The Rate Of Battery Capacity Degradation
All EV batteries will lose their ability to maintain a full charge over time. EV batteries lose about 2.3 percent of their initial range each year, according to Geotab, which analyzed data from 6,300 EVs. Using a Nissan Leaf as an example, its 149-mile range would be reduced after 5 years to about 132 miles.
According to a survey conducted by the organization Plug In America, the battery pack in the Tesla Model S loses about 5 percent of its capacity over the first 50,000 miles on the road, on average. The loss of range slows down after that.
However, older EVs with shorter operating ranges than todays crop of 200-mile-plus models might suffer incrementally faster deterioration. Thats because draining most or all of a batterys charge on a regular basis tends to cut into its capacity more quickly over time.
Fast chargers, such as the Tesla Supercharger, can degrade a battery faster than medium- and low-powered chargers. / Credit: Tesla
Whats The Lifespan Of A Standard 12v Battery
While EVs and hybrids are growing in popularity, more than 90 percent of new vehicle sales in the U.S. are for conventional cars powered by gasoline and equipped with a trusty 12-volt battery. How long will those 12-volt batteries last? How much will they cost to replace? We give you the fast facts about this common maintenance item below.
What Electric Car Batteries Are Made Of
If you want to know how long an electric car battery lasts, its helpful to know more about how they work. Modern EVs are powered by lithium-ion batteries. If that term sounds familiar, its because the same fundamental technology is used to power electronics including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. The capacity of the battery varies, which is a big factor in determining how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle.
Advancements in lithium-ion battery technology have led automakers to engineer EVs that can really go the distance. The first Nissan Leaf topped out at an estimated range of 75miles, while the latest model can travel up to 226 miles on a single charge. Electric motors are becoming more efficient, battery costs are going down, and battery capacities are going up.
The future looks bright for batteries. GMs new Ultium batteries optimize lithium-ion architecture by stacking battery cells vertically or horizontally, enabling more efficient storage and longer range. The Hummer EV will be the first vehicle to feature Ultium, with more on the way. Researchers are also hard at work developing solid state batteries, which look to improve on lithium-ion batteries by leaps and bounds.
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Electric Cars And Batteries: How Will The World Produce Enough
The age of the electric car is upon us. Earlier this year, the US automobile giant General Motors announced that it aims to stop selling petrol-powered and diesel models by 2035. Audi, based in Germany, plans to stop producing such vehicles by 2033. Many other automotive multinationals have issued similar road maps. Suddenly, major carmakers foot-dragging on electrifying their fleets is turning into a rush for the exit.
The electrification of personal mobility is picking up speed in a way that even its most ardent proponents might not have dreamt of just a few years ago. In many countries, government mandates will accelerate change. But even without new policies or regulations, half of global passenger-vehicle sales in 2035 will be electric, according to the BloombergNEF consultancy in London.
This massive industrial conversion marks a shift from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive energy system, declared the International Energy Agency in May. In the coming decades, hundreds of millions of vehicles will hit the roads, carrying massive batteries inside them . And each of those batteries will contain tens of kilograms of materials that have yet to be mined.
And How Do They Compare To Gas
- Wesleyan University, University of California, Berkeley
David Kuchta, Ph.D. has 10 years of experience in gardening and has read widely in environmental history and the energy transition. An environmental activist since the 1970s, he is also a historian, author, gardener, and educator.
- Sarah Lawrence College
The battery is by far the most expensive component in an electric vehicle, so estimating how long it will last is an important consideration if you’re thinking of switching to an EV. One way to look at it, however, is by asking: How long will an EV battery last before I have to pay to replace it? The short answer: With few exceptions, your EV battery is guaranteed to work significantly longer than an engine in a gas-powered car is, and in most cases, your battery will outlast the rest of your car’s lifetime.
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Does Ev Charging Affect The Battery Life
In short, yes. Charging a battery does have an effect on your vehicles battery life.
One of the innovations that led to the rise of electric vehicles over the past decade is Lithium-ion batteries. Traditionally, most vehicle batteries were made from lead-acid and only had to start a vehicles motor with a short surge of power which would then be recharged as the vehicle drove by an on-board alternator. However, they were not ideal for discharging more than a few percent of their power and are often referred to as SLI batteries .
Comparatively, lithium-ion batteries are designed to handle a much higher density of energy. Both your cell phone and your laptop use lithium-ion batteries and much like the advancement in the technology of both over the past two decades, lithium-ion batteries have increased the potential to use electricity in vehicles. And these advances are only tipped to continue.
However, while an EVs battery will lose its ability to fully charge over time, it is unlikely that it will stop altogether. There are a few best practices that you can do to extend the life of your EVs battery.
Does Rapid Charging Degrade Batteries
Rapid chargers – like you find at service stations and some shops – might be the quickest way to refuel your electric car, but theyre also the quickest way to wear out its battery. Pumping large amounts of charge into the car over a short space of time generates heat, and high temperatures causes the batteries to degrade.
But speedy charging is handy for time-poor drivers, so car manufacturers have designed their cars to protect themselves from fast-charge damage. If it feels itself getting too hot, the car can slow down the charging until its temperature drops. Some cars can even air-condition their batteries on hot days.
Ryan Maughan from AVID Technology, a UK firm developing electric power technology for vehicles, explains.
If the option is there to slow charge overnight when the ambient temperature is lower, this should be done in preference to fast charging during the day.
Research conducted by the US Department of Energys Idaho National Laboratory backs this up. It tested two pairs of identical Nissan Leafs. One pair was charged using slow chargers at home, another using public fast chargers. After 50,000 miles, the difference in capacity between the home-charged cars and the rapid-charged cars was 4%.
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Electric Car Battery Lithium
A Lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery used in electric vehicles and a number of portable electronics. They have a higher energy density than typical lead-acid or nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. This means that battery manufacturers can save space, reducing the overall size of the battery pack.
Lithium is also the lightest of all metals. However, lithium-ion batteries contain no lithium metal, they contain ions. For those wondering what an ion is, an ion is a an atom or molecule with an electric charge caused by the loss or gain of one or more electrons.
Lithium-ion batteries are also safer than many alternatives and battery manufacturers have to ensure that safety measures are in place to protect consumers in the unlikely event of a battery failure. For instance, manufacturers equip electric vehicles with charging safeguards to protect the batteries during repeated rapid charging sessions in a short period of time.
So What Is The Cost Of Replacing Electric Car Batteries
Electric car battery cost of replacement can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. Chief among these factors is the cost of production of these batteries. Back in the year 2010, the average cost of a battery pack was upwards of $1,000 per Kilowatt hour. That would have meant out-of-pocket costs upward of $40,000 if replacing for a 40-Kilowatt hour Nissan Leaf.
However, as manufacturing capacity grows and techniques are improving, the cost of batteries has been coming down rapidly as the years progress. With companies like Tesla and CATL building more production facilities, the cost of batteries is expected to come down to $125 by the year 2024.
Another one of the factors includes the type of electric vehicle you have. A good example to look at is the Nissan Leaf, again, which is a battery electric vehicle. At the moment, it costs $5,500 to replace its battery. However, on the other side of the spectrum things could be eye watering. In 2017, the cost of replacing the Chevy Bolts battery stood at a whopping $15,000.
Thats a significant drop from where it was several years ago. At the moment, standard battery costs stand at $190 per Kilowatt hour of power. Other companies like Tesla aim to produce their batteries at $125, which will make the installation of their long-range batteries cost around $10,000, and that includes labor charges.
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How Long Will The Battery Of An Electric Car Last
Electric cars are no longer an exception, but they have not yet been around for that long. So it is not easy to draw any conclusions about the lifespan of the batteries. The guarantee that the car manufacturers give on the battery is, however, a good indication. Tesla, Nissan and most other makes give a guarantee of eight years up to a certain percentage of the battery capacity. So for the time being, the lifespan of an EV battery may be said to be at least eight years.
As the battery of an electric car accounts for the largest share of the budget, the cost of replacing it cannot be justified.
- Overly high temperatures are bad for an EV battery. Performance declines from 30 degrees Celsius. This is a temporary phenomenon. But if the car has to withstand high temperatures for a long period, that can impact on the lifespan.
- Accelerating or braking too quickly is not a good idea. It causes local overheating in the battery.
- You should avoid fast charging too often. A high voltage – which is necessary to charge your battery quickly – also leads to high temperatures.
- Using your electric vehicle a lot in mountainous regions can also cause your EV battery to wear out more quickly.
Ev Battery Charging Best Practices
The improvement over the past decades in lithium-ion batteries has been significant. The advances have extended battery life, increased safety, and reduced the weight and price of battery packs. However, like all pieces of technology, if you care for them in the right way, you can extend their longevity and increase your return on investment.
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How Long Do Car Batteries Last
Replacing a conventional 12-volt car battery every 3-5 years is typical.
Most new vehicles come with a factory-installed battery that should last at least five years. Replacement batteries may come with a rating for expected mileage and/or years.
Other Car Battery Articles
Corroded Car Battery / Photo Credit: Getty / sboice
How Do You Recharge An Electric Car Battery
You’ll get the fastest charge from a designated EV charging socket. These are rated in kW from about 3kW up to about 50kW – or 120kW on Tesla’s supercharger network. The higher the rating, the quicker they’ll restore your EV’s range.
The chargers most commonly fitted at a home or workplace are either 3kW ‘slow’ units, or 7kW ‘fast’ chargers capable of recharging an EV in 6-12 hours. The UK also has a growing network of public charging stations. These are typically either fast chargers rated at up to 22kW, or ‘rapid’ chargers capable of delivering up to 50kW. The fastest public charging stations can top an EV up to 80% of its range in as little as an hour the last 20% is usually a bit slower, to prevent damage to the batteries as they get near to full charge.
Where no designated charging point is available, you can charge an electric car from a 13-amp domestic plug socket, but this can be very slow. Because charging demands lots of power over a long period there may also be a risk of overheating or fire, so if you must do this you should have an electrician inspect the socket and wiring first.
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Parking For Extended Periods
Other factors are at play too. This one might seem obvious, but its still worth bearing in mind: battery wear occurs when the battery is in use! That said, leaving an electric car parked for extended periods in high temperatures and/or when the battery is fully charged can also have a negative impact on how long it lasts.
Worried About How Long Electric Car Batteries Last All Car Makers Offer Battery Warranties Keep Reading To Find Out Which Protect You Best
If you’re looking for a great deal on an electric car, you’re in luck, because the number of used electric cars on the market is growing pretty much day by day. However, one of the bigger questions surrounding used electric cars though, is how long the batteries last. We arent talking about how far they can travel per charge here, we’re talking about overall lifespan – how long until a battery starts losing performance and the range drops from what was originally promised.
Electric and plug-in hybrid cars have made up almost 10% of all new car sales to date in 2021, and while the number of used models on the market is relatively small for now, it’s growing constantly and there are currently 1173 used electric cars available on BuyaCar. Among those, there are examples of used electric cars that have gone way beyond 100,000 miles, some even passing 150,000 miles. Many drivers would stay well clear of a petrol or diesel car with that kind of mileage, so its fair to say these batteries have a reasonable life expectancy.
Not only does an electric car battery pose big question marks over maintenance bills, but there is also the question of residual values – which can affect your monthly payments if you go for PCP finance or how much money you could lose if you own the car and decide to sell it.
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Gauging The Risks And Rewards Of Driving An Electric
231,853 miles. That was the odometer readout on my wifes recently sold 2002 Toyota Prius.
I sold it cheapas in, $800 cheapbecause the electric battery is on life support. The dashboard recently issued what can only be called, The Orange Exclamation Point Of Death, which on these Toyotas comes in the form of a big, bright triangle and a non-stop 120-decibel screeching noise that will haunt your very soul.
BEEEEEEEPPPP! That’s the car saying, basically, Dont even drive me 50 feet! Get out! Have me towed! Since I didnt want this car to become a 3,000-pound paperweight, or pay for a $1,500 remanufactured battery, I decided to sell it for $800 to a hybrid enthusiast who wants to Frankenstein two of these first-gen Prius’ into one. God bless him!
Hybrids in general have taken a marketplace journey not too different from this very Prius. From the weird hobbyist, to the mainstream car buyer, back to hobbyists who are more interested in technology than tightwaddery.
Its a tough market for gas-sippers, and hybrids are far from alone these days. Through no fault of their own they’ve recently lost the media popularity contest to electric vehicles, which have become the “new” new answer to the future of motorized transportation. That is, until you take a deeper dive and look squarely at the fact that no pure electric vehicle has ever made a dime in profit, ever.
Ev Battery’s Second Life
After your old battery is removed from the vehicle, it usually enters a second life. Despite having less storage capacity, the battery can still serve a useful purpose. Old batteries are used in applications that are not nearly as taxing as powering a vehicle. For instance, a battery may be used for stationary storage to support your local utility companyâs electric grid.
Next, letâs explore how electric car batteries will continue to add value long after their originally intended use.
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How Long Do Electric Cars Last Vs Conventional Cars
The Federal Highway Administration conducted a survey in 2017 and found that the average household car is driven 10,200 miles per year, with newer cars driven further between 11,500 and 13,500 miles annually.
The average age of a car in the U.S. is 11.8 years, with cars in the West averaging 12.4 years compared to 10.9 years in the Northeast.
Although the exact figure depends on the make and model, a gas-powered car can be expected to last for 10-15 years, or around 150,000 miles.
