I just picked up an Equinox RS, and it’s awesome! I’ve got a question about charging habits, though. I know it’s ideal to charge up to 80%, but what about when to charge? Should I top it off every day or wait until it’s down to a certain percentage?
Here’s my situation: I have solar panels and two storage batteries at home. Topping it off daily would let me charge for free using solar, but if I let it drop to, say, 30%, I’d need to pull power from the grid, which I want to avoid.
Since this is a lease, I’m not too concerned about long-term battery health, but I want to develop good habits for when I eventually buy an EV. Any advice? Thanks in advance!
With your setup, there’s no reason to wait to charge. There’s an old saying in the EV world: ‘ABC’—Always Be Charging.
While letting it drop to 20-30% before charging might extend battery life slightly (fewer lifetime cycles), the difference is so small you’ll never notice it.
@Imani
Battery cycles are about total capacity used. Charging from 30% to 80% twice equals one full cycle, just like charging from 70% to 80% ten times does. Shallower charges might stress the battery less, but either way, the difference is negligible.
For our EVs, we charge to 75% and only plug in when they drop below 50%. It works for us because we don’t drive far daily. Even for longer trips, like a 300 km drive I have this weekend in the cold with my Hummer, I’ll only charge to 80% and still have 26% left when I get back.
Do what suits your driving habits. If you stick to 80% for daily use and avoid letting it sit at 100%, your battery will stay healthy.