Why your electric car isn't charging as expected

Why is the electric car not charging as expected? From charging station problems to battery and software problems, several factors can play a role. in this article we will explores Why your electric car isn't charging as expected and why charging is difficult and helps electric vehicle owners identify and solve problems and ensure a smoother charging experience.

Electric vehicle charging time :

The charging time of an electric car is not as clear as you would like. While this can be frustrating, there may be some good reasons why the charging time of an electric car is not always as fast as you would expect The charging time of an electric car depends on several factors that may be affected by your car, charging station, your driving behavior and even weather conditions.

Load time

If you think there are more electric cars on the road, don't dream – the spread of electric cars has increased rapidly in recent years, recording record sales worldwide.

One of the most common uncertainties is the time it takes to charge an electric car and why it does not always reach the specified speed at the charging station.

In this article, we will look at the most common factors that affect the charging time of electric vehicles.

Battery charge status

However, the charging capacity and power output of the charging station not only affect the charging time, but also the state of charge (SoC).

What is the state of charge of the battery ?

Simply put, SoC refers to how much energy your car currently has, i.e. the percentage of your car's battery.

Unlike gasoline cars, which charge at the same speed regardless of the full tank of fuel, lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles do not charge at the same speed depending on the full tank of the battery.

In fact, electric vehicle batteries can charge much faster at a lower charge state (e.g. 80%) than at a higher charge state (e.g. 20%). Because of this, electric vehicles can charge relatively quickly from 0 to 80 percent, while charging from 80 to 100 percent takes relatively long.

Also, most manufacturers do not recommend charging electric vehicles regularly by more than 80%, so this speed will not slow down during daily charging.

Battery temperature

External factors such as temperature also affect the charging speed of electric vehicles. This is because batteries, including those used in electric vehicles, are designed to operate optimally in a narrow optimum temperature range of around 20°C.If the temperature is significantly lower or higher, it can damage the battery and reduce its capacity.

Battery Management System: Electric vehicle batteries are equipped with a battery management system (BMS) that monitors the operation of the battery and adjusts the charging process accordingly to stay healthy. Therefore, if the temperature is outside the optimum range, the BMS can reduce the charging speed to ensure that the battery is not damaged.

At extreme temperatures, the charging process can also slow down.A portion of the energy can be used to heat or cool the battery to the optimum temperature, so it does not charge slightly more efficiently compared to mild weather.

Of course, please note that the effect of temperature on charging time varies from vehicle to vehicle. Therefore, it is worth checking the details of your car.

Charging electric vehicles in winter: In the cold season, the battery's ability to absorb energy decreases, so the charging power that can be absorbed temporarily falls below the normal maximum, and the charging process takes longer. Heating the battery, for example, by preheating the car, can speed up the charging process in this situation.

Cold also affects the ability of an electric vehicle battery to store energy, as its chemical properties change and the ions contained in it lose their charge. Depending on the temperature, an electric car can lose up to 4% of its battery charge if parked in the cold overnight. To ensure that it is always fully charged in the morning, it is worth keeping your electric car connected in cold weather, even if you don't usually have to charge it every night.

Charging an electric car in the summer: Even if charging in hot weather does not have the same effect as in cold weather, it can cause problems with the battery if not handled properly The main effect of hot weather is overheating of the battery, which contributes to the heat that the battery is already generating when the car is turned on.

To counter this, bms may slow down the charging speed if the battery gets too hot and increase cooling to keep the temperature at an optimal level.

Battery status

Electric vehicle batteries often last much longer than expected, with a service life of about 10-15 years, and usually last longer than the vehicle in which they are located.

But the battery ages and loses some of its capacity in the process. With age, the resistance in the battery also increases. This means that the power that can be recorded is reduced and the charging speed is slower.

It is worth noting that batteries for electric vehicles are often equipped with excess capacity, which acts as a buffer against aging. Therefore, the decrease in capacity and the accompanying increase in charging time can be almost inconspicuous in most cases.

Maximum load capacity vs. Maximum output

The most common reason your electric car is not charging as fast as you would expect is because of the limited charging capacity or the power output that the charger can provide. In other words, your car is either not designed for the maximum load that the charging station can provide, or the maximum power of the charger is less than the maximum power that your car can absorb.This mismatch is often the cause of a lower charging speed than what the charger says.Especially for fast charging.

Please sit in the car while charging

You may not think that using the car while charging will have any effect, but in fact, you can visibly increase the charging time depending on how you use it. Of course, you can not drive the car while connected to an outlet, but staying in the vehicle and using heating and air conditioning, for example, sound systems and lights can increase energy consumption and divert some of the energy from the charging charging time.

conclusion

The problem of unexpected charging of electric vehicles is often attributed to factors such as charging equipment failure, extreme temperatures and cold weather. Regular maintenance, reliable charger use and vehicle software updates can help you avoid these problems and ensure smooth and efficient charging.