lvl 2 to 100% vs DCFC - what's better for long term battery health?

[fastwheels]

I asked my Guide this exact question two months ago. The Rivian answer was to charge to 100% with L2 before leaving home.

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[manitou202]

I agree charging to 100% is the better option assuming you could leave within a few hours of hitting 100%.

Hopefully Rivian will add a "departure time" function to the charging schedule. This is the best way to hit 100% right before leaving.

 

[Gator42]

Don't be scared of using Level 2 to 100% for long trips. I did it on average 2 times a month on a Model S and my battery was still in great shape after 8 years.

Yes. I think we’ve seen enough data from Tesla that says good battery hygiene is good but there isn’t a big payoff for obsession. Level 2 is better but occasional long trips with a DC charging strategy is well within normal operation…

 

[pc500]

Thanks. I never planned to charge to 100% at a DCFC. My option was to charge to 100% on lvl2 so I had plenty to make the trip, or to make a stop on the way at a DCFC to get back to 70 or 85%. The DCFC is about 75 miles from my camp, so I can stop on the way to make sure I have plenty to finish the trip.

Went up last week and the EA charger worked great and never charged my account. I came back yesterday and the screen on the charger said it was free, presumable because of the holiday. If I keep getting free charging it is going to become a regular stop. It's by the minute billing which ends up being significantly cheaper than per kWh. They have 2 350 kW stations and both have worked great for me the 3 times I have stopped there. Doesn't hold the 205 kW peak for long, but sustains about 175 pretty consistently to 70%. The Taco Bell across the street is a nice bonus, and so far my cheap meals there have cost me more than charging my truck!

I would just charge 100% in home that way you don't have to stop. Generally public charging is not that cheap but if you're only putting a tiny amount in it might not matter. Still cheaper than a gas truck though.

 

[kylealden]

The answer to this question is that you should do whatever is most convenient for your trip. The vagueries of the impact to your battery health are all guessing at long-term cumulative impacts and amount to a lot of "might, probably, be a factor in, slightly different aging rates."

I always tell people that battery health should just not be a factor in your day to day decisions, it's all about long term cumulative effects. Kinda like how you shouldn't sweat that eating a piece of candy is going to give you cavities, but making it your primary source of daily nutrition is probably not the best idea.

The other thing to bear in mind is that we're talking about single percentage point differences over ten years. It's not worth living in anxiety over that kind of stuff.

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