Why Does My EV Charger Performance Seem to Decline in the Fall?
If you have installed an EV charger in your home, you may notice that it takes longer to replenish your electric vehicle’s batteries in the fall and winter months. You may think that your charger has developed a fault or your EV is malfunctioning, but that’s probably not the reason for slower charging times. No matter what king of EV and charger you have, you will notice a decline in performance when temperatures drop. Let’s take a look at the reasons why this might be happening.
Battery Chemistry
EV batteries contain lithium ions that pass through a liquid electrolyte solution. This process produces electricity, but it is temperature sensitive. The electrolyte solution doesn’t produce as much energy when it gets cold, which is why an EV’s range decreases in low temperatures. Cold weather also affects how much energy the electrolyte solution can accept from an EV charger. When the electrons in the electrolyte solution move more slowly, charging times increase.
Battery Heating
When you plug in your EV charger into a vehicle that has been parked for a while on a cold day, the charging process may not begin right away. The battery pack in your EV has a specific temperature range, and it must reach its minimum operating temperature before charging can begin. This is called preconditioning the battery, and it can take up to an hour if the weather is really cold.
EV Battery Management Systems
An EV’s electronic battery management system carefully controls the charging process to avoid battery damage. It will prevent charging until the preconditioning process has been completed, and it will reduce charging speeds in cold weather to protect the battery pack. This means that your EV will charge more slowly in cold weather even after its battery pack reaches the designated minimum operating temperature.
Speeding Up Cold Weather Charging
Chemistry and technology may slow down EV charging in cold weather, but there are some things you can do to replenish your batteries as quickly as possible. If you connect your EV to your charger as soon as you get home, your EV’s batteries will be warm, and charging will commence almost immediately. You can also save time by leaving your EV plugged in after its batteries are fully charged. This will keep the battery pack warm and maintain a higher state of charge. You don’t have to worry about overcharging because the EV’s BMS will prevent that from happening.
Experienced Electricians Are Ready to Help
Your EV charger may not work quite as quickly in the fall, but that’s a small price to pay for the benefits of electric vehicle technology. The way lithium ion batteries are made and the electronic systems that protect them will lengthen charging times, but you can minimize delays by plugging your EV in while its batteries are still warm and leaving it connected after the charging process is complete. If you have questions about cold weather charging or need EV charger installation, maintenance, or repair services in Cedar Falls, IA, call the friendly professionals at Henninger Electric today.
