Question of the week: Should I charge my EV every day or when the battery is almost flat?

David Ross, Editor
Fri, 30 May 2025

Dear Honest John,

"I've just purchased a new EV, but I'm not sure about the best way to charge it. Should I charge it every day at home, or only when the battery is flat? I'm concerned about the battery life, but also I want the flexibility to be able to travel as far as I need to."

- AB

Dear AB,

We would always recommend consulting the vehicle handbook when purchasing a new car, particularly with an EV, because manufacturers may have slightly different recommendations when it comes to the optimum approach to charging.

However, as a general rule, we would recommend charging only when you need to rather than every day. The drive battery in your car is not unlike that in your mobile phone - albeit considerably larger - in that its lifespan is mainly measured in cycles of charging and discharging.

EV batteries are at their happiest between 20% and 80%, so if you charge to 80% on one day and then use it until it is at or close to 20% before recharging, you are keeping the battery in its sweet spot and not using any additional battery 'life' by unnecessary charging. It's not a dissimilar approach to how you might fuel a petrol or diesel car.

The other important things to do are to only charge to 100% capacity when you need the maximum available range. And only use fast chargers when absolutely necessary. While a quick charge is a timesaver, slow charging like you would at home is better for battery health.

Ask HJ

Will driving a self charging hybrid on EV power alone cause damage?

If a self charging hybrid only does a low mileage mostly on electric power, does this have a bad effect on the mechanicals?

The engine and associated mechanicals of a self-charging hybrid will not be harmed by frequent running on electric power only. In any case the battery will eventually reach the point where it needs to be charge which will automatically cause the engine to operate, so the amount of driving you could do on electric power only is limited. It is also worth bearing in mind that some hybrid owners have found that the 12V battery can become discharged without regular use, so you may wish to incorporate a longer journey to ensure the 12V system is charging up.

Answered by David Ross

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