Just like smartphone batteries, electric car batteries can go downhill fast if you’re not careful. If you want to keep battery performance up to par, you must develop proper charging and driving habits. How to span electric car battery life. Maxworld Power points out 6 easy avoid mistakes so you can keep spanning EV battery life.
Mistake 1: Keeping the electric car battery low for too long
This is the first step toward good charging practice for electric vehicle batteries life. Ideally, for everyday use, you should keep the battery between 20% and 80% full.
If you let your battery regularly drop to a very low level (below 5%) and don’t charge it immediately, you are shortening the electric car battery life.
In some cases, you must ignore this rule. For example, if you charge your EV to 95% before a long trip and plug it in when you arrive at your destination with less than 10% battery left, it won’t do much harm. As long as this happens only occasionally, especially if the battery is not maintained at these extreme levels, there is nothing to worry about.
Mistake 2: Leaving your electric car unused for a long time
The main advice is always the same: electric cars must be run regularly so as not to drain their batteries prematurely.
If you don’t drive often, make sure your car doesn’t move for more than a month. Going back to the previous item, when your car is parked for a long time, make sure you stay within the 20 to 80% range, with the best window between 50 and 75%.
Mistake3: Choosing quick charging electric car battery too often
With fast DC charging, you can charge immediately, and you want to take advantage of that as much as possible. However, often opting for fast or ultra-fast charging is not the best option for making an EV battery last.
The main problem here is temperature. Releasing a lot of heat to achieve such a powerful level of charge. This can be bad for batteries. If you drive a lot and tend to charge primarily at quick-charging stations, the battery can often overheat. This can lead to premature damage.
The best solution is to do slow or fast charging every day and keep fast and ultra-fast charging for long trips or emergencies. To find the right charging station for your needs.
Mistake 4: Adopt a sporty driving style
Electric car batteries are designed to last a certain number of charging EV battery life cycles. One cycle is equal to a complete charge and discharge cycle. On average, lithium-ion batteries last 1,000 to 1,500 cycles. The more you drive like a rally, the more you need to charge your electric car. Your electric car battery life will shorten accordingly.
Modern electric cars are equipped to foster a more economical driving attitude. Driving in eco-mode is not only good for your battery, but it’s also a great way to cut costs because you don’t have to charge your car as often. You should apply the principles of eco-driving as much as possible.
Mistake 5: Charging a hot battery
Battery temperature is one of the factors affecting the charging time and power of vehicles. The maximum charging performance of EV batteries is between 20 and 40°C.
Extreme heat (50-70°C) can damage lithium-ion batteries. As with quick charging, driving long distances in motion creates a lot of heat in the battery. If you plug in the car immediately afterward (especially for quick charging), the battery may reach critical temperature.
While this tip applies to cars like the Nissan Leaf, other brands already equip their electric cars with efficient battery thermal regulation systems. Understand the performance of electric vehicles in terms of battery cooling (or heating) capabilities.
Mistake 6: Park your electric car outside
That last point is not entirely a “mistake.” However, if you do have a choice, you should park your electric car in a sheltered environment, such as a garage or underground parking lot.
In very hot weather, it’s best not to leave your EV out in the sun, if only for the wear and tear of the car itself. If your car tends to heat up quickly, you can also wait until the battery temperature drops before charging.
On the other hand, while the cold of winter doesn’t cause premature battery wear, it does prevent batteries from operating at optimal levels. That’s why we see EV range decline in the winter months. However, this does not exacerbate battery degradation.
Conclusions:
We hope you found these tips helpful. One thing you should know – there is no magic formula to stop electric car batteries’ life from wearing out. As technology advances in the battery field, their longevity is being optimized. However, adopting good charging and driving habits is still the key to going further in your electric car.
