Charging Battery in extreme heat
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Yes, the motor you hear is the coolant pump for the battery, I believe. More moderate temperatures are probably good for the long term life of the battery, but I doubt it makes a big difference. If there is a way to cool/ventilate the garage a little, it might be helpful for extending the battery life, but again, I wouldn't worry about it if it isn't practical.
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Yes, the motor/fan sound you hear is for the coolant system. One thing I've found that helps your battery charge better inside a garage is to leave the door or doors open about 4-6 inches to allow for airflow. Using a box fan to circulate the air in the garage also helps.
Not only will this help your battery charge slightly faster, but it can also help reduce battery degradation due to heat.
Not only will this help your battery charge slightly faster, but it can also help reduce battery degradation due to heat.
How do you know if your battery is degrading? Will it charge up to fewer and fewer miles?
Yes. As a battery ages/degrades, its capacity (the amount of work it can do) is reduced. Capacity is best measured in electric terms (amps, kws) not the estimated EV miles on the guess-o-meter which also uses efficiency (how you drive) in its calculations.
I have a LiOn powered worklight that when new lasted for hours; years later it’s now only lasting a few minutes on its brightest power setting. Eventually it will only last a few seconds, then no power at all. I can choose to either re-cell it with new cells or get a new one. (Sadly in our modern disposable society, it’s the usually cheaper/easier to do the latter)
HEV/PHEV/BEV owners will do the same....... eventually. I had a 2006 Prius and faced this. I chose to get a new pack and it was wonderful making the car drive like new again with full power, restored fuel economy, and reliability. Everyone that’s done it has the same experience. The car retained more value and I had zero issues selling it a couple of years later to a savvy and happy buyer.
On the garage heat issue, I’ve learned to hold off charging as long as possible to let the pack cool down. Then charge right before heading out the next morning (charge window: 3am-6am) so it doesn’t sit for long periods fully charged. Obviously, L2 charge rates apply. During the hot months, I also skip any opportunity fast charging outside during the day and use HV if need be.
YMMV
That's how my '11 Volt shows it. Indicated range on a full battery slowly degraded. Other than that, it still performs as expected.
What I have not done, is check to see if the amount of energy going into the battery is less, too. I'd expect it to be.
OK, I bought a LEVEL 2 cord, 16amp. I've noticed my fan coming on every once in a while for a few minutes, then turning off, even when it is cool in my garage. This never happened with my 120V cord. Is this normal? Does the faster charging cause the battery to heat up more?
Charging is about 90% efficient (very slightly better on L1). Roughly the same amount of heat is generated in either scenario, just over a shorter duration using L2. The heat in both cases will primarily be from the inverter, not the battery.
Thanks, but that doesn't explain why the fan comes on. Is this anything to worry about?
No. Charging at 16A pushes almost 50% more current through everything than the stock EVSE at about 11A, regardless of voltage. More current flow gives more resistive losses in all of the components, which typically yields more heating.
The ~10% charging loss is all converted to heat.
Using the OEM EVSE @ 120V, that's 138W of heat (roughly what a 150W incandescent bulb would produce)
Using a 16A level 2 that is 384W (almost 3x as much heat generated)
The fan comes on to dissipate the heat and keep the electronics (and battery cool). It's doing exactly what it is designed to do and there is nothing to worry about. It will come on more often at higher charge rates.
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