How Long Does It Take to Fully Charge a Car Battery While Driving?
2 Answers
Driving on the highway for more than an hour can fully charge the car battery. Below is relevant information about car batteries: 1. Calculation Method: The dark current of a car battery (the current loss when the car is not started) ranges between 10-30 milliamperes. Based on this, the maximum weekly loss of a car battery is approximately 5 amperes (24×0.03×7). After normal startup, the car engine provides a charging current of over 15 amperes to the battery. For the weekly battery loss, driving for about 20 minutes can compensate for this power. 2. Battery Maintenance: After turning off the car engine, try to turn off all onboard electrical equipment as much as possible. Most car batteries today are lead-acid batteries, which are not as delicate as lithium batteries. However, prolonged use of onboard power devices (with the car turned off) will undoubtedly cause the car battery to continuously discharge, leading to battery depletion.
I think whether driving a sedan can charge the battery depends on daily driving habits. My daily commute to work is only 15 minutes round trip, and the battery keeps losing charge. The mechanic said short trips don't give the alternator enough time to work properly, recommending at least 30 minutes of driving per trip for effective charging. For example, when I deliberately drove 45 minutes to the suburbs on weekends, the battery condition improved noticeably. If the air conditioning is on or the battery is aging, it might take 40-60 minutes. It's important to avoid idling in place, as that charges inefficiently and wastes fuel. Instead, plan some longer trips—it can relax the mind and extend battery life. Generally, driving for 40 minutes can charge the battery to more than half.
