New joiner...and question about charging please

[Ik2025]

Hi everyone

I'm on the cusp of signing for the car, just doing my last bits of research.

I've read loads of the stuff here, very helpful so thanks for that .

A basic question:

Even the honda website says 'get out habit of charging your car to max...may even degrade battery'

I totally understand, no different from an iPad, but what are you all actually doing?

The range is limited, I would anticipate always topping the car up when the opportunity presented itself.

I assume in all that clever digital gubbins the car self regulates charging so that user habits wouldn't affect longevity.

Is Honda really suggesting that best practice is to use 30miles on Monday, then wake on Tuesday with 60 left and so on? I'm not sure that's an availability I'd be happy to live with.

I'd appreciate to know how you manage this?

Should I charge my EV every night?

The quick answer to this is no, you don’t need to charge your EV every night. In fact, if you get into the habit of leaving it on charge every night, ironically you can shorten/degrade the lifespan of the car’s battery pack. Just like a phone battery, you don’t want to let it sit at 100% capacity with the charger in for too long. Therefore, it can be better to avoid charging while you’re asleep. Every battery is different, so check your car user manual for the best advice and recommendations on battery charging.

[MaXPainT]

I would say it mostly depends on how long you are planning to keep the car. If it is 5-10 years, then charge it to 100% whenever you can. It wont degrade much within that time. If it is >10 years then I would advise limiting the charging to 80% and avoiding draining it below 30%.

The matter has been extensively discussed on the forum. The E battery has a buffer so the 100% charged is not actually 100% charged and 0% is also not completely empty, thus, Honda protects the battery at a cost of the maximum range available to us.

As a rule of thumb, high voltages and temperatures degrade lithium batteries faster. The closer the battery is to the full state the higher the voltage will be. Fast charging introduces temperature to the mixture, which can further speed up the degradation. With that said, it is very unlikely that you will notice any degradation within the battery warranty period regardless what you do with it.

If anything it is the 12v battery you should be concerned about

[FDAD]

If anything it is the 12v battery you should be concerned about

Yes, the car having to wake up to enable the contactor on the traction battery is stupid... but nothing we can do about it.

I set my usual maximum at 80% and only when slow charging does it go to 95% (mind you that at almost 100 000 kms and with most of my charges being rapid 60kw/120kw) I find the heat to be the problem, as the car doesn't cool as it should, I've seen the traction battery happily sitting at 40c for several times without it needing it to.. (some of the charging power should be diverted to cooling and that doesn't happen.) Several times I rapid charge 3 times if not more a day. On long trips that can be up to 5 times.

Having all that said,, I'm still at 90% SOH

[Ik2025]

Thanks - this is really helpful (and what I hoped to hear)

My only other observation on here is that I was suprised how many little niggling faults are discussed. I know thats the point of a forum, but even so theres quite a variety.

I've had virtually every honda that has existed since 1990 and whilst expensive parts wear out, the one thing none suffered is little niggling faults (like a french car or a low production).

Should I be looking at extended warranties and expectation manage for issues to arise?

The door handle thing is interesting. I had a door handle failure on my F10 BMW M5, which in turn drains the battery, which in turn creates expensive issues. The door handle itself wasn't covered under extended manufacturer warranty, but under some pressure they conceded that it was both a mechanical fault (door handle - not covered) and an electrical fault (keyless - covered). £800 under warranty for a door handle.

[MaXPainT]

The E is not your typical Honda. It is more like a concept car that accidentally made its way to the production. Then the accident has been spotted and fixed (the production cancelled). Hence, it is very special, but expensive and fragile.

The handle issue is related to moisture finding its way inside and causing problems. I had issues with the handles twice when I washed the car and then left it in below freezing temperatures. The handles were not fully retracting. Got resolved by itself with time (probably, the moisture dried or something). The rest of the time I am keeping the car in the garage and in an underground parking and experiencing zero issues with the handles.

The more concerning and costly repair might appear due to defect in the breaking system. There were several reports on that in the forum. The story is still developing and I haven't experienced it myself but it is a concern nonetheless.

Usually I am not a big fan of extended warranties and insurances (they are mostly designed to sell you air) but with this car I would get one for the peace of mind.

[EEEE]

I nearly always charge mine up to 100% on 7kw, because once you've been to work and back, you might not be able to make an emergency trip to a relatives or what have you later in the evening.

I don't let it worry me though, cars are built to die sadly. Continually fixing cars as a hobby has taught me to enjoy them whilst they last, and when they need fixing, they need fixing. You can always walk, or get a bus, or buy a cheaper car. We are lead to believe that charging to 100% is not so bad if it is used immediately afterwards. I guess charging at 1am and commuting at 7am is probably OK. I think leaving it 100% charged for days at a time is the scenario to avoid.

That said, I was unable to find simple voltage discharge characteristics of the NMC622 cell chemistry, so how they really work maybe we will never know...

Also it must be said that once the car hits 100% , unlike a phone, there is no draw on the battery thereafter, so the battery is not continuously applied with the higher charging voltage like a consumer electronic device.

[Ik2025]

Again thanks

(and on the back of this forum content we've gone ahead and bought the car - main dealer - its rare to get such comprehensive and honest info)

"more like a concept car that accidentally made its way to the production" - love that

I had a 40k mile a year daily driver esprit for 2 years. I'll be suprised if the e can get close to that hallowed ground of superficially continuing to drive whilst every possible part breaks.

I also suspect the e will be the first car I enjoy as much as the Esprit, although I seem to have already lost it to my wife.

One last question - the battery thing - should I look to just routinely replace it like a consumable? In fairness its no more an expense than putting periodic AdBlue in a diesel at £30 a pop.

[EEEE]

If your wife is happy to open the bonnet, apply a jump pack and can do so safely and without embarrassment, then no need to replace the battery.

Otherwise, for the £89 at halfords, it makes sense to replace the 12v battery. Most of them must have gone flat on the boat over at some point. Mine only tested to less than half its rated capacity (using a proper battery capacity tester).

The enjoyment of the e is not so much in the driving I find, but just the quiet contemplation and knowledge that you own something a little different and special.

[hondaeboy]

One last question - the battery thing - should I look to just routinely replace it like a consumable? In fairness its no more an expense than putting periodic AdBlue in a diesel at £30 a pop.

There's nothing wrong with the 12V battery. Still on the first, original one from the early 2020-ies.

However...there is something wrong with much of the first (untested) iterations of the software on the various parts of the car. There are countless scenarios that were not taken into account in the first versions, that ended up depleting the 12V battery. Make sure they apply each. and. every. software update there is. Honda dealers are very reluctant to do so, because most of the updates are only applied when customers complain. So that's unfortunately what you need to do: complain!

I think these are the most recent software versions that are currently available. The second from last digit is the "version" number. Some important things like battery management (both 12V and traction battery) have already have quite a few enhancements. One of the seems to release an extra 2 kWh (at least in my case) and another allows you to charge at Tesla (which had not been possible for the past 4 years). The updates with an * are the 4 most recent updates.

1C601-61M-E010 Battery Charger
1K021-61M-E030 EV/HEV/IMA Motor
1K101-61M-E050 EV/HEV/IMA Battery*
1K111-61M-E040 EV/HEV/IMA Battery 2
1K201-61M-E130 Management ECU
1K301-61M-E040 Battery Charge Control Module*
1K491-61M-E010 PLC
24851-5WR-A010 DCT-TDU
36161-TYF-E020 Camera
36505-TYF-E050 MVCAPS*
36802-TYF-E050 ACC/CMBS*
37419-TYF-E010 AVAS
38808-TYF-G010 BCM
38897-TYF-E140 CAN Gateway
38898-TYF-E140 CAN GW Internal
39673-TYF-J130 Parking Sensor
39719-TYF-G010 Meter Display
39990-TYF-N030 EPS
46114-TYF-E020 ESB
54008-TYF-E010 Shifter
57114-TYF-E030 ABS/VSA
77959-TYF-G430 SRS
78108-TYF-G620 Meter

[MaXPainT]

The 12v battery thing is a lottery where your odds can be slightly improved by trickle charging and preconditioning the car often. Mine is still on the original battery too, no issues so far but I am keeping a booster pack in the glovebox just in case. Sooner or later it will happen and when it does I don't want to jump around like a headless chicken.

I got used to the comfortable driving (maybe I was not spoiled on that to begin with) so the driving itself feels special only when I want it to be (intentionally fast cornering or surprising some bwm drivers from the traffic lights). What makes it special to me is the fact that they are done producing them and you cant get a new one even if you wat to. So technically we all are driving the very first modern electric Hondas, limited edition concept cars At the moment there is nothing on the market that comes even close to the E, so I am hoping to drive it until a solid state battery replacement will become available