LFP Battery Charging Test - Cold vs Preheated
A while back, we tested the charging speeds of the Lithium-ion battery when it’s cold vs when it’s preheated. If you want to see how it went watch this video:
Long story short, we found that the battery charges way faster when it’s preheated. However, many people commented under the video that they wanted to see the same test done on the LFP battery, so we got to work.
To ensure accurate results, we first allowed the battery to cool down before charging from 5 to 50% SOC, carefully monitoring its temperature and charging speed using the S3XY App.
After recording the data, we drained the battery and repeated the process—but this time, with the battery preheated. Check out the final results from both tests below:
[We also recorded a video for the visual learners]:
Cold Battery Test
Initial Stats:
- State of Charge (SOC): 5%
- Remaining Capacity: 5.3 kWh
- Battery Temperature: 14.8°C
Final Stats:
- State of Charge (SOC): 50%
- Remaining Capacity: 29.5 kWh
- Battery Temperature: 41.8°C
- Max Charging Speed Reached: 84 kW
- Total Time Charging: 25 minutes and 25 seconds
Preheated Battery Test
Initial Stats:
- State of Charge (SOC): 5%
- Remaining Capacity: 5.4 kWh
- Battery Temperature: 40.8°C
Final Stats:
- State of Charge (SOC): 50%
- Remaining Capacity: 29.9 kWh
- Battery Temperature: 48.8°C
- Max Charging Speed Reached: 173 kW
- Total Time Charging: 12 minutes and 56 seconds
The battery charged 13 minutes faster when preheated, nearly doubling the speed compared to when it was cold. This means that if you charge your car thrice a week, you will spend approximately 40 minutes less at the charging station.
Conclusion
Preconditioning the battery is a game-changer when it comes to fast charging, allowing you to spend (at least in our case) half the time on a station. This is especially useful for people who are rushing and needing to optimize their time on the go.
