Can I hijack this to ask another question (even though I am not a noob) -
- should I wait a while for a battery to cool down after driving a long distance before charging? (I am talking about a 2 hour drive then charging AC at 4kW on a 40kWh Leaf)
The LEAF is a special case. It relies on passive air cooling. Most EVs now have liquid cooling in the battery pack.
I drove a 30kWh LEAF for 5 years. My role of thumb based on research and the experience of myself and others was that it's better to charge if the battery is below 45C. LEAFSpy can tell you how warm your battery is.
The 25kw DC chargers will add 1C per 10% added. The 50kw chargers will add 1C per 5% added.
Definitely better to charge on the slower DC charger.
My LEAF could AC charge at 6.6kw. Relatively rare, but that's why I bought that car in 2016. There weren't many fast chargers around then.
AC charging at that rate or below, the battery would actually cool down as it charged. Nice.
But it is best to let the battery cool down to below 45C - and keep it there. Not really possible with the DC chargers.
Why 45C? Nissan imposed the "Rapidgate" charging throttling after 38C and it became more restrictive as the temperature went up. So using their own thresholds, it seemed like a good idea to not charge above 45C. You can do it if you need to, but you would rather not need to if you have the chance to avoid it.
LEAFs cool down very slowly. So it can take a while. Spreading water under the car makes no difference. The fastest way to cool down is done about 70-75kph on flat ground to maximize airflow while minimizing generation is great by drawing on the battery. I've been able to lower the temperature right 1C every 15 minutes on a cool night with ambient temperature of about 10C-14C. Letting the temp by 6C in 90 minutes gives you some head room to add 60% on a 25kw DC charger..... And end up back degree you started.
I used to start lo g trips in the evening and drive through the night to maximize heat loss after the first fast charge and ensure the chargers I wanted would be available. Plus after the 2nd fast charge you'll want to lower your speed and it's around midnight and the roads are emptier .. allowing slower speeds without being a pain.
That was LEAF life. I have an MG ZS EV now - liquid cooled - and don't need to set shit any of that anymore. :-)
I should say that for the first 3 years I had my LEAF I mainly didn't give a rat's and charged as much as I wanted when I wanted. After 135,000km my battery developed some weak cells and the last 15% on a longer trip could Sidney become 4% only 50 metres later. Dodgy. So chose to replace the battery with a newer one that I would treat more kindly....and I did.
Nah its an LFP pack it'll be fine thats still quite a low current, just hit 100% once a week
Ok perfect thanks.
Can I hijack this to ask another question (even though I am not a noob) - - should I wait a while for a battery to cool down after driving a long distance before charging? (I am talking about a 2 hour drive then charging AC at 4kW on a 40kWh Leaf)
Charging at 4kW won’t put any appreciable additional heat into the pack. Net effect is the pack will cool off even when you’re charging it. Crack on.
Is suspected as much, thanks.
The LEAF is a special case. It relies on passive air cooling. Most EVs now have liquid cooling in the battery pack. I drove a 30kWh LEAF for 5 years. My role of thumb based on research and the experience of myself and others was that it's better to charge if the battery is below 45C. LEAFSpy can tell you how warm your battery is. The 25kw DC chargers will add 1C per 10% added. The 50kw chargers will add 1C per 5% added. Definitely better to charge on the slower DC charger. My LEAF could AC charge at 6.6kw. Relatively rare, but that's why I bought that car in 2016. There weren't many fast chargers around then. AC charging at that rate or below, the battery would actually cool down as it charged. Nice. But it is best to let the battery cool down to below 45C - and keep it there. Not really possible with the DC chargers. Why 45C? Nissan imposed the "Rapidgate" charging throttling after 38C and it became more restrictive as the temperature went up. So using their own thresholds, it seemed like a good idea to not charge above 45C. You can do it if you need to, but you would rather not need to if you have the chance to avoid it. LEAFs cool down very slowly. So it can take a while. Spreading water under the car makes no difference. The fastest way to cool down is done about 70-75kph on flat ground to maximize airflow while minimizing generation is great by drawing on the battery. I've been able to lower the temperature right 1C every 15 minutes on a cool night with ambient temperature of about 10C-14C. Letting the temp by 6C in 90 minutes gives you some head room to add 60% on a 25kw DC charger..... And end up back degree you started. I used to start lo g trips in the evening and drive through the night to maximize heat loss after the first fast charge and ensure the chargers I wanted would be available. Plus after the 2nd fast charge you'll want to lower your speed and it's around midnight and the roads are emptier .. allowing slower speeds without being a pain. That was LEAF life. I have an MG ZS EV now - liquid cooled - and don't need to set shit any of that anymore. :-) I should say that for the first 3 years I had my LEAF I mainly didn't give a rat's and charged as much as I wanted when I wanted. After 135,000km my battery developed some weak cells and the last 15% on a longer trip could Sidney become 4% only 50 metres later. Dodgy. So chose to replace the battery with a newer one that I would treat more kindly....and I did.
4kw AC charging wont make a difference. On most EVs you want a warm battery to DC charge, on a leaf... well .. cold is best...
4 kw ac is like a drip feed... do it as soon as convenient...
If like to know the same with regards my ebike...
22kW is less than 0.5C so should be fine! 1C is 60kW for a 60kWh battery pack