What Happens If an Electric Vehicle is Charged for Too Long?
1 Answers
Charging an electric vehicle for an extended period is known as overcharging, which can be detrimental to the battery's lifespan. The reasons why overcharging harms the battery and the recommended charging duration are as follows: Reasons why overcharging harms the battery: Lead-acid batteries inevitably experience water loss during the final stages of charging, especially when maintained at high voltage for prolonged periods, which exacerbates water loss. This leads to an excessively high sulfuric acid concentration in the battery electrolyte, accelerating sulfation of the plates and corrosion of the grid, thereby shortening the battery's lifespan. Overcharging also causes a large amount of gas to scour the battery plates, resulting in the shedding of active material and ultimately reducing the battery's service life. Charging duration: Generally, an electric vehicle battery takes about 4 hours to fully charge. If a four-wheeled electric vehicle is charged for too long, it can cause the battery temperature to rise excessively. While this may not be visible externally, the battery's interior can become prone to combustion or explosion. The maximum recommended charging time for an electric vehicle should not exceed 10 hours.