Charging the battery of an electric car often raises many questions. One of the most common is whether fast charging can have negative effects and be detrimental to the health of the battery. In this article, we answer these questions and explain why it is better to charge in mode 3 (semi-rapid charging) rather than mode 4 (fast charging).

Charging in alternating current Vs. direct current

First of all, you should know that there are two ways of charging an electric vehicle: alternating current or direct current.

Connecting the vehicle to the alternating current network is done by a schuko plug, an adapter or connector, or the well-known recharge point or wallbox. The direct current connection, on the other hand, is made at charging stations outside the home. This direct current connection corresponds to fast charging.

Fast charging is characterised by charging to more than 50 kWh and taking just 20 to 30 minutes to reach 80% of the charge. The standardised connector for this type of charging in Europe is the CCS Combo 2.

Is fast charging advisable?

Charging your electric vehicle in just 20 minutes has its consequences: batteries reach very high temperatures and, after many charging cycles under these conditions, they lose storage capacity.

We must be clear in our answer: it is not advisable to carry out rapid charging on a regular basis. We recommend charging on specific occasions. For example, on long journeys or at times when we do not have much time to charge.

In fact, several studies that have emerged in recent years indicate that, after 25 charging cycles in fast charging stations, lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles no longer work properly.

Our recommendation: Semi-Fast Charging in Mode 3

Not only extremely fast charging has negative effects. But so does slow charging: charging an electric vehicle with a schuko socket for more than 20 hours is very hot for the battery. Therefore, the best option is to opt for semi-rapid Mode 3 charging.

This charging is carried out at a power of 7.2 kW in a single-phase installation or 22 kW in a three-phase installation. It is a charging point or wallbox with all the necessary elements to charge the vehicle safely, efficiently and without wearing out the health of the batteries. For this reason, all V2C charging points use this type of charging, as they maintain direct communication with the vehicle to promote its correct operation.