EV charging parsimony

NoobSolar

I am aware that fast charging can shorten battery life if engaged with excessively. But can you tell me - is it the case that the slower the charge, the better the benefit for the battery? If so, this be an added benefit to 'solar only' charging. Secondly it would appeal to a particularly old-fashioned, daddish part of my nature - the same part that squeezes all the toothpaste out while rolling up the tube, and reminds people to distribute wear across the stairs rather than always thundering up the middle!

My impression is that fast charging is essentially a different animal in that it is DC not AC. But is 'slower' always 'better'?

thevilla

Imop fast Vs slow is near irrelevant.  If you're 100 miles from home do you want to wait 30 minutes or 4 hours?  Of course you go fast.

Slower the better? I doubt it.  A rate lower than 1.4kw is not supported by the EV charging standards (according to myenergi).  Remember you're charging hundreds of batteries not one.  Let the car work it out.

NoobSolar

Yes but my question is purely about battery health. And I am EXACTLY the kind of guy to read the whole times literary supplement over 4 hours and check the references online in order to save a bit of battery health.

Ectophile

With the size of battery that most modern cars have, any sort of charging you can do at home is going to be trickle charging.

The wall chargers can be set to different speeds.  The default is 7.2kW, if your electrics can handle that.  But slower speeds are possible.

70sbudgie

Like all batteries, the thing that degrades them quickest is extreme charging - not speed, but consistently letting the charge get really low and then charging them to max. To prolong the life of the batteries, you should keep them "topped up". This was the information given to me when I bought my EV 3 years ago. It is entirely possible that more modern EVs aren't effected in the same way.

Mikeyboy01443

I used to read on leaf forums that frequent rapid charging was better for your batteries, i often rapid charge as well as fast (6.6kw) and the trickle charge, my 8 year old leaf still has full bars, i know people who had a newer leaf and they had lost 2 bars of battery. 
But i make sure to not leave it empty or full for any length of time, i think this is more important...