Electronic energy loss of light ions transmitted through nanometer films of Al has been studied at very low ion velocities. For hydrogen, the electronic stopping power S is found to be perfectly proportional to velocity, as expected for a free electron gas. For He, the same is anticipated, but S shows a transition between two distinct regimes, in both of which S is velocity proportional-however, with remarkably different slopes. This finding can be explained as a consequence of charge exchange in close encounters between He and Al atoms, which represents an additional energy loss channel.