Regularly Charge to 100%?

[rdt7]

I'm sure this has been addressed many times but I couldn't find with my very basic search skills.

I regularly drive a trip that is at the limit of my range (I have a 2023 extended range Lariat). Should I make the trip non-stop on a 100% charge or only charge to 80% and top off? Obviously I'd love not to have to stop but I'm concerned about battery longevity. Another way of asking this, is how much do I hurt my battery by regularly charging to 100%?

Sponsored

 

[B177y]

Charge to 100% and drive it.

Don't charge to 100% and let it sit around around for days without driving it.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Charge to 100% just in time for the upcoming trip.

 

[duncanmaio]

I charge to 100% almost daily for an 80 mile commute. Still going strong at 92k miles.

 

[MountainAlive]

Charge to 100% and drive it.

Don't charge to 100% and let it sit around around for days without driving it.

Yeah I’ve read this is the key - not letting it sit for days and days at 100. Same applies to low states of charge under I think 30%.

 

[B177y]

Another way of asking this, is how much do I hurt my battery by regularly charging to 100%?

Do the trip a few times charging to 100% and see what % you return with. If you are worried about charging to 100%, drop to 95%, then 90%. Find out what the "real world" results are for you and charge to the lowest amount that you feel comfortable with to make that trip without stopping to DCFC. Plan on raising that charge level back towards 100% when the weather gets cold. If you have to charge to 100% every day that you make the long round trip, I wouldn't worry about it.

Theoretically adding a DCFC stop every time you do that trip will lower battery life more than the 100% charge. From lots of real world reports and long term real world life (mostly high mileage Teslas) that I have read on the forum, battery longevity is proving to be longer regardless of how much theoretical abuse we throw at it. Drive it and enjoy it. Use it to the limits. You'll be fine. If you do ruin your battery, make it ruined before the 8 year 100,000 mile warranty and get a new one installed. You'll also be able to post about how you proved me wrong

 

[Adventureboy]

Charging to 100% is fine - Ford has a buffer built into the top of the battery pack to protect it. If you charge to 100% daily, your battery may degrade a bit faster than someone who charges to 85% daily, but the battery will still likely outlast the truck.
I'd recommend charging to 100% only when needed, but certainly don't be afraid of it. You should charge to 100% periodically to balance the pack anyway. As others have said, just don't leave it at 100% for long periods - Degradation of the pack from high voltage at 100% SOC is a factor of how long it sits up there.
@B177y has a great suggestion. Test it and see where you land. I do a 185 mile highway trip regularly and have no problem doing it on my normal SOC of 85% in the summer, but in winter, if it is cold and windy, I take it to 100% and need most of it.

 

[22legit2quit]

I charge it to 100 everytime. Gotta make sure that 8/100k get used before I get there.

 

[RocketGhost]

Ford says charge to 90% for regular use but you can charge to 100% if you need to. Don't overthink it.

People who have posted real-world battery degradation have shown that is it negligible, even at higher mileage. I don't think the way you charge, no matter how "bad" it is for the battery, will make much of a difference to worry about. Practically our charging patterns vary. No one only fast charges in 100 degree weather. No one lets the truck sit at 100% every minute of every day. You're going to do a mix of "good" charging practices and "bad" charging practices.

The topic has been beaten to death. There's a lot of theoretical data on how charging strategies affect various types of batteries. But I believe real-world, experimental data is far more telling than lab results. Just because a battery cell behaves a certain way in a lab doesn't mean it will behave the same in our trucks.

Over time we'll get more real-world data as our trucks age and have more mileage. My gut is that our batteries will last a very, very long time without significant degradation.

 

[Zprime29]

If you really want to maximize battery longevity, charge enough on your trip to return home with at least 20% SOC. Our resident battery expert shared some insight from testing batteries and discharging below 20% (actual I think, not what we are displayed) was one of the top 3 findings that degraded battery life. Now, as to how much it degrades...that was a little less clear. As other mentioned, charging to 100% and DCFC on a regular basis is not significantly detrimental. But if you really want to max things out, I'd charge 80%, top up enough to get home with 20%. The lower depth of charge is also supposed to be good for the battery. Up to you as to how valuable this would be vs the time savings of not topping up. (Also, more $$ to DCFC vs charging at home...most places anyways.)

 

[rdt7]

Thanks for all the advice. I may have been overthinking it but based on the comments I don't think I can do any real damage to the battery or reduce its lifespan significantly. I plan to charge to 100% the night before these trips and 80% the rest of the time.

 

[Firn]

I charge it to 100 everytime. Gotta make sure that 8/100k get used before I get there.

Just remember, if you hit 68% at 8 years or 100,000 miles, and they swap one module to get you to 71% then they have meet the warranty terms.

They won't give you a whole battery if they can replace one component

 

[Bushwood CC]

Ford says charge to 90% for regular use but you can charge to 100% if you need to. Don't overthink it.

People who have posted real-world battery degradation have shown that is it negligible, even at higher mileage. I don't think the way you charge, no matter how "bad" it is for the battery, will make much of a difference to worry about. Practically our charging patterns vary. No one only fast charges in 100 degree weather. No one lets the truck sit at 100% every minute of every day. You're going to do a mix of "good" charging practices and "bad" charging practices.

The topic has been beaten to death. There's a lot of theoretical data on how charging strategies affect various types of batteries. But I believe real-world, experimental data is far more telling than lab results. Just because a battery cell behaves a certain way in a lab doesn't mean it will behave the same in our trucks.

Over time we'll get more real-world data as our trucks age and have more mileage. My gut is that our batteries will last a very, very long time without significant degradation.

I was doing a quick fast charge at Ford last week and chatted with an employee charging one of their vehicles. I was expressing my satisfaction with my Flash and he said Ford really went above and beyond with the battery and they’re starting to realize just how long these things may last.

 

[22legit2quit]

Just remember, if you hit 68% at 8 years or 100,000 miles, and they swap one module to get you to 71% then they have meet the warranty terms.

They won't give you a whole battery if they can replace one component

It doesn’t seem to matter either way. Looks as if some folks who are up there in mileage really aren’t experiencing the degradation. I’m glad to own a quality product.

 

[Firn]

It doesn’t seem to matter either way. Looks as if some folks who are up there in mileage really aren’t experiencing the degradation. I’m glad to own a quality product.

I agree that It is a quality product. Just pointing out that if you get below the warranty level they will do as little as possible to meet the warranty. If you dont go below the warranty you will have more degredation than otherwise.

Imo regularly charging to 100% only hurts you, there is no way you "get a free battery" out of the deal

Sponsored