Sep 18, 2020 Pageview:715
Electric cars are set to eventually replace diesel or gas-powered cars shortly. The rapid increase of electric pumps all across the globe are a reminder that the world is slowly converging towards a more electricity-centered environment. If you have any questions about the electric car’s battery, we have compiled a list of questions that might clear your doubts.?
Without further ado, let us begin:
The average diesel-powered car is powered by a lead-acid battery that supposedly lasts no more than a few years at max. Most of these batteries, even when taken care of extensively, will become unusable after 4 years or so. Electric cars, however, do not use lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries can only provide so much electricity per square meter of size. The average electric car battery is made up of lithium-ion and lithium polymer.?
Because of the very nature of electric car batteries, where they have to be the main source of fuel for the car, these batteries are specifically designed to last a while. However, all batteries degrade after some time, and electric car batteries are no exception. The average electric car battery has a warranty of about five to eight years, depending on the manufacturer.?
One thing that we have learnt is that the longer the warranty period, the longer the electric car battery will last. For example, your average 8-year warranty electric car battery will last about 15 to 20 years. The average 5-year warranty electric car battery might not even last a full 10 years before they become unusable in a car.?
Some of the factors that can determine the longevity of a car battery include how it is charged, how many charge cycles are used in a day, and the quality of the cells used.?
The charge of an electric car battery gives per charge depends on numerous factors. Just like a mobile phone, the juice an electric car battery gives depends on factors like how much the car is being used, the size of the battery, the efficiency of the vehicle and so much more.?
By figuring out the charge an average electric car can last, we have been able to make a rough sketch of how much juice an electric car battery can give per charge.?
The average Volkswagen e-Golf goes anywhere between 120 to 140 miles per charge.
Nissan Leaf goes about 138 miles.?
The Hyundai Kona Electric goes about 250 miles.?
Tesla Model 3 has about 240 miles of range before requiring any sort of charge.?
Like all electronics, users can also improve their electric battery’s lifetime through the use of various tricks and techniques. Do note that we will not be involving you in any of the dangerous tinkering that can result in personal loss, but do proceed with caution:
Limit charging:
The lifetime of a battery depends on how many charges cycles it goes through. The more the charge cycles it has gone through, the more likely it is for the battery to die. This does not mean that the battery will not die if left alone though.?
One very important tip that can help you increase your electric car’s battery life is to only charge your battery when you need it, and not rely on the fast charging features that are packed. Fast charging may help users charge batteries faster, but they will severely degrade the overall performance of the battery in the long term. This is because fast charge heats the battery faster, which can lead to physical damage on the battery.
Avoid parking the car in severe heat:
We already concluded that heat can be a damaging factor for the car battery when we were discussing the charging portion of the electric car. We all know that cars have to be parked outside, in the sunshine, for at least some time so their drivers can do their jobs. For the battery to not lose any sort of performance, however, we recommend avoiding parking the car in severe heat or at least somewhere where there is direct sunlight.?
Don’t keep your car’s battery at extremes:
Like a smartphone, the battery of your electric car will last the longest if it always stays between the 25% and 80% ratio.
This is because a lithium-ion battery consumes the least amount of charge cycles between such percentages. Don’t let your car hit 0% for prolonged periods as it can permanently damage the battery. Charging or keeping the battery at 100% is also not recommended as it can severely deplete the battery’s performance in prolonged uses.?
Like any other smart device available on the planet, the answer to this question is quite simple: your electric car will shut down if you run out of battery. Because these are smart electric cars, they will constantly remind the user to plug the car and charge them through a supercharger when the battery levels reach critical though.?
Like we mentioned earlier, your electric car battery will get damaged in the long run if you always let it reach 0%. The old era of draining your battery to 0% and then recharging it back to 100% is not useful anymore; it only proves to be the Achilles’ heel.?
There are things you can do to ensure your electric car never runs out of battery such as:
Always plugging your car when you are not driving. More than 50 thousand public electric car charging stations are available to the public right now, with considerably more coming in a few years.
Ensuring that your car is properly shut down each time you get out.
Keeping your car maintained, and check if your car is draining the battery.
Never drive too far, or at least rest between drives.?
Final Thoughts:
We hope that this small guide on electric car battery life was able to help you clarify several of the concerns you may have had regarding your electric car.
Leave a message
We’ll get back to you soon