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The future is electric
You know LFP batteries should be charged to 100% so you’re giving out false information
“Not charging past 80% can prolong the life of the battery.”
While this is indeed true, CR failed to note that the vast majority (or all at this point) of EV and PHEV manufacturers already have it set into the vehicle’s firmware to not charge past about 80%. So when your vehicle shows that it charged to 100%, it’s actually only about 80% of the vehicle’s actual capacity. The same goes for depletion, so when it says the battery is at 0%, it’s actually at least 10% in the battery, so that full depletion is prevented.
This is why the usable capacity listed for EVs and PHEVs is always lower than the battery’s rated capacity.
For example, my 2022 BMW X5 45e has a rated battery capacity of 24kWh, with 21 of it usable in most markets, and only 17 of it usable in the North American markets.
BMW does this because they’re required to warranty the battery for 8 years in North American markets, while it’s for only 6 years on other markets.
Some of these don’t help maximize range in any way…they just help you to accommodate the inconveniences of an EV.
Very disappointed that Consumer Reports, which the public depends upon to be a dependable source of accurate information, left out the single most effective factor to maximize range: Speed… Slow down! And your #5, “You don’t need to charge your battery to 100%”. The exception is LFP batteries, which should be routinely charged to 100%.
Please try to do better than this.
Seat heaters are a great alternative to turning up the heat. In gas cars, heat inside is just wasted energy from fiery explosions happening under your hood being piped in