Interesting article for Lithium Ion Batteries Charge Voltage vs Cycle Life

[obob]

This kind of helps me understand the virtue of the way the HVB is charged and discharged ( Not fully charged or fully depleted )

 

http://www.powerstream.com/lithium-ion-charge-voltage.htm

 

( FYI to save time, there is a chart called "summary of tests" which gives me 80% of the understanding with 10% of the time.  I tried to post the chart but it came out all distorted. )

 

So basically, by sacrificing 27% of the battery capacity, you get 4 times the cycle life, by sacrificing 38% of the battery capacity you get 8x the cycle life, etc.

 

I will also be more generous with disk brake breaking on super long steep hills that max out the battery charge, or at least be grateful when the engine is used to brake.

Edited February 27, 2016 by obob

[Tom]

Interesting. Thanks.

[BERK7574]

Not sure what this means. Maybe I will ask my son who is doing research on making batteries last longer and charge faster. However, I just want a car that drives. After being exhausted totally from being at the dealers all night buying this monstrosity, who had the energy to have the salesman explain how to drive the darn thing. Now the value is half the purchase price 2 years later. If I could get rid of this junk, I would do it in a minute.

[ptjones]

Not sure what this means. Maybe I will ask my son who is doing research on making batteries last longer and charge faster. However, I just want a car that drives. After being exhausted totally from being at the dealers all night buying this monstrosity, who had the energy to have the salesman explain how to drive the darn thing. Now the value is half the purchase price 2 years later. If I could get rid of this junk, I would do it in a minute.

It seems to me that you are over reacting for having a 12v battery problem on atleast a three year old 12v battery. I'm sure the 36 month warranty is up and it is time to replace it. Problem solved. :yahoo: Most of us on this forum think the CMAX is a great car even if the value has dropped like all Hybrids have do to the low cost of Gas. ;)   I think you would be singing a different tune if Gas was $5 a gallon. :sing_rain:

 

Paul

[plus 3 golfer]

Not sure what this means. Maybe I will ask my son who is doing research on making batteries last longer and charge faster. However, I just want a car that drives. After being exhausted totally from being at the dealers all night buying this monstrosity, who had the energy to have the salesman explain how to drive the darn thing. Now the value is half the purchase price 2 years later. If I could get rid of this junk, I would do it in a minute.

What it means is that we shouldn't have to worry about the life of the HVB on the C-Max as Ford"s algorithm on how the HVB is used appears to be in line with long lithium-ion battery life.  See Ford's key life test below. 

 

BTW, there is an Owner's Manual if you need help in "how to drive the darn thing."  :)   My 12 V battery only lasted 30 months. Resale value only matters when you sell / trade your car.  IMO, sounds like you should be leasing not buying cars if you are worried about resale value after 2 years and whether a car may, in your opinion, turn into junk. ;)  

 

"Ford's confidence in lithium-ion is based on so-called Key Life Tests. The tests predict that the working capacity (y-axis) of lithium-ion batteries (green line) will be greater over a high-mileage lifetime (x-axis) than that of nickel-metal hydride (yellow line). Past field data for nickel-metal hydride (blue dots) has shown that the testing results are conservative -- that is, batteries generally do better in the field than they do on tests." 

(Source: Ford Motor Co.)

 

[obob]

 

I watched a good portion of this video from July 2013.  Much of it was over my head but I thought I would mention a few things I came away with - May be slightly distorted because it's as I recall.

 

How to extend the life of any battery ?   Keep it as cool as possible.

 

Chevy Volt charges to 4.03 volts ( 80% )  This keeps parasitic reactions down.

 

The speaker stored some Lithium Ion batteries in 1999 at 20% SOC (State of Charge) about 3.5 volts, in 2013 they were like new.  However if they were stored with a higher state of charge they would not have aged so well.  (this might be useful when I store an old notebook computer.)

 

==> This means to me it would be better to use that EV+ mode to run the battery down some before shutting off the car.  That way it has a lower charge so less parasitic reactions.

 

Other than voltage, temperature and rate of discharge effect battery life.  Lower the temperature the better.  The slower the rate of charge and discharge the worse.   ( test data that is done over a short period will show more life that actual use by cars where the charge and discharge happens over a period of years. )

 

Tesla uses a type of battery that is pretty much the best.  Nissan and GM use a battery type that is not as good, but GM cools their battery so it pretty good.  Nissan did not cool their battery so it was not so good.  (When I was battery type I mean the molecule with the Lithium - what other elements are used.)

 

There are lots of additives that go into the batteries so they will last longer.

 

(And I agree with Plus 2 Golfer - the battery is way designed right so I don't need to worry about it )

Edited March 6, 2016 by obob