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Recurrent always recommends keeping lithium ion batteries between 30% and 80% state of charge, regardless of their specific battery chemistry.
But, Tesla recommends that LFP drivers charge to 100%. Why are these recommendations different?
Two things:
- LFP batteries hold up better than nickel-based battery chemistries, so an LFP battery charged to 100% will show less degradation than an NCA or NMC battery that is regularly charged to 100%. Since LFP batteries have lower energy density, the extra bit of charge means an equivalent range for cars with these packs. However, for all lithium ion batteries, avoiding a full charge will prolong life. It’s just that it may not be as noticeable a change with LFP packs.
- Tesla’s battery management system (BMS) can give more accurate data when it is occasionally charged to 100%. This is especially true for LFP models, because of the way voltage varies in LFP batteries.
Check with your owner’s manual to see if your EV’s computer system requires occasional full charges, but know that the lithium-ion battery itself never needs to be fully discharged or charged to 100%.
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