Daily Charging Limit Percentage - what's yours set to?

[EV Engineer]

I have heard that, but isn't this part of the reason for "0%" on the gauge to really be something like "5%" for the actual battery pack?

I'm just saying that running the battery over the entire range that it's management system is designed for isn't as bad as many seem to think.

Agree here. This all seems so over-analyzed. We're approaching something like 2 million EV's sold a year in the USA. I trust that all the manufacturers have done extensive testing before offering 8 and 10 year 100k warranties on these things without putting these batteries through their paces.

I charge exactly like I gas my ICE. When I feel it's getting on the lower end I'll plug it in to 90% (as FoMoCo has recommended). Sometimes thats three times a week. Other times it's not for 10 days.
Every 6 weeks or so we take a road trip anways so I go to 100%.

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[K6CCC]

Yep, this whole thread is mostly opinions, so here's what I'm doing...
At my house I have a one lane driveway and I have to be in the rear spot for the charge cable to reach. Our son takes my wife's car overnight normally on Tuesday and Friday nights so most of the time I take advantage of being the only vehicle in the driveway to charge those nights. This is southern California so keeping the battery or vehicle from freezing and pre-conditioning is not that much of a deal.
When I was working I would charge Tuesday and Friday nights at home (normally to 90%), and anytime I could get one of the free charging spots at work where I would charge to 100% (it was free). Each round trip to work and back used about 18%. If I had a weekend trip planned I would charge to 100% on Friday night. I did have a departure time set so the cabin would warm up automatically on work days.
Now that I'm retired I am still generally charging Tuesday and Friday nights to 90%, but without my 52 mile round trip commute to work every day my total consumption has dropped quite a bit. I deleted the scheduled departure time. As before, if I have a weekend trip planned, I will charge to 100% prior to the trip. So far the lowest I have had the truck was 13%.

 

[dpwmc93]

I know Ford recommends 90% daily charging, is that the level most people use or not?

I charge to 90% on home charger and 80% if traveling

 

[Firn]

Good reference point. Given Ford's protection approach on the top and bottom, we might yield better results. Time will tell where we land.

I did have it use the Lightning "100%", aka max cell voltage of 4.09, rather than a lithium typical 100% of 4.2v per cell. That means the factory buffer is already built into those calculations.

 

[Truaz]

Daily or not like when needed (2-4 days, depends on where work takes me) I’ll charge to 80%.

 

[Lukewv]

I know Ford recommends 90% daily charging, is that the level most people use or not?

I charge 70% is more than enough

 

[RickLightning]

Day to day its 80% in the summer and 90% in the winter. 100% whenever I think i will be putting more miles on that day

Regardless of the safety buffer built into the battery a lower percentage increases pack lifespan. Quick chatgpt answer here for an ER that drives 15k per year.

Charge to 100% daily (≈1.88% annual loss)
• After 10 years: 82.7% remaining → ~17.3% degraded → ~108.4 kWh usable
• After 20 years: 68.4% remaining → ~31.6% degraded → ~89.6 kWh usable

Charge to 90% daily (≈1.63% annual loss)
• After 10 years: 84.8% remaining → ~15.2% degraded → ~111.1 kWh usable
• After 20 years: 72.0% remaining → ~28.0% degraded → ~94.3 kWh usable

Charge to 80% daily (≈1.36% annual loss)
• After 10 years: 87.2% remaining → ~12.8% degraded → ~114.2 kWh usable
• After 20 years: 76.0% remaining → ~24.0% degraded → ~99.6 kWh usable

I think that's meaningless. Some vehicles, like the Lightning, have battery capacity unavailable. So charging to 90% is really 82%. Once you start aggregating across vehicle brands it's crap data. It's also crap data swayed by the largest EV company, the crap company.

 

[RickLightning]

I know Ford recommends 90% daily charging, is that the level most people use or not?

Many threads on this. There will be 16 responses with 21 answers, most of them worthless opinions...

The only reason to charge above 90% is if you need the range. There is zero need to charge less, since it is 82% of the actual battery.

You will see "I only charge every 5 days" answers which also aren't worth much. Five charges of 10% each use 50% of a charge cycle, as does one charge of 50%. Being plugged in all thrmtime allows the truck to use house current to warm the battery if below freezing (short bursts), and use departure times and remote starts without depleting the battery.

So my 16 responses with 21 answers reply was wrong, there are more than 16 responses. But the part that is right is that nearly all are worthless opinions.

For fun, page through the thread and right down what people said:

85%
80% some days of the week, 100% others
90% and 100%
80%
90%
85%
60, 90, and 80% depending on the season
80 and 90%
85%
70 and 90%
and it goes on

No one said 43%, so there's that!

 

[flyct]

I charge all my EVs at 80%. For my previous Nissan Leafs I charged them at 100% because there was no other choice but to charge them at 100%. Battery degradation was expected with the Leafs because there was no active battery cooling.

 

[WXman]

I have mine set to 95%. But as mentioned above, Ford already preserves the battery pack by not allowing 100% of the total capacity to be used. So I don't think charging to 100% in the menu settings should be all that detrimental to the life of the pack.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

I set mine to 85% and usually only charge on the weekends, unless I need to drive during the week. Wife has a longer commute with her Tesla so she normally uses it daily during the week.
I actually only do 95% before a trip. I've done this a few times now and I'm nowhere near low SOC when I'm ready to stop and use the bathroom. I did 100% once when I first got the truck. Unsure my current battery life (or whatever it's called)

 

[TaxmanHog]

I have faith in the Ford, 90% is may routine, only go to 100% shortly before long trips or when trailering.

 

[25StarWhiteLightning]

Under 2,000 miles still but sticking to 90% like Ford recommends.

 

[Jseis]

80% summer 85%-90% winter.

 

[jwrezz]

At home - 90%
At the office - 100%, because I want to keep my charging spot all day, and since I charge L1 at home, I want a deep charge if I'm taking the 60 mile round trip to the office. I don't take the truck to the office very often, once or twice a month tops. Most days I ride the commuter train.

Today I am at the office with the truck and I'm at 78% at a 4.3KW charging rate, arrived in the parking garage at 72%, it shows on FordPass that it will be done at 3:22, but from experience it usually goes until after 4.

I'm a school teacher and my district is finally installing a few chargers at each of the 9 schools in town. I can't wait to try them!

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