The "fast charging"
feature of many Tesla
charging stations
along the
nation's highways
can damage batteries.
The cause is
high temperatures
and high resistance
that can lead them
to crack, leak and
lose their storage
capacity, according
to Science 2.0.t
For the first 13
charging cycles
on a Tesla,
battery storage
capabilities
remained similar
between
normal charging
and rapid charging.
But after that,
the "fast charging"
technique caused
capacity to fade
"much faster".
After just 40
charging cycles,
batteries only kept
60% of their
storage capacity.
Batteries charged
using internal resistance
charging retained more
than 80% capacity
after the 40th cycle.
At 80% capacity,
rechargeable
lithium-ion batteries
have reached the end
of their use life
for most purposes.
Batteries charged
using the industry
fast-charging method
reached this point
after 25 charging cycles,
while internal resistance
method batteries
were good for 36 cycles.
After 60 charging cycles,
the industry method
battery cases cracked,
exposing the electrodes
and electrolyte to air,
which could increase the
chance of fire or explosion.
Professor Mihri Ozkan
of UC Riverside concluded:
"Capacity loss, internal
chemical and mechanical
damage, and the high heat
for each battery are
major safety concerns,
especially considering
there are 7,104 lithium-ion
batteries in a Tesla Model S
and 4,416 in a Tesla Model 3."
