Effect of charge rate on battery longevity?

[mmcc]

I’m wondering if by using the reduced charge rate on the 120v charger, it would benefit the battery over time. We are driving about 20-50 miles per day and leave the Volt plugged in when at home. We are both retired so we have more flexibility in scheduling our daily drives. I guess my question is, if I can get by with the lower charge rate setting, will the battery be in better shape after 10 years vs the normal charging rate. Any thoughts?

[saghost]

In theory, lower rates equals longer battery life. However, all of the charge rates on the Volt are way down at the low end - I really doubt the difference between C/5 (220@15amps) and C/20(110@8amps) matters. If we were talking about 1.5C vs 6C, it'd make a big difference...

[Bob_Livonia]

I’m wondering if by using the reduced charge rate on the 120v charger, it would benefit the battery over time. We are driving about 20-50 miles per day and leave the Volt plugged in when at home. We are both retired so we have more flexibility in scheduling our daily drives. I guess my question is, if I can get by with the lower charge rate setting, will the battery be in better shape after 10 years vs the normal charging rate. Any thoughts?

With the liquid-based thermal management system, it shouldn't matter whether you are charging in 4 hours with a level 2 charger or in 15+ hours on reduced power. The reduced power is for the benefit of the electrical circuit and breaker and not for the vehicle.

[DonC]

The lower charge rate won't help the battery but may put more wear and tear on the charging system in the car. It will also cost you more in electricity because charging will use more electricity since there the overhead for charging is fixed and you'll be charging for longer periods.

[mmcc]

Thanks all. I'll just put it back to the normal charge rate and not worry about it.