CHARGING ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE
All you have to do is drive up to the charger, plug the connector into the socket and that's it. That's how simple charging electric cars already is. Still, it's a good idea to follow a few tips and practices that can extend battery life or reduce charging times.
Modern, high-capacity batteries provide sufficient electric vehicle range. But the way the car is used, and especially how it is charged, can have a significant impact on its lifetimes. "ŠKODA and other brands in Volkswagen Group guarantee that the battery capacity will not fall below 70% for at least eight years or 160,000 kilometres," says David Pekárek, battery expert at the Czech carmaker.
"We know from experience that battery health is actually much better at those intervals. But it all depends on how the car is used," he adds. According to Pekárek, for example, the battery does not benefit from long periods of non-use when fully charged or, conversely, fully discharged.
A well-charged battery
The basic rule of thumb is to keep the battery between 10% and 80% of its capacity. "We recommend charging to 100% only before a longer journey. Ideally, you should set the desired departure time in the car's system and set off as soon as possible after charging the car to 100%," says Pekárek. The battery care mode feature, where you can tell the battery to stop charging when it reaches 80% capacity, and deferred charging will help keep the battery in the ideal capacity range.
Modern infotainment systems help with charging by finding the closest charging station and informing the driver about its parameters. For longer journeys, it's preferable to schedule more stops with the option of faster charging rather than charging the battery to full. You'll spend less time charging because charging slows down significantly when you hit 80% capacity, especially with fast chargers. At the same time, ŠKODA's high-voltage charging systems expert Michal Hora recommends that DC charging with higher outputs should only be used on the road and when absolutely necessary. Battery health benefits most from AC charging, for example in the home environment. The reason is that fast charging generates heat, which is not good for the battery, even though it is actively cooled. Lower-power home charging generates minimal heat. (What's more, electricity prices in the home tend to be lower than in public places.)
Smart interior cooling or heating
When it comes to charging in freezing weather, the ideal scenario for longer journeys is as follows: in the car's system, enable an exception to charge the car to 100% and, when you set the departure time, also set the temperature the occupants want the interior heated to. The car will not only charge, but also preheat the car's interior using electricity from the grid and the vehicle's battery. It is then a good idea to use fast charging on the road when the car is warm and the battery is therefore also at operating temperature: charging will then be as quick as possible. On the other hand, it's not a good idea to leave charging, say, till the next morning, for example, and going to the fast charger before you leave, when the battery will be cold and charging slow.
Preheating the interior, or cooling it in summer, will extend the car's range: it will take less energy to maintain the set temperature than if the interior is heated or cooled after the journey has started. It's also more comfortable, as the occupants' teeth won't be chattering or they won't be soaked in sweat for the first few kilometres in the car. "In extreme temperatures, you always have to take into account that charging may be slightly slower than in normal situations. In winter the battery needs to be heated, on hot summer days it needs to be cooled," says Michal Hora, adding that everything works ideally from about room temperature upwards and that ŠKODA electric cars manage the battery cooling or heating system completely by themselves: the user doesn't have to worry about anything (except setting up the interior heating or cooling before the journey)..
