EV - Maximising Your Drive Time By Minimising Your Charge Time!

Drivers who are drawn to electric vehicles (EVs) because of their innovative designs and eco-friendliness are slowly being taken over by those who are drawn to EVs more to avoid petrol stations and save money on fuel.

As the number of EVs increases for these reasons, there is also the issue that EV users are growing more and more ignorant because, for the lack of a better word, they couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about EVs, including anything beyond how to charge an EV and drive one.

Because of this, we are seeing an increasing number of users recently turn to social media when they feel duped for a variety of reasons, like inconsistent AC and DC charging speeds.

To start off, the vehicle's battery management system and the station's maximum charging rate determines how long an AC charge will take. The vehicle's onboard charger which differs from vehicle to vehicle which ranges from 7 kW up to 22 kW may have an impact on the actual rate of charging.

Conversely, DC fast chargers offer rapid charging times by feeding the car's battery with direct current at a high voltage simply limited only by the maximum amount of power it can safely receive.

Now similar to how gasoline-powered vehicle owners avoid emptying their tanks, electric vehicle owners would "top up" their batteries instead of allowing them to run completely empty. This technique lessens the worry (anxiety) of running out of power, especially on lengthy trips, and increases the driving range on a single charge.

It's crucial to remember that "topping up" an electric car's battery on a regular basis might not be the best course of action instead opt for small doses of DC charge when travelling. By doing this, it would help cut down your time laying idle at a charging station as it would actually only take minutes to juice up say from 60% to 75% as compared to filling up to 90%. 

An EV battery is best charged from 20% up to 80% when utilising a DC fast charger (DCFC). However, when your state of charge (SOC) is way below 20%, expect the DCFC to under-deliver in its promised speed till the charge lever goes beyond the 25% mark before actual advertised speed can be dispensed. This is being done to take care of the battery’s integrity.

When the battery's SOC is above 80%, however, the efficiency significantly drops in order to avoid overcharging and prolongs the battery's life. Because of this, DC fast charging based on the 80% rule has become the industry standard value when manufacturers advertise their products' charging value.

Therefore, for best results and longevity, the battery should also not be allowed to fall below 20% or rise above 80% when filling up on a DCFC. Furthermore, understanding and practising efficient charging habits can help EV owners maximise their vehicle's range and longevity while maximising charge speed and minimising charging time and costs.

Now that you understand these best practices when charging your EV, why not read up Charging Curve's and how that would differ from one EV to another!