How Does Ev Battery Longevity Compare To Ice Vehicles
Both of the mandated warranty numbers for EV batteries far exceed the average ICE vehicle drivetrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles. The average lifetime mileage of an ICE vehicle is about 133,000 miles. While experts estimate the average EV battery will last around 200,000 miles, some manufacturers already promise much more than that.
And the news gets better: Tesla has their sights set on a million-mile battery, and claims that they are not far from achieving this goal. On average, EV batteries only degrade at a rate of 2.3% of maximum capacity per year, so with proper care you can reliably expect your EV battery to last as long or longer than ICE drivetrain components.
How Long Does An Electric Car Battery Last
If youre asking, how long does an electric car battery last before replacement? Most BEVs and EVs battery manufacturers have a five to eight years warranty on their batteries. This means the battery will last up to five years. However, experts predict electric car batteries to last 10-20 years or 100,000 miles before their capacity will seriously diminish.
For most motorists, 10-20 years or 100,000 miles means the battery may last the life of the vehicle. If you choose to continue driving the same model for a decade or more, you may have to replace the battery pack at some point. This isnt heart-breaking, is it? Its just the same way an internal combustion engine needs transmission or engine replacement.
As BEV batteries are cheaper to produce, manufacturers will create bigger batteries with higher capacity. This means more mile-range. Even as the batteries degrade over time, theyll still stay closer to the maximum potential.
Since most EV battery producers manufacture the batteries with many individual cells, you dont have to replace the entire battery as it degrades. Instead, youll have to replace dead cells.
What Can Affect Your Electric Car Batterys Life
Battery-electric vehicles and electric vehicle batteries last long. However, several factors can cause it to degrade. Storage, temperature and time affect electric cars batteries.
Storage and operating temperature significantly affect the longevity of an EV battery. Warmer temperature degrades the lifespan of an EV battery. During charge cycles as you charge the battery and it loses power during driving, the battery loses potential power capacity.
Although, frequent charging or not using your electric car doesnt mean itll last forever.
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What Happens To Ev Batteries When They No Longer Power Cars Reliably And Quickly
Once an EV battery starts to lose its capacity to power a vehicle over distance, it still has useable life in it. When an electric car batterys performance drops to 70% or less, its second life revs into action.
An EV battery has a second life after 100,000 to 200,000 plus miles on the road
An EV battery has a second life after 100,000 to 200,000 plus miles on the road, explains Graeme. Theres still residual life in the viable battery, so it can be hung on the back wall of your garage or in the cupboard under the stairs as a static battery energy storage system, if you have a renewable energy source like solar panels.
This EV battery second stage usefulness, when paired with renewable energy, means people can save on bills and increase their use of clean energy, when sunlight is reduced.
What You Need To Know
Thanks to lithium-ion batteries, we all enjoy the ability to recharge everything from smartphones and laptops, to the latest electric cars. Degradation over time means that the battery pack will lose some of its ability to hold a charge over time. There are a few things that you need to know about extending the life of your battery that will keep it in good condition for the long haul. First and foremost, you should never “over charge” them.
When keeping an electric car charged, it is best to only charge them to 80% of the battery’s capacity. Likewise, don’t run a battery down all the way to zero as that can damage them. Overcharging is the number one reason that battery packs degrade quicker. Another thing to remember is that EV batteries hate to be frozen. It’s best to keep electric cars in the garage in winter months when outside temperature are in the sub-freezing zone.
The biggest take away we want you to get from this article is that EV battery degradation is really nothing to worry about. If we look at the Tesla S model battery, researchers have found that traveling 500,000 miles on the original battery should not be a problem. Just because the battery degrades does not mean it is not drivable it simply loses some of its range and charging efficiency.
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How To Maximize Your Battery Life
The main influence on battery lifespan is the number of cycles each battery cell goes through. So reducing battery consumption can extend the life of your battery, in addition to consuming less energy.
Here are some tips to improve the sustainability of your EV driving:
- Try to stay smooth. Quick starts and dramatic accelerations draw surges of power from the battery to the motor.
- Stay in the middle. Unless an upcoming road trip or commute requires a full charge, keep your battery charged between 20 and 80%, where the battery is at its most efficient.
- Avoid extremes. Temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees F are when EV batteries are at their most efficient. High humidity can also draw more power to batteries.
- Charge slow when possible. Fast-charging is convenient, but it reduces the long-term capacity of your battery.
- Plan your route ahead of time. If you need to charge while on the road, a good plan can help you avoid having to resort to fast-charging. Should you run out, only charge enough to get to your destination, then complete your charging upon arrival.
Drive Home With A New Or Used Tesla
These are just a few tips that will help you maintain your Teslas resale value and get the most life out of your new battery pack.
Since Teslas maintain their battery capacity better than other EVs, you can also find great deals on used Teslas that have nearly as much range as they did brand new.
Another option is to lease a Tesla, that way you can drive the newest models without having to worry about being on the hook for a battery replacement.
Whichever option you choose, consider installing a Level 2 home charger so you can cut down on fast charging cycles and extend your battery life even further.
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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.
How To Preserve Your Electric Cars Battery
Fully charging or entirely depleting your EVs battery can degrade it more quickly. Keeping the charge level between around 20% and 80% is optimum to make your battery last longer. Its no coincidence that car makers often quote charging times to 80%, rather than full.
The frequent use of DC rapid chargers also has a detrimental effect on the life of EV batteries. Rapid charging is the quickest way to refill an EV battery, and the fastest public charge points can top them up to 80% in 30-40 minutes.
EVs have sophisticated battery management systems to help calm the effects of rapid charging and protect the batteries from overcharging. This is why rapid chargers begin to taper once batteries are more than 80% full.
If youre charging more slowly via a home charge point or a domestic socket, charge overnight when the ambient temperature is lower to preserve battery health. Another tip is to use the car as soon as you can after it has finished charging.
If your EV is going to sit around without being driven or only used locally, dont fully charge it first. Keep the battery around half full, as this is better for its long-term health.
Aggressive acceleration and hard use also speed up battery wear. It will also reduce the range between charges, so its much better to take things slow and steady. Avoid extreme temperatures if possible, too, as these can reduce the cars range and battery performance.
- All you need to know about electric cars
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How Do You Charge An Electric Car At Home
The obvious answer is that you plug it into the mains but, unfortunately, it isnât always that simple.
If you have a driveway and can park your car beside your house, then you can just plug it straight into your domestic mains electricity supply.
The problem is this is slow. It will take many hours to fully charge an empty battery, depending of course on how big the battery is. Expect it to take a minimum of eight to 14 hours, but if youâve got a big car you could be waiting more than 24 hours.
A faster option is to get a home fast-charging point installed. The government will pay up to 75% of the cost of installation , though installation often costs around £1,000.
A fast charger should typically take between four and 12 hours to fully charge a battery, again depending how big it is.
Cut Down On Dc Fast Charging
Rapid charging is useful when youre on a road trip or in a hurry. But frequent use of fast charging stations to reach a full charge can diminish your battery capacity more quickly.
Most EV owners invest in a home charging station, which allows for overnight EV charging, prolonging your battery health and cutting down on electricity costs. If you have solar panels, you can cut down on your costs even further and power your car using renewable energy, reducing its overall emissions.
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When Possible Only Charge Up To 80%
If your normal daily driving can be covered with that range, then 80% is a good target. For most people, the normal range of EVs is more than enough for daily commutes.
A full charge isnt great for lithium-ion batteries. One additional advantage – this leaves room for storing energy from regenerative braking.
You can generally lower the maximum charging limit for your EV with your EVs on-board computer or your EV charger.
Smooth acceleration will help avoid discharging the battery unnecessarily.
Long Live Electric Cars
As more electric cars hit the road, scientists will be able to collect more accurate data on the lifespan of electric cars. We can also expect to see lower production costs and longer-lasting batteries that can be recycled more efficiently.
Whether you buy a new car or a used one, you can expect your EV to last at least as long as a conventional car. And with the right care and maintenance, you may be able to drive it for 200,000 or more before its time for it to retire!
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Nick Versaw
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Safety And Maintenance Of An Electric Car
Electric cars sold in the United States are required to pass the same safety testing and standards as those of conventional cars. In addition to these standard safety practices, according to The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, electric cars also have specific standards they must meet such as:
- Limiting chemical spills from their batteries
- Secure placement of the batteries in the event of an accident
- Keeping the chassis a healthy distance from the high-voltage system to avoid electric shock
In terms of ride quality and stability, an electric car offers a smoother ride and is less likely to roll over than conventional cars due to their lower center of gravity.
As far as maintenance goes, all-electric vehicles are much easier to keep up with than conventional vehicles because they have less fluids to change, such as oil and transmission fluid. They also have fewer moving components.
Electric cars are equipped with advanced batteries that will eventually deplete, but as mentioned previously, these are usually covered by eight-year/100,000-mile warranties. States that have followed the emissions warranty coverage periods of California offer 10-year minimum coverage, while Nissan provides additional coverage for five years or 60,000 miles.
What Is An Ev Battery
The vehicles most of us drive today are powered by an internal combustion engine which create energy by burning petrol or diesel.
Electric vehicles however, generate electrical energy from a pack of batteries, connected to the electrical motor. At the moment the battery packs in EVs are made from lithium-ion similar to those found in laptops and phones, but much larger and consist of hundreds of individual lithium-ion cells working together. Lithium-ion is the element of choice as its quick to charge, stores energy efficiently and can cope with thousands of charging cycles while still holding its charge.
When the accelerator is activated, the vehicle powers the motor, which gradually uses the energy stores in the batteries. When EVs are charging, the electricity makes chemical changes within the batteries. While driving, these changes are reversed to create electricity.
EV motors can also operate as generators seen most effectively when a driver applies the brakes. When acceleration is stopped, the vehicle slows down by converting the forward motion back into electricity, and while braking, it recovers the thermal energy from the brake pads and tyres heat friction, storing it within the battery for future use in-turn improving the cars range. This is known as regenerative braking.
The unit of power for electricity is Kilowatts , and kWh is a unit of energy, showing how much energy has been used. A high kWh means a high range.
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There Is A Measurable Difference Between Makes Models And Years
From our data, it appears that vehicle batteries respond differently to the test of time, depending on their make and model-year. Why do some vehicle models seem to, on average, degrade faster than others? Two potential contributors are battery chemistry and thermal management of the battery pack.
While EVs use Lithium-ion batteries, there are many different variations of Lithium-ion chemistries . A batterys chemical make-up will influence how it responds to stress. In addition to cell chemistry, temperature control techniques differ across vehicle models. A major distinction is if the battery pack is cooled and/or heated by air or by liquid.
Lets compare a vehicle with a liquid cooling system to one with a passive air cooling system: the 2015 Tesla Model S and the 2015 Nissan Leaf, respectively. The Leaf has an average degradation rate of 4.2%, while the Model S is 2.3%. Good thermal management means better protection against degradation.
Figure 2: Battery degradation comparison of the 2015 Tesla Model S vs. the 2015 Nissan Leaf .
Interview With Frank Blome
Frank Blome heads Volkswagenâs Center of Excellence for Battery Cells. In this interview he explains how batteries are changing the automobile, what drivers should know about charging their e-cars and what advances we can expect to see in the next generations of battery technology.
âFor our new electric models weâve essentially built the car around the battery.â
Frank Blome Head of Volkswagenâs Center of Excellence for Battery Cells
Many people enter unknown territory when they buy an electric car. Can they be sure that the batteries will perform?
Yes, absolutely. For our new electric models weâve essentially built the car around the battery, so thereâs plenty of space to store power. This lets us achieve ranges of up to 550 kilometers, and at affordable prices. The battery modules used to be distributed in various places in the car â but now the battery is compactly located between the axles in the underbody. This means we have a central distribution point for the energy. Itâs one of the big advantages of our new MEB electric drive platform.
How long do the batteries last?
Our aim is always for our batteries to last as long as the cars. We guarantee a minimum capacity of 70 percent for eight years or 160,000 kilometers. But drivers can also influence the length of a batteryâs service life. Normal charging is better for the batteries than rapid charging, and charging the batteries up to just 80 instead of 100 percent also increases their service life.
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Practical Tips To Prolong The Life Of Your Electric Car Battery
While its not possible to prevent battery degradation entirely, you can offset it and prolong battery life by following these three tips:
Tip #1: Avoid leaving your electric car at full charge or low battery levels for extended periods of time. Ideally, youll want to keep the battery charge level between 60% and 80%.
Tip #2:Fast charge your electric car only when necessary like in emergencies or before a road trip.
Tip #3: Be mindful of the environmental conditions around your car. If its too sunny outside and you arent driving, park the electric car in the shade. On the flip side, if its too cold outside, and the electric car is not in use, keep it in the garage.
Now that you an idea of how to minimize battery degradation and increase battery longevity, lets look at some FAQs that current and prospective electric car owners have:
