Is it ok to charge to 90%?

[doogie63]

I charge to 85% then run it down to around 20%. But I don't drive it much so only have to charge 1 or 2 times a month.

Sponsored

 

[roamtheworld]

I recommend you go to owner.ford.com and download a PDF of the owner's manual to all your devices. This, and many other things, are explained in there.

This is always the answer
https://www.ford.com/support/vehicle/mustang-mach-e/2023/owner-manuals/
From manual "AC charging is the preferred method of charging. AC charging preserves the health of the high voltage battery for longer high voltage battery life."

"We recommend ending DC charges at 80% state of charge.
Note: The system could reduce DC fast charging rate to preserve the battery. This is based on battery temperature, battery state of charge and battery health.
In cold temperatures, you may notice that DC charging takes longer when the ambient temperature drops below 50°F (10°C). Shutting off climate control or reducing climate control temperature and fan settings for the first 10 to 15 minutes of DC charging allows the battery to warm up and improve the charging rate.
Note: When the temperature is below freezing, fully turning off cabin heat for the first 10 to 15 minutes of DC charging could significantly improve the charging rate.
When AC charging, keep your vehicle plugged in when outside temperatures are very high or low. This enables the system to maintain the high voltage battery for best performance."

 

[RickMachE]

But you neglected to post the AC charging recommendation - which is 90%.

Additionally, setting the maximum charge level to 90% for everyday usage reduces strain on the battery.

 

[MachEMaster]

I was charging to 90% in the summer, but now charge to 100% to pack the electrons in my standard range battery during the colder weather.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Depending on the temperature, expectation of need to charge up to 100% for an impromptu road trip, and laziness, I'll charge between 85% to 100%, but usually have it around 95% in the winter and 90% in the summer.

 

[Hammered]

Ultimately the question what to charge to depends on if you plan on keeping the vehicle. The performance falls off at lower states of charge. Given the ~5% walled off upper limit, 90% is acceptable as that's closer to 86%. If you plan on keeping the car, 25-85% will provide the best long-term health. Every few months a 100% charge is good to top balance the pack. This graphic shows how a top balance is beneficial in bringing all cells back to capacity. Without an active balancer that can move charge between cells, any cell that's got a small variation in resistance can over time end up under utilized skewing the SOC at lower charge states. The curve is quite flat and cells can show similar voltages, but have much less capacity left in them. When top balancing, the BMS basically connects the higher voltage cells to a resistor that just bleeds away their charge while the other cells continue to receive energy.

Ford has loads of data on this and I'm surprised that they don't already prompt those who use lower charge thresholds to top balance on occasion.

 

[awp0]

I do 80%, and I'll go higher for road trips. I top off most nights, but primarily just to keep the car plugged in so the car can warm/cool the battery in case we get extreme temps (I'm in New England). I don't know yet if I'll keep the car past 3 years, but these steps seem easy enough to protect the battery in case I decide to keep it for the long term.

 

[Hammered]

My home charge schedule is set to stop at 90%. When we go on a long road trip (which we do every 1-2 months), I just turn Charging Locations OFF so it charges to 100% (on L2).

From your app, when charging on level 2, you can hit "charge to 100%" instead of having to go through your current process. It's really that simple. On days that the charger is connected ~20m before I leave I'll hit charge to 100% and turn on the vehicle as well as hit the 'extend' button on remote start so the car is both on and charging with energy not being used for climate / conditioning.

 

[dbsb3233]

From your app, when charging on level 2, you can hit "charge to 100%" instead of having to go through your current process. It's really that simple. On days that the charger is connected ~20m before I leave I'll hit charge to 100% and turn on the vehicle as well as hit the 'extend' button on remote start so the car is both on and charging with energy not being used for climate / conditioning.

Yeah, I know that's on there but just clicking it off in the car tends to be more dependable than FP. Since I'm charging overnight before we leave, I wanna make sure it's at 100% in the morning and FP didn't mess up (which happens).

 

[SnBGC]

With few charging stations in the outer areas I which I travel. I have been charging to 90% most days.

I think you just wanted to rile up the Charge Police didn't you?
Nice....

Yeah. 90% is fine. So is %95. So is 100%. You are fine just so long as you drive the darn thing. I charge to 100% every day. Sometimes more than once per day. Been doing that for almost 2 years and 63k miles. Not slowing down anytime soon. Battery is doing just fine. Happy as a clam.
Don't overthink it. Seriously. Enjoy your car.

 

[HutchRed]

90 all day every day (well, charging, it definitely does not sit at 90 all day)

 

[CarbonGT]

Does Tesla and other manufacturers also recommend 90% on AC?

 

[generaltso]

Does Tesla and other manufacturers also recommend 90% on AC?

Yes.

What percentage should I charge the battery to?
For regular use, we recommend keeping your car set within the 'Daily' range bracket, up to approximately 90%. Charging up to 100% is best saved for when you are preparing for a longer trip. You can adjust how full the battery charges from the charge settings menu.

https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/faq#percentage

 

[21st Century Pony]

Does Tesla and other manufacturers also recommend 90% on AC?

Sonny Boy's used 2020 Audi E-Tron came with the manufacturer's recommendation of 70%.

 

[Brymo11]

The 23 Mach E have LFP batteries so I'm assuming charging them to 100% is fine even though I can't find anything from Ford on the topic

Sponsored