What is the difference between the number of cycles and the number of charges for lithium batteries?
Core conclusion: The number of charging sessions refers to individual charging actions, while the number of cycles refers to the total amount of power consumption plus the replenishment. These two cannot be equated.
I. Definition Differentiation
Charging frequency: Each time the charger is plugged in, it counts as one charging session, regardless of the amount of electricity used. For example, if the battery level goes from 90% to 100%, from 30% to 70%, or from 0% to full, it is counted as one charging event each.
Number of cycles: Calculated based on the total capacity of the battery. A complete cycle is defined as using up the total charge of the entire set of batteries and then fully charging them again.
II. Illustrative Examples for Intuitive Understanding
Assuming the total battery capacity is 100 units of electricity:
Using 50 units, fully charged → 2 such charges = 1 cycle
Using 20 units, fully charged → 5 such charges = 1 cycle
When the battery is completely drained and recharged → 1 charge = 1 cycle
III. Supplementary Practical Points
1. The battery life indicated by the industry (such as 500 times or 2000 times) refers to the number of cycles, not the number of charging times.
2. For daily light charging and discharging (charge whenever needed), the number of charging times will be much higher than the number of cycles. This usage method is actually more conducive to extending the battery life.
3. The battery charge will not be reset and accumulated. The system will continuously calculate the cumulative consumed charge and gradually convert it into the number of cycles.
