An EV owner visited an EVgo charging station and said you should never fully recharge your EV to 100 percent. TikTok creator Titi (@lovelytitihere) posted a video on her TikTok account explaining why she believes that.
“Hey, guys, I want to show you something really cool about charging your electric car,” she said at the start of the video. How much you should replenish your EV’s battery, as we’ve seen with mobile phones, has always been an interesting debate. Do you go to 100 percent or not?
Some manufacturers do not recommend charging to 100 percent. There are many theories as to why, such as battery health, but the general recommendation is to recharge the EV to around 80 percent to maintain battery health and ensure it operates as efficiently as possible.
In her video, Titi walked through how she recharged the car and why she only took it up to 80 percent. Users who commented on her video also referenced the car’s user manual and said you should always consult it before charging an EV to 100 percent.
Why Titi Charged Her Car to 80 Percent
@lovelytitihere Charging your EV is way easier than you think! ⚡ 🚌Save this for your next road trip or when you finally make the swap to electric! 👇 How to charge an EV 101. 🔌⚡ Save this video! #EV #ElectricVehicle #EVCharging #ElectricCar #CarTok ♬ original sound – lovelytiti 🦋✨
“So I’m at 45% right now — that’s the state of my charge,” she said. “I will come back when it is fully charged. Fully charged is usually 80%.” Titi waited just 35 minutes, and her car was recharged to 83 percent. She said that it took just $5 for her to recharge her car that much with the EVgo charger. Titi also recommended finding fast chargers to recharge an EV as quickly as possible.
“They recommend that we do not go up to 100%,” said the TikTok user, referring to the manufacturer’s guidance on recharging. You might think it’s weird not to recharge an EV to 100 percent. After all, you know it will be full and ready to go for a long time. But much of why manufacturers say not to go that high is down to battery efficiency.
According to Midtronics, charging a lithium-ion battery to 100 percent can reduce its charging efficiency over time. On rare occasions, doing this too often can cause serious battery issues, but there are times it is okay to go to 100 percent, such as if you are going on a very long road trip and need the range. A Reddit thread also debated this topic, and it provided extra insight along with Titi’s video.
Some EVs Can Be Recharged to More Than 80 Percent
The Reddit thread discussed how different EVs have different recharging recommendations. One user discussed the recharging of their Ford Mustang Mach-E. “Read the manual to see what the recommended max state of charge [is] for daily use. For example, my Mustang Mach-E says 90% for daily use to maintain max battery life,” they said. If a manufacturer recommends going to 90 percent, then it is highly likely that it is the best way to look after the car.
There are some instances when you can go to 100 percent, of course. The Reddit user, for example, said going to 100 percent is fine as long as you don’t leave the car sitting at that level for too long. Again, before you go on a long road trip is the perfect time to recharge your EV to that level.
But it is best to always follow what manufacturers say and what official guidance recommends.