iOn overcharging

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timpootle
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Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, UK

iOn overcharging

Postby timpootle » Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:04 am

This came from Alan Ward.
I would value your advice. I have just bought a 2011 Peugeot iOn battery car, and its automatic charger does not switch off until each cell reaches 4.06 V. Do you think this is too high? Would it be better if I switch off routinely before this automatic cut-off. Fortunately, I do not need the full range.

Details are as follows. The Mitsubishi iMiEV specifications include
16 kW 58MJ lithium ion battery pack consists of 88 cells …. in series at a nominal voltage of 330 V …. developed by Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa …. and manufactured by Lithium Energy Japan.

Normal charging from 230 V ac ( I measure 9.4 amp.)
“is via a five-pin IEC62196-2 Type 2 point. Three large pins are the line, neutral and earth/ground. The two small pins are a control circuit. This circuit enables the charger to be cut off when charging is complete ….. the lead has a local plug at one end and a Mennekes connector at the other …. there is a ‘floating’ control box in the middle of the lead that limits the current to 10 amps so enabling an 8-hour charging time from complete depletion.”

The Peugeot ion handbook differs only slightly:-
Lithium-ion type 1 N ZKZ Z
50 Ah 14.5 kWh 300 V
Normal charge:- 10 A x 8 hr. 8 A x 11 hr (20 to 25 degC)

I have twice asked the local Peugeot agent, who sold the iOn, to answer this question, but I’ve had no reply after a fortnight (perhaps they are trying to translate an answer in Japanese?)

The Mitsubishi specification figures of 330 V is 88 x 3.75 Vpc.
The Peugeot figure of 300 V is 88 x the familiar 3.4 Vpc


Any ideas from anyone here? My response was "I would be inclined to let a factory builf car sort itself out".
Tim Crumpton

Richard Elliott
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:57 am

Re: iOn overcharging

Postby Richard Elliott » Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:08 pm

I, too have been wondering whether stopping charging before full would be beneficial for battery life - ever since I read an article on the net about prolonging the life of Lithium-ion batteries. It suggested keeping battery packs between 20% and 80% would cause the least stress (if I remember right). Not running the pack right out is never a problem in my case as I rarely go below a quarter charge before plugging in. Stopping charging before 100% is not always easy as that can occur whilst I'm out or in the middle of the night! The genteel charging at home from a 13amp socket is, I feel, not particularly stressful. I believe that the power draw tails off as it nears full. Too much rapid charging I have read causes stress.

I found something on the subject on a Mitsubishi Miev website - mainly posted on by people living in California USA where there seems to be a healthy population of these little cars. The website is very extensive and I can't find the bit I read now but, if I remember, it seemed to suggest that the packs don't charge up completely fully as a matter of course and the system is designed to cut off before 100% charge is reached even if that is a bit above the 3.4/3.75. Might be wrong though. I fear that there is a complete lack of knowledge with garages, even the ones that sell these cars, as they just don't have the experience and can't answer sensible questions. When I bought my Ion the sales person tried to tell me it was front wheel drive!


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