging at night! You can benefit from off-peak rates, by choosing an appropriate electricity contract.
In reality, a battery is never really fully charged. Electric car manufacturers systematically restrict the amount of battery capacity in order to virtually increase their lifespan.
A number of factors can influence an EV’s energy consumption and alter its charging frequency.
For a daily commute (less than 30 km), charging is generally carried out 1 to 3 times a week. However, if you’re planning to go on holiday, on a long journey, for example, you’ll need to schedule several charging sessions. Set off with peace of mind with Chargemap and plan your route with the route planner. You’ll be able to find the closest charging stations to charge your EV without any bother.
You also need to take into account the weight of the payload, i.e. the number of passengers, the amount of luggage or work equipment. These factors can intensify the charging frequency.
The battery can discharge more quickly depending on the type of road. Driving at 110 km/h or 130 km/h on a dual carriageway or motorway requires much more energy than driving at 50 km/h in town. On a mountain road, for example, the car will consume more energy going uphill and recover energy when going downhill.
If you don’t use your electric car much or need to store it for a long time, it is advisable to maintain a charge level of around 50% to limit the ageing of the battery. This percentage depends, among other things, on the chemistry of the battery.
Over time, and when only used once in a while, the battery runs the risk of oxidising prematurely due to an unsuitable charge level.
The weather also plays an important role in how often you should charge your electric car. When driving in the rain or into the wind, you’ll be pushing your car’s performance to the limit, which in turn reduces the battery’s range.
Generally speaking, batteries don’t appreciate extreme conditions, like in midwinter or midsummer. Driving an electric car comfortably in cold weather is perfectly possible though if you follow certain good practices. The same goes for summertime, as appropriate behaviour will prevent your car battery from overheating and keep you cool!
We also recommend eco-driving as reducing your speed will preserve the battery’s range.
There are several charging solutions for individual homes: a standard household outlet, a heavy-duty socket, a chargepoint or a wallbox.
Unlike a domestic socket, which considerably slows down charging time, a chargepoint or wallbox allows you to charge your electric vehicle at optimum, continuous speed. This is the best way to control how often you charge your car, save money and preserve the battery’s life span.
There are also a number of government grants available for the installation of chargepoints. If you live in a multi-unit building as a tenant, you should apply to your landlord and If you are the owner, you should apply to the co-owners’ association. If the latter refuses, you can assert your right to a chargepoint.
You’ll find 3 main types of public charging stations on your route: slow (level 1), accelerated (level 2) and fast (level 3). What type of charging should you use on a daily basis?
Avoid charging exclusively at fast/ultra-fast charging stations. Charging at full speed can accelerate the degradation of the battery cells.
That said, some electric vehicle models are equipped with high-performance battery temperature regulation systems.
In any case, for long distances, we recommend the use of fast charging. However, for a short sightseeing weekend, to discover the Christmas markets for instance, we recommend the use of a level 1 or level 2 AC charging station. In doing so, you’ll be able to fully enjoy your activities while your battery is charging.
To find the most suitable charging stations for your vehicle, close by,
take a look at the map of charging stations for electric cars.
Download or update your Chargemap app.
If you’ve bought an electric car for the first time, there’s a good chance that you’re wondering about the optimal way to charge your vehicle to get the most out of its battery.
And commonly, owners wonder whether or not they should use their home EV charger every night.
While many do leave their electric car to charge every night, this can have negative effects on the battery's range and lifespan and it’s only recommended that you charge when needing to do so, to ensure there’s sufficient range in the vehicle for your next journey.
In this guide, we've laid out a detailed guide with everything you need to know about charging your EV overnight and if you're wondering, should I charge my electric car every night? read on for everything you need to know!
Is charging my electric car every night safe?
If you're planning to leave your electric car to charge overnight, you may be wondering if there's any risk involved with leaving it plugged in for that long.
However, electric car batteries contain battery management systems that automatically disconnect the battery once it reaches full charge, so there is no risk of it becoming overcharged and causing damage.
Lithium-ion batteries are now the norm in most battery-powered devices and have mostly replaced nickel-based batteries. They're found in electric bikes, mobile phones, solar power storage units and electric cars, as well as many other usages.
As EV battery technology has improved over the last few decades, the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries has increased massively, and so has their ability to store energy durably, for a long period of time. This is the reason for their use in electric vehicles and why they have been so extensively produced.
One downside of lithium-ion battery packs is that they will gradually decay during their lifespan if they're not charged in an optimal way.
How much and how quickly they decay depends on two things: how many charging cycles they go through during their lifespan and how much time the EV battery spends above 80% and below 20% charge.
If you charge your electric car every night, this will increase the number of charging cycles that your car's battery pack goes through, ultimately decreasing its lifespan.
Equally, if your electric vehicle is left on charge all night every night, it will reach its full battery capacity, meaning that it will be spending a lot of time above 80% charge capacity. This will also shorten the lifespan and, over time, will decrease the range of your electric vehicle.
You should always check the car's user manual for advice on the optimal amount of time your batteries should be left on charge.
Is charging my electric car overnight cheaper?
One of the main reasons that people choose to charge their electric cars overnight is that electricity costs tend to be cheaper at night than during the day, and this is especially the case for those on specialist EV tariffs. This is due to the fact that demand for electricity is generally lower during the night, as fewer people are using the grid.
If you are planning to charge your electric car at night, then it's always best to make sure you check if this will actually be the most affordable option for you, however, this will almost always be most cost-effective than charging during the day.
Another thing to consider is that as electric vehicles grow in popularity, the demand for electricity at night will most likely increase, meaning that the cost of electricity will likely also increase.
A common concern amongst owners when charging their EV is that they will continue to be charged for electricity even once the battery has reached its full capacity, but this is not the case as the battery will contain charge controllers that disconnect the battery once it's fully charged and therefore limit energy consumption.
Learn how much it costs to install EV charger at home.
Is it necessary to fully charge my electric car every day?
Another reason that owners of electric vehicles are tempted to charge their cars every night is range anxiety.
This is the common fear that their vehicle will run out of charge during their journey when they are not near a charging station, and it's one of the main reasons that many people are reluctant to make the switch to an electric car.
However, studies have shown that the average driver travels less than 40 miles a day, and all EVs have the battery capacity to cover this distance several times over. For example, a Nissan Leaf can cover 239 miles on a single charge.
As we've covered, it's optimal to try and keep your battery charged to over 20% capacity and under 80% capacity as much as possible to increase its lifespan and prevent it from losing range.
So, if your daily commute is on average, let’s say, 40 to 50 miles, you should only need to charge your vehicle every few days. However, if you're planning to make a long trip that will push the limits of your EV's range, then it makes absolute sense to charge the battery to its full capacity.
In many cases, a simple rule is to think about charging your EV the same way as you would fill up a petrol car’s tank. You wouldn’t fill this up every day unless the tank was running low, but would wait until either your fuel light came on or you knew you had a long journey coming up.
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