u/TheRealReddwolff

I bought my 2021 Kona Electric in January (USA). A little later, I got that famous "refill inverter coolant" message. The coolant was close to max level. Took it to the local dealership in April. They said it was due to a recall and fixed it for no charge.

Less than 3 months later, I saw the message again. I popped the hood, and this time found the coolant to be below the min level. It seems suspicious to me that it dropped so quickly right after they worked on it. Of course, it's JUST outside warranty (ran out mid-June). I called a mechanic I trust to get their opinion on it, but they unfortunately don't service EVs.

Looks like I need to go back to the same dealership, but I'm not sure how to best approach it. I don't want to get stuck with an expensive repair if they messed something up while working on it in April. Any thoughts on how you might proceed in my position?

I bought a 2021 Kona EV SEL earlier this year. I have a 120V slow home charger, which suits my needs as my commute and trips about town aren't very long.

That said, I want to be sure I'm treating my battery as well as I can. I know the best practice is to charge from 20% to 80%. For my slow charger, that takes about 36 - 40 hours. I've been able to leave it plugged in that long without stopping only once or twice. It's just rare that I don't need to take it anywhere all weekend.

That leaves me with these options:

A) Plug it in for the 14ish hours I'm home on a weeknight, unplug the next morning, drive to work, come home, plug it in again, repeat until I finally achieve 80%

B) Plug it in overnight when I can, but don't worry about how it almost never gets to 80% because an overnight charging session can net me enough charge to last several days.

Or

C) Have an electrician install a 240V outlet and more easily charge from 20% - 80% in one sitting. I have one on the other side of the wall from my garage already, so it would hopefully be an easy install. But I'd also have to buy a fast home charger, so that's another added expense.

Option A seems reckless since I'd be unplugging and plugging multiple nights in a row. But once that's done, I'd probably be set for 2 - 3 weeks before I'd need to do it again.

Option B involves less frequent plugging and unplugging, but it'd be hard to get in the full 20-80% range. Plus, I wouldn't get as long of a break between charges as I would after my Option A blitz, and I'd be tempted to charge well before dropping to 20%.

Option C costs money, and...I want to keep that money. Also, I read that 120V charging is generally considered better for longevity than 240V as the battery doesn't heat up as much. But is 240V with consistent 20-80% charge better than an inconsistent or multi-night 120V? And if so, is the amount I'd spend worth the extra battery health?

Any insight is appreciated!