AC charging or DC fast charging: which is better for your EV’s battery?

The rate of charging differs with each type, and that plays a part on your battery lifecycle.

Published On May 28, 2023 09:00:00 AM

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I own a Tata Nexon EV and I commute about 150km each day, which also includes some running on the highway. There’s a public DC fast charger that falls on my route and I find it quite convenient to recharge my car in between breaks on my commute. But is it advisable to always use a DC fast charger to charge my EV? Or can there be some negative implications for the battery?

Sumit Halder, Pune 

Autocar India says: Some manufacturers like Citroën say that you can use a DC fast charger daily for the eC3, however, this is only because even on a DC fast charger, the charging speed does not go too high and it’s typically at about 20kW.

However, since charging generates heat, fast-charging cars often suffer from increased battery degeneration. Thus, for everyday charging, it’s best to use the AC charger only. Most manufacturers recommend you use a fast charger only when necessary, like topping up at a public charger.

Also, after a couple of fast charge cycles, a normal AC charge till 100 percent is recommended, which is to help battery balancing. As cells will have some minute differences in their construction, over time, individual cells inside a battery pack degenerate differently. Thus, battery balancing evens this out by trickle charging the entire battery pack, thereby ensuring that all cells inside are charged to the same level.

Also See:

8 tips for charging your EV on a long road trip in India

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