Battery/Rate of Charging and Discharging
From Unofficial Zero Manual
< Battery
The Farasis cells have a nominal capacity of 25 Ah (as of 2013-2014).
- Each cell has a maximum continuous discharge rate of 100 A (4C rate).
- You would have to discharge the battery in 15 minutes to achieve that, which is impossible to achieve normally.
Conveniently, the Zero S 11.4 should achieve a range of approximately 70 miles at a constant speed of 70 mph.
- That would result in a full discharge in an hour.
- Even maintaining 80 mph, the maximum sustained speed of the bike, it's difficult to empty the battery pack in less than half an hour.
- So the cells are operating well within their specifications.
The maximum charge rate for Zero battery packs is 25A for each cell or brick (2013-2014), which would mean a full charge in an hour, referred to as a 1C rate.
- Even with a 6.6kW level 2 charge, you're only going to get a full charge in 2 hours, probably more like 2.5 hrs as the charge rate will drop as the battery reaches capacity.
- Yet again, the cells are under relatively little stress even with a fast charge.