Slow DC charging in my EV every morning!

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NickelBoy

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Anyone else notice a dip in DC charging speed during cold weather? Just topped up my EV at a familiar Instavolt on my way back home. Normally, I get 40+ kW/h there, but this time it maxed out at 20 kW/h.

Car said it was -1.5°C the whole trip, but shouldn't the battery management sort things out for both driving and charging in the cold? Curious if this is a common problem or something specific to my car.
 
AC charging is generally slower than DC fast charging, so the charging speed difference might not be a significant concern for you. Plus, with a 7 kW charger, you should have plenty of range added overnight, making a faster charger potentially unnecessary.

I'm curious, though. Why do you choose to charge all day once a week instead of spreading out the charging sessions more frequently? This might help you optimize your charging costs and avoid potential peak hour surcharges.
 
NickelBoy said:
Anyone else notice a dip in DC charging speed during cold weather? Just topped up my EV at a familiar Instavolt on my way back home. Normally, I get 40+ kW/h there, but this time it maxed out at 20 kW/h.

Car said it was -1.5°C the whole trip, but shouldn't the battery management sort things out for both driving and charging in the cold? Curious if this is a common problem or something specific to my car.
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Have you noticed if the charging speed improves once the battery warms up, or does it stay slow throughout the charging session? It might be the battery temperature affecting the performance.
 
It was the same charger in the same spot as yesterday, which delivered 47kW, but today it only gave 27kW. The main difference was the temperature, it was much colder this time at 7am, compared to 1pm yesterday.
 
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Your DC charging slowdown is definitely weather-related. EV batteries work best within an optimal temperature range, and when it’s -1.5°C outside, the battery is likely too cold to accept high-speed charging.

A preconditioned battery can handle higher charge rates, so check if your Mini lets you activate preconditioning before heading to a charger. If not, a decent drive beforehand will naturally warm things up.
 
Given the cold weather preconditioning is definitely worth a shot like others have suggested. Have you had a chance to try it out? I'm curious if it made any improvement in your charging speed.
 

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