Slow charging is preferable and not bad for the battery health of your Tesla, especially if it’s an older model according to the physics scenario. It helps lithium-ion batteries preserve ability and chemical stability because the rechargeable batteries heat up much less.
The temperature rises when recharging more quickly through a fast charger; over time, this heat can harm Li-ion batteries.
Using trickle chargers keeps EV power units from losing enough energy to discontinue functioning. The low-voltage charger has a lower chance of overcharging and is intended to prolong the life of your power unit.
One key concern that has been on customers’ minds worldwide to the adoption of electric cars is recharging.
Yes, they are also concerned about the car’s range, but this concern is closely related to how quickly the car charges. There isn’t a fast option at home. Most people can choose between two options:
Level 1 Charge:
Also referred to as a “slow” or “trickle,” or “gently” charge, it requires single-phase electricity using a factory-issued cable connected to a standard socket.
Level 2 Charge:
The more robust charger that utilizes a standard 7-pin connection on both endpoints and supports up to three phases.
Health of the Batteries
If you drive your electric car a lot and need to charge it from zero percent to at least 80 %, the steady charger won’t be enough for you since you have to wait for the storage of the power source to be charged if you want performance.
Unless the capacity is complete, you must wait, or you can go for level 2 and seek a fast charger.
On the other hand, if you only drive a few miles a day. Maybe 30 miles or less—take the kids to and from school or go to a park, etc., then level 1, which is mentioned as slow charge, would be enough for you.
Is Slow Charging Bad For Tesla?
A low charge will help you whether you drive an old model Tesla with a battery that has been partially damaged and wish to prevent it from degrading further.
For example, profoundly draining the damaged battery down to 1% or less and then fully recharging it up to 100% can harm it, same as the problems caused by overheating via DC quick charge.
Therefore, a slowly recharging method for damaged batteries increases their lifespan.
Experts in the previous era believed that allowing a battery’s percentage to drain deep before the charge was helpful for performance. It might have been confirmed for some mobile phones in the 2000 series, but lithium-ion batteries in the current year do not follow this rule.
See also : Is Supercharging Bad for Tesla Battery
Why Is Slow Charging Beneficial?
Why use a trickle charger is a common question in every customer’s mind. Fast chargers are effective, no doubt, but if they aren’t used correctly, they can reduce the lifespan of your batteries over time.
Trickle chargers won’t give you a quick power boost, but they will help keep your power unit life if the batteries are fully charged. Let’s get through it.
An electric car’s steady charger connects to a 240-volt electrical socket, the same kind used by your clothe’s dryer and other machines.
Your EV can be fully charged using a regular Tesla charger with a NEMA 14-50 plug for ten hours for the S Model and ten and a half hours for the Model X.
The V2 Supercharger is the type that is used most frequently and is considered the fastest charger. It charges the electric vehicle in less time than the Tesla trickle chargers, but it also affects the battery’s life compared to the trickle charger.
Benefits of Slow Charging
Substantial Performance
One benefit of slowly charging is that it keeps your power unit healthy. Time for a brief learning experience on the lithium-ion batteries found in Electric Vehicles is when you charge or drain them, the resistance within every cell generates heat.
If you do it rapidly, there’s a lot of heat generated. That could reduce the lifespan of your EV, so trying to charge it gently can have more substantial performance.
Longer Lifespan
It makes the existence of rechargeable batteries last longer. Throughout the scenario of Tesla battery packs, slow charging may prevent bursts.
Generate Less Heat
The way a battery works varies depending on its temperature. By sending a small amount of voltage to the power supply, trickle charging keeps the power unit at the appropriate temperature. The reduced current of trickle charging keeps your battery from excessive heat. It implies that the battery is ready to begin working at any time.
Problems With Slow Charging
Power Does not Reach the Maximum Amount
Gently charging does not allow the battery to warm up adequately, depending on the outside temperature.
During recharging, the car’s computer systems are working. The computers convert to a lower energy mode whenever the car is parked but not plugged in.
In contrast, this additional energy use is added gradually over a more extended period, building up over several hours of slowly recharging.
Intense Chemical Activities In Power Unit
In general, chemical activities occur inside a lithium-ion battery each time it is charged, whether or not the power unit is used.
It indicates that the battery will suffer increased damage as the recharging process continues for a more extended period.
When trying to charge at temperature levels within the recommended range, the adverse consequences are caused mainly by the higher voltage level, not by the temperature itself.
Less Efficiency
During every recharging period, there are losses due to resistance in connectors and cables. Since the output power drops, the overall efficiency also falls.
Conclusion
With such a trickle adapter, Tesla owners could start recharging their cars from a regular 120V home outlet. It is named “trickle” because it’s so slow. A new Tesla owner doesn’t have to pay more for the 110/120V adapter, which lets people plug their car into a standard home outlet.
The slow charger seems to have clear and detailed benefits for your Tesla. Because it does not heat the battery, this won’t cause it to degrade faster. It moves in the opposite direction of using Superchargers as little as possible. Though, there are some problems with trickles that would be a little uneasy as compared to the V2 Supercharger.