With the rapid rise of the global new energy vehicle market, more and more consumers are choosing to embrace green transportation. However, many car owners still feel confused about the charging issue of new energy vehicles.
How to charge to avoid damaging the battery? How to choose a charging station to save costs? Should we avoid fully charging to 100%? What are the precautions to take when using a charging station? In response to these issues, we will provide you with a detailed charging guide to help you better understand and use the charging facilities of new energy vehicles, ensuring that you are fully charged every time you travel.
Isn't it enough to plug in the charging gun? It's not that simple
How to save money on charging? Can't it be charged to 100%?
How to choose the most cost-effective charging solution among different time periods and charging stations has become a concern for many car owners.
From the perspective of electricity prices, in most regions, there are three periods of peak, valley, and flat electricity prices, each of which is different. Generally speaking, the valley period with the lowest electricity price is from 10 pm to 8 am the next day.
For household charging stations, car owners can set the charging start time to ensure charging during off peak hours.
For public charging stations, car owners need to plan their charging time in advance and choose periods with lower electricity prices for charging.
The charging cost of a charging station mainly consists of two parts: basic electricity fee and service fee. The basic electricity fee is calculated based on the amount of electricity, while the service fee varies depending on the operator and region of the charging station.
Taking Beijing, China as an example, electricity bills may vary at different times.
Peak electricity price: usually during the peak hours of the day, from 10am to 5pm and from 6pm to 9pm. The electricity bill during this period is relatively high due to the high load on the power grid. In Beijing, the electricity bill during this period may range from 1.6 to 1.8 yuan per kilowatt hour, or even higher. Adding the service fee, the cost of fully charging once may range from 50 yuan to 80 yuan.
Valley electricity price: usually from 11pm to 7am the next day. The electricity bill during this period is relatively low because the grid load is small. The electricity price may range from 0.3 yuan to 0.6 yuan per kilowatt hour. Adding the service fee, the cost of fully charging once may range from 20 yuan to 40 yuan.
Flat segment electricity price: Other time periods are flat segment, and the electricity price is moderate. The specific electricity price varies by region, but usually ranges from 1 yuan to 1.5 yuan per kilowatt hour.
It should be noted that the above prices are for reference only, and actual costs may vary depending on the charging station operator, region, and charging period. In addition, some charging pile brands will provide preferential activities or member services, and car owners can obtain relevant information by following the brand's official account, downloading APP and other ways to enjoy more discounts. At the same time, some new energy vehicle brands or dealers will provide free charging services. Car owners can follow the brand's official website or dealer store information to learn about and enjoy related benefits.
When using public charging stations, car owners also need to pay attention to parking fees.
Some parking lots where charging stations are located may charge parking fees, especially when charging takes a long time, which can be a significant expense. Therefore, when choosing charging stations, car owners should try to choose charging stations that offer free parking or have lower parking fees.
The correct charging method can not only extend battery life, but also save charging costs to a certain extent. For example, during fast charging, car owners do not have to wait until the battery is fully charged before ending the charging process. When the battery level reaches 80% or 90%, it can be considered to end charging, as the charging speed in the final stage will significantly slow down, and overcharging can also cause damage to the battery.
There are currently two main views on the level of charging: some people believe that charging to 80-90% can delay battery aging, while others suggest charging to 100% and emptying the battery to maximize battery performance. In fact, both of these viewpoints have their scientific basis, but their applicable scenarios are not the same.
The practice of stopping charging when the battery reaches 80-90% or when the remaining 20% is mainly aimed at battery maintenance. In this case, maintaining the battery within the range of 20-80% charge is beneficial for the health of the battery. Because within this range, the state of charge (SOC) fluctuation of the battery is relatively small, which can effectively avoid deep discharge and full charge storage, thereby delaying the aging rate of the battery.
For some new battery management systems, charging to 100% and emptying can better utilize the performance of the battery. The function of this management system includes actively balancing the battery level to ensure that the SOC of each battery cell remains consistent. In this way, the overall performance of the battery can be better utilized. This is also a necessary way to equip new energy vehicles with lithium iron phosphate batteries.
The correct charging method depends on your usage scenario and the functionality of the battery management system. If you are concerned about the lifespan of the battery, it is a good choice to control the battery level between 20% and 80%. But if you pursue battery performance, then charging to 100% and emptying is more suitable for you.
Special attention!!! Pay attention to these nine taboos when charging
Before discussing how to better charge electric cars, let's take a look at batteries. The commonly used new energy vehicles nowadays are lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium batteries, both of which have different "positive electrodes" but are essentially lithium batteries. The principle of battery charging and discharging is also achieved through the movement of lithium atoms between the positive and negative electrodes.
1. Charging time should not be too long: The charging time should not exceed 12 hours. Generally, the tram can be fully charged within 8-10 hours, including 1-2 hours of float charging. Unless the battery and charger are not compatible, the low voltage of the charger will make the charging time longer. If the voltage is too high and does not turn green, it will cause insufficient charging or overcharging;
2. Cannot charge when the battery is extremely low: When the tram's battery is still one-third, it is necessary to charge the battery. If there is nothing particularly important, it is best not to unplug the power during the charging process, because frequent small charging actions will prematurely exhaust the number of charging and discharging cycles, which will shorten the battery's service life; But there is no need to worry too much. China has made mandatory requirements for the service life of power batteries that the number of charge and discharge cycles must be at least 1000 times. Taking an electric vehicle with a range of 500 kilometers as an example, 1000 charging and discharging cycles means that the vehicle can travel a full 500000 kilometers, while normally, our private cars will only reach a maximum of 200000 to 300000 kilometers of mileage during their lifecycle. Therefore, for normal battery degradation, it can be ignored.
3. Avoid charging in extreme high temperature environments: The power battery of electric vehicles is suitable for working in the range of 0-40 ℃. In extreme high temperature situations, charging the battery at this time can cause the battery to overheat and even self ignite;
4. Try not to charge in rainy weather: Although current charging stations and car charging stations are designed to be waterproof and insulated, the risk of charging is still relatively high during rainy weather. Therefore, it is best not to charge outdoors during rainy weather;
5. Charging time should not be too long or too short: frequent short charging can accelerate the service life of the battery, while too long charging time may cause the battery to self ignite. Therefore, after charging, remember to unplug the charging gun;
6. Do not directly unplug the charging gun during the charging process: Whether charging at home or outside, the charging should be completed through the vehicle's central control screen or charging station, and then the charging gun should be unplugged. Directly pulling the charging gun may cause damage to the vehicle's charging system;
7. Do not use flying or grounding wires for charging: Due to various reasons, some tram owners may use flying or grounding wires for charging, which poses a safety hazard and may cause short circuits and spontaneous combustion; There are risks to one's own and others' health and property safety.
8. Try not to use grounding devices: Grounding devices are mainly used to solve the problem of not having a grounding wire, which can also pose safety hazards during the charging process. There is a possibility of short circuit in the circuit, and charging through a power source without a grounding wire may cause electric shock due to current passing through the vehicle body;
9. Do not leave people in the car during charging: During charging, the battery is in a high current and high voltage working state. Even if the vehicle has extremely high charging safety, there are still safety hazards. Do not stay in the car or near the vehicle as much as possible.
The above are the nine things to pay attention to when charging electric vehicles. Although there are many things to pay attention to when charging electric vehicles, as long as the charging is standardized and reasonable, there will not be too many problems. After all, when car manufacturers develop cars, they also invest a lot of energy in safety performance, and batteries are also the most important thing for manufacturers to pay attention to. For most car owners, the most important thing to pay attention to is not overcharging or discharging.
