The Charging Cycle Myth

Older nickel-cadmium batteries were famous for the memory effect, but the everyday version was often overstated. True memory appeared under specific repeated-cycle conditions, while many consumer problems were voltage depression or damage from poor charging. Lithium-ion batteries have no practical memory effect. In fact, deep discharges damage them: running a cell to zero stresses the electrode materials and speeds up degradation. The healthiest range is between 20 and 80 percent. Partial charges are not just fine - they are optimal.