Battery care
Battery conditioning and reconditioning
Folk knowledge for lithium. Legitimate for nickel metal hydride
For a lithium car this is a myth. For an older hybrid it has a real mechanism.
At a glance
- Verdict. Folk knowledge for lithium. Legitimate for nickel metal hydride
- Evidence. Mixed, and the distinction matters
- Applies to. Any lithium pack unless the page says otherwise
- Cost to follow it. Nothing
The detail
Balancing on a lithium pack is automatic and continuous, so there is nothing for an owner to initiate. A full charge on an iron phosphate pack helps the car estimate state of charge, not its capacity. Aftermarket reconditioning devices are unsupported. On a nickel metal hydride hybrid pack a full discharge and recharge cycle genuinely can recover some usable capacity, which is the one place the folk advice has a mechanism behind it.
Buying a Used EV or Hybrid?
Get the battery measured before you pay for it. A PPI Auto inspector tests the pack on the car you are looking at and sends you the numbers. Starting at $225.