Appreciation post: My work buddy convinced me to try DC fast charging instead of always trickle charging at home

So I've been trickle charging my Leaf at home for like 2 years, thinking it was better for the battery. My coworker Dave told me I was being dumb, said I'm babying it too much. Last week I finally tried a 50kW charger near my office downtown, knocked 40% back in under 20 minutes. Now I'm wondering if I've been wasting all that time waiting for a full charge when I could just top up fast when I'm out. But also I read that constant fast charging can degrade the pack faster. Has anyone else had this debate? What's your rule for when you use fast chargers vs home charging?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_cooper3d ago

Gotta jump in on this because @sam_anderson brought up the cold weather thing, which is smart and all, but everyone's missing the real issue. It's not just battery heat, it's about the battery management system lying to you. Check this: after a few fast charges, the BMS starts getting conservative, so your guess-o-meter shows less range. Trickle charging resets that calibration over time. I've had my Leaf for five years and noticed the pack holds a truer charge after a week of home charging. So if you only fast charge, you'll think your battery is shot when it's actually fine. The worst part is nobody talks about how fast charging messes with the cell balancing. Trickle gives those cells time to equalize. Fast just slams power in and leaves some cells lagging behind. That's where the real degradation starts, not just heat cycles.

sam_anderson3d ago

Knocked 40% back in under 20 minutes" - I mean, that's just HARD to argue with for convenience. But here's something nobody brings up: the time of year matters WAY more than people think. I fast charge my Bolt in the summer and it barely gets warm, but one cold winter day with a fast charger and the battery temp goes through the roof. That's when the real degradation happens. So maybe the smart move is to use fast charging for summer top ups but stick to your home trickle when it's freezing out.