14 hours to charge
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Dwheat17
I believe there is some research that says colder temps can indeed lengthen charge times due to how the battery chemistry reacts.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
I believe there is some research that says colder temps can indeed lengthen charge times due to how the battery chemistry reacts.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
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134 Posts
As someone else posted, low temps can have a negative effect even on charging. Also, if you don't have a dedicated socket of at least 50 amps, that could also be the reason it takes longer to charge.
Level II charging rules :smile_big:
Level II charging rules :smile_big:
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Nothing to fret over. Others have reported 13 plus hours to charge as well.
My advice is to drive the car a few months to get a feel for how it operates.
My advice is to drive the car a few months to get a feel for how it operates.
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???
Amps are controlled by the source. You can't put more through the cord than are coming into it. Honda recommends a dedicated 50amp circuit for 120v. It is true, more amps will make for faster charging.
Amps are controlled by the source. You can't put more through the cord than are coming into it. Honda recommends a dedicated 50amp circuit for 120v. It is true, more amps will make for faster charging.
Level 2 Charging
Actually the amount of current and hence energy that can be used in charging a Clarity (or other EV type vehicle) is dependent on the "charge cord" used. Of course, the manufacturer's use of the word "level" merely refers to the *voltage* at which charging occurs. A Level 1 charge (120 volt ac) cord comes with the car. Even though I bot a new Clarity, I'm not a fan of paying more than I think something's worth, such as the Honda Clarity Level 2 (240 volt ac) charging cable (at approx $ 450).
So I opted to purchase a much less expensive (Ebay) Level 2 charging cable ($ 150). It's a 240 volt charge cable that only allows a 16 amp charge rate (as opposed to Honda's cable that allows 32 amps), and it fully charges the car in about 4 hrs instead of Honda's cable full charge time of 2 hrs. I did have a dedicated circuit installation made for this cable. But here again, I paid less for the 20 amp wire, and circuit breaker instead of 40 or 50 amp wire and circuit breaker that would have been required had I used/paid for Honda's charge cable.
I don't know about you but 4 hours to fully charge car works for me just about as good as a 2 hr full charge time.
Actually the amount of current and hence energy that can be used in charging a Clarity (or other EV type vehicle) is dependent on the "charge cord" used. Of course, the manufacturer's use of the word "level" merely refers to the *voltage* at which charging occurs. A Level 1 charge (120 volt ac) cord comes with the car. Even though I bot a new Clarity, I'm not a fan of paying more than I think something's worth, such as the Honda Clarity Level 2 (240 volt ac) charging cable (at approx $ 450).
So I opted to purchase a much less expensive (Ebay) Level 2 charging cable ($ 150). It's a 240 volt charge cable that only allows a 16 amp charge rate (as opposed to Honda's cable that allows 32 amps), and it fully charges the car in about 4 hrs instead of Honda's cable full charge time of 2 hrs. I did have a dedicated circuit installation made for this cable. But here again, I paid less for the 20 amp wire, and circuit breaker instead of 40 or 50 amp wire and circuit breaker that would have been required had I used/paid for Honda's charge cable.
I don't know about you but 4 hours to fully charge car works for me just about as good as a 2 hr full charge time.
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30 Posts
I live in middle Georgia.
In the summer, my L1 charge times have been 14-15 hours due to the heat.
In the winter, my L1 charge times have been 13.5-14.5 hours due to the cold.
In fall (and assuming spring), my L1 charge time has been around 12-13 hours.
I primarily charge with an L2 charger and regardless of season, a full charge takes around 2 hours because of both the higher charging current and the fact that it can use some of that energy to heat/cool the batteries to optimize charging temperature. (at least that's what I think happens... The cooling fan runs faster on L2 than L1 when it's hot)
In the summer, my L1 charge times have been 14-15 hours due to the heat.
In the winter, my L1 charge times have been 13.5-14.5 hours due to the cold.
In fall (and assuming spring), my L1 charge time has been around 12-13 hours.
I primarily charge with an L2 charger and regardless of season, a full charge takes around 2 hours because of both the higher charging current and the fact that it can use some of that energy to heat/cool the batteries to optimize charging temperature. (at least that's what I think happens... The cooling fan runs faster on L2 than L1 when it's hot)
Honda recommends a 15 amp circuit for the 12 amp EVSE included with the car.
Electric codes classify EV charging as "continuous duty" which means the circuit must be capable of 125% of the load pulled by charging. You can also calculate the maximum load a circuit will support by multiplying the circuit rating by .8 (80%). The same rule applies no matter the voltage (120, 240, etc).
Some EV's default to charging at 8 amps when using 120V (BMW i3, Chevy Bolt, i.e.). Very often the outlet in your garage is not "dedicated" (there are usually other outlets on the same circuit - with our without devices plugged into them).
And the amps are controlled by both the car and the EVSE (charge cord) and not the rating of the circuit. It is very important to match the EVSE to the circuit it is being connected to (some EVSE's are adjustable).
The EVSE will send a signal to the car "advertising" how many amps it has available. The car (which has the actual charger built in) the controls the charge session. The amps drawn will vary based on a number of factors (and will change during the charge session) but won't exceed the maximum "advertised" by the EVSE. Temperature and state of charge are two factors that will cause the draw and charge rate to drop. Battery charging "tapers" as the battery gets full, and cold temps will slow the charging process.
14 hours for a full charge is not alarming in cooler temps
12A @ 120V = 1.44 kW
10 hours @ 1.44 kW would put 14.4 kWh into the battery (on paper). Charging is not 100% efficient, so some of that is lost to heat, and the charge rate will taper at the end even if temps are ideal.
Just had my Juicebox 400 Level 2 charger installed. I went from 14 hours for a full charge to 2 hours 5 minutes. Nice. For me that was critical because I will come home on no charge and then need to turn around in less than 8 hours some nights.
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90 Posts
Below is a link to a recent article discussing temp effects on charging. Not a long read but does a good job of working through this issue.
https://www.inl.gov/article/ev-charging-in-cold-temperatures-could-pose-challenges-for-drivers/
Hope this helps.
https://www.inl.gov/article/ev-charging-in-cold-temperatures-could-pose-challenges-for-drivers/
Hope this helps.
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8 Posts
May I ask which after-market Level 2 charger you purchased? We purchased this one https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JH6Q5R8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and we've had nothing but issues. After 4 dead batteries, Honda America finally told us that this charger is not compatible with our 2018 Honda Clarity Touring. It looks like we need to purchase a 16A, but we are stuck and feel a bit clueless. It's unfortunate that Honda doesn't sell a Level 2 charger (or at least recommend a specific model).
thanks!
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105 Posts
What type of 240v plug do you have? If it's a NEMA 14-50p, then you can buy this one by Zencar for less than $230.
https://www.amazon.com/Zencar-Porta...09126&sr=1-4&keywords=level+2+ev+charger&th=1
They also make these with various plugs. I'm going to buy the one with the NEMA 6-20p plug, then get a adapter for a NEMA 14-50 socket ($20). Being able to charge a Clarity in 4 hours is good enough for me.
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