Electric vehicles are the new rage, and are projected to dominate over 70% of the automotive market by 2040. They play a huge role in reducing the consumption of conventional fuel choices and helps in a more sustainable method of living. As more people switch to EVs, it’s important to know how to maximize the battery life, so that your life as an owner will become much easier.
Understanding EV battery life is an important point to consider when purchasing a new electric car. The battery being the heart of the vehicle, is an integral part of an electric car even more so when compared to the regular ICE Engine vehicles. Hence, Maximizing the your EV’s battery life is a smart way to save your pocket from some costly replacements. If you’re facing unexpected battery performance issues, check out some of the common problems with electric car batteries that EV owners often encounter.
Are you curious about EV battery life expectancy? Watch this quick video to learn about battery lifespan, factors affecting degradation, and tips to extend its life. Whether you’re an existing EV owner or considering buying a new one, this is a must-watch! 📺👇
Why Knowing Your EV Battery’s Lifespan Matters
Well, the question is self-explanatory. Much like anything, doing your due diligence when it comes to an expensive new investment or purchase, like an electric vehicle, is always a good idea.
Although in comparison to the conventional ICE engines, An electric vehicle boasts better numbers and lower maintenance costs, it is essential to understand your vehicle and its requirements to ensure its longevity.
Due to regenerative breaking, and reduction in moving parts, the lack of wear and tear to the vehicle helps cut down the maintenance costs. However, different make and models have different charging requirements, and learning the manual is the first step to ensuring safe charging practices.
Some EV’s like the Porsche Taycan can tolerate the occasional 100% charging (For long hauls), while there are other models from Kia and Ford which advise keeping it at 80% to avoid over-exerting the battery capacity. For optimal performance, following the best practices for EV battery charging is essential.
How Long Do Electric Vehicle Batteries Last?
EV Batteries are mainly a chemical device that helps in the storage and utilization of electricity to power the machine.
The electric car battery life expectancy is based on numerous factors including the weather and your driving habits. Normally, companies offer a warranty for 100,000 – 150,000 miles or up to 10 years based on the make and model. However, it is not rare to find batteries not lasting as much due to driving habits or environmental factors which were overlooked.
Factors That Impact Electric Car Battery Life
Most of the leading companies in the USA use lithium-ion batteries and some older models use NiMH batteries. NiMH batteries are more prone to environmental factors and experience loss in efficiency quicker than the lithium version, however, it goes without saying that extreme conditions (cold or hot) can cause major issues to your EV battery life.
Some of the major factors that affect your electric car battery lifespan are:
Extreme weather conditions, especially cold, can negatively affect lifespan negatively. States like Washington and Oregon are more prone to this effect due to their notorious weather conditions, often drowsing the electric vehicles in snow and frost. This in turn affects the temperature and thereby the battery charging capacity.
Driving Habits, perhaps the most important, yet overlooked factor is driving habits. Although it is tempting to press your pedal for those quick accelerations, it puts your vehicle under enormous pressure and decreases the efficiency of your battery by 5% – 10% in the long run.
Charging Levels & Methods:
- Level 1 (Standard Home Charging – 120V): The slowest method, takes 18 to 26 hours to fully charge, depending on the socket and battery type, but ideal for overnight use.
- Level 2 (Dedicated Home Charging Station – 220V): Faster charging in a few hours (4-8), recommended for battery longevity.
- Level 3 (DC Fast Charging Stations): Quick charging in minutes to an hour, but frequent use can degrade the battery.
A combination of these levels, in an effective manner, can help expand the average life of an EV vehicle.
Tips to Enhance Vehicle Battery Life
Your electric vehicle might not cost you a lot in terms of maintenance, but blowing a battery halfway through is for sure costly work. So here are some top tips to enhance electric vehicle battery life and to save yourself from the trouble of spending a few thousand dollars earlier than required.
- EV battery preconditioning is one way to make sure that your battery is not getting too punished by the weather conditions outside. It helps in maintaining the optimal temperature for the battery, thereby making the charging smooth and quick with no on-the-spot warm-up efforts.
- Your EV battery life expectancy relies on you as the driver as much as the manufacturer. Reckless driving and charging habits could lead to a decrease in efficiency.
- Do not overcharge or undercharge, most manufacturers have manuals and recommendations for charging capacity and such. The ideal range to keep the charge is at 20%-80%, however, some new EV models give you the go-ahead to fill it up to 100% occasionally, to help you during a long journey. So, know your vehicle and make decisions and plans based on that.
Understanding the Costs Associated with Electric Car Battery Lifespan
Electric vehicles are a fairly new phenomenon, yet technology has been in development for a long time and there are accomplished manufacturers who can vouch for their name for their cars. There are a lot of myths regarding these online and it is essential to make sure that you are properly educated on the know-how of the vehicle to get the most out of your money.
Replacing the battery is critical at appropriate times, most cars when used properly can give you 10 to 20 years comfortably, however just like any best-laid plans, if your battery is no longer viable, then it is highly advised to find a replacement at the earliest.
A replacement can cost the owner anywhere from 5000$ to 15000$ as of the current market price. But considering that any recent EV owners will have around 10 years, let’s keep our fingers crossed, with all the advancements in technology, the prices are predicted to reduce over the years.
Conclusion
EV Battery lifespan has always been a fascinating topic among new and interested buyers as this is the most integral part of making the change from conventional cars. Fret not, Electric vehicles are the new future, and having proper knowledge and understanding about your car and EV battery life can save you a lot.
Proper charging practice and driving habits can last your battery easily for 15 to 20 years, making this a very profitable choice down the lane.
EV Battery Central is your trusted source for EV battery insights. We provide expert guidance on battery maintenance, recycling, replacement costs, and innovations in electric vehicle technology. Our mission is to empower EV owners with actionable information to make informed decisions.