Tata Nexon EV DC charger, advantages and disadvantages of DC charging for your car, SUV – Ask Autocar Anything

Charging rates vary with each, and that plays a part in your battery’s lifespan.

Published on May 28, 2023 09:00:00 am

I own a Tata Nexon EV and I commute about 150 kilometers a day, including some highway runs. There is a public DC fast charger on my route, and I find it quite convenient to recharge my car in the middle of a break on the way to work. But should I always use a DC fast charger to charge my EV? Or maybe there are some negative effects for the battery?

Sumit Halder, Pune

Autocar India says: Some manufacturers like Citroën say that you can use a DC fast charger everyday for the eC3, however, this is only because even on a DC fast charger the charging speed is not so high and is usually around approx. 20kW.

However, because charging generates heat, fast-charged cars often have more degraded batteries. Therefore, for daily charging, it is best to use only the AC charger. Most manufacturers recommend using fast chargers only when absolutely necessary, such as recharging at a public charger.

Also, after a few quick charge cycles, you should charge the normal AC to 100 percent, this will help balance the battery. Since the cells will have some slight differences in their structure, over time the individual cells inside the battery pack will degenerate differently. The battery balancing feature therefore solves this problem by trickling charging the entire battery pack, thus ensuring that all cells inside are charged at the same rate.

Also see:

8 tips to charge your EV on a long road trip in India

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