No Condo Charger

[billroger]

So I live in a Condo in San Diego, CA with no charge station in Condo. I am retired and will rarely drive over 300 miles. So Can i order long range battery in my car and super charge "once" per week to 100%. Or perhaps 85% per week. I won't be driving more than 300 miles per week. Will super charging to 90% once a week degrade battery life???

 

[camalaio]

There's a wealth of info and anecdotes on this, but I'll summarise:

• Supercharger-only charging is currently annoying. You need to sit there for about an hour if you're going when your battery charge is very low (which is also the fastest way to charge -- higher battery percentage means slower charging). If many people in your area do this, you may have a line waiting for a charging spot. I personally wouldn't do this, but I dislike waiting. Many read books, listen to podcasts, play games on the car screen, etc. since they're waiting anyways, even wash their car.
• Always charging to 100% does degrade the battery faster. 90% is great. 80% is very slightly better than 90%. I personally charge to 80% and pre-charge to 90% at home just before I make longer trips.
• Always charging at high speeds (Supercharger) also degrades the battery. "Level 2" (240V) slower charging is better for the battery. Even slower "Level 1" (120V) is still good for the battery, but is less efficient to charge with.
• Many people do what you're proposing and their batteries are in perfectly fine condition.

 

[OCR1]

If you charge to 90% you will be fine. It’s not going to be as convenient as home charging but it won’t be any worse that having to go to the gas station, other than when you go for a charge you will likely need to spend about 30-40 minutes there. If you can get some shopping done or get a meal while charging it will be more pleasant for you.

 

[srs5694]

You might also check a site like PlugShare to find public Level 2 (208v or 240v) charging stations near where you live. Some of these are free, and if they're near places where you spend a lot of time, they can be useful. You can plug in with a battery that's half full, go see a movie, shop in a mall, etc., and when you get back, you'll be at "full" (probably 80-90%, as others have said) charge.

 

[Kevy Baby]

One other thing: you may not have level 2 charging (a 208V or 240V such a Wall Charger or charging station), but if you have a standard 110V outlet, you can still charge at home. I too live in a condo with only 110V in my garage. I could mostly survive on the 110V should I so chose.