[Guest]

I read this in the manual but no explanation was provided? What is the reasoning behind keeping the car plugged in after a full charge is reached?

 

[fotomoto1]

So it can continue to use wall power to either heat or cool (usually cool) the battery and keep it in the ideal temperature range for longevity.

 

[jcanoe]

In spring and fall if I don't need to charge I will wait until the battery SOC is below 50% before I plug in my Volt.
Summer and winter I leave my Volt plugged in. The battery temperature management system will heat the battery pack if the battery temperature falls below 30F (the battery heating cycle might be set to a different temperature in your ELR) or turn on the radiator fan and/or the AC if the battery temperature rises above 90 - 95F. If there are thunderstorms present or predicted I will unplug my Volt.

 

[JRRF]

Here's a whole thread and pole on the subject:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?321938-Do-You-Unplug-During-Thunderstorms

 

[Loboc]

It not only heats/cools. It also balances the cells.

I leave mine plugged in when it is parked at home.

 

[dannycamps]

No harm in doing it so might as well if you're at home. Like others mentioned, while plugged in, the car will run the cooling system in the summer (heating in winter) to maintain the battery temps.

 

[llninja]

I’m wondering it if also tops off the 12v battery?

 

[Guest]

I live in scorching hot AZ and park my ELR in our garage. At times it can get as hot as 120 degrees in there. Hypothetical scenario and question:

I charge my ELR the night before leaving to work.
I leave to work with a full charge.
I return home from work with 70% charge remaining.
Temperature outside garage is 110 degrees; inside 120.

Should I still charge my car at 70% due to the heat?

Currently I don't plug in my ELR until I'm almost or at 0%. But I'm learning more about the other benefits of charging daily.

 

[Mister Dave]

If I lived in AZ I'd have my car plugged in as much as possible - maybe even in the rare thunderstorm to keep the battery as cool as possible. I'd also look at finding a way to cool the garage down. The ELR battery cooling system might work better.

 

[jcanoe]

I live in scorching hot AZ and park my ELR in our garage. At times it can get as hot as 120 degrees in there. Hypothetical scenario and question:

I charge my ELR the night before leaving to work.
I leave to work with a full charge.
I return home from work with 70% charge remaining.
Temperature outside garage is 110 degrees; inside 120.

Should I still charge my car at 70% due to the heat?

Currently I don't plug in my ELR until I'm almost or at 0%. But I'm learning more about the other benefits of charging daily.

It is probably a good idea to plug in when you park in the hot garage in the summertime. However, based on my experience with my 2017 Volt, the lithium battery pack will take 8-9 hours to reach ambient temperature. By then the garage will have cooled off some so the AC may not run at all overnight or only briefly.

 

[Guest]

Is there an ambient heat temp I should monitor in my garage? A temperature that spurs me to plug it in?