With the range and functionality of electric cars being completely dependant on the battery, its understandable to want to know how to maintain the health of your car battery. Listed below is some key information on how to sustain or even increase the longevity of your EV battery life.
Avoid letting your battery get either completely empty or completely full. Instead, change the settings on your car or home charge point to limit the charge to around 80%. The last 20% of charge (80% - 100%) takes far longer to fill up than the rest of the battery, so it’s also an efficient use of time as well to keep the battery around 80%. It goes without saying, this isn’t a mobile phone, so draining the battery to empty is not recommended! It can cause all sorts of problems with the battery, particularly with getting it going again. Aim to keep it above 20% if you can. Most daily or weekly driving is easily covered by the range of most EVs, even at 80% capacity.
This is a simple point to make and one that most drivers will be aware of. Just like any other vehicle, leaving your EV in one spot for too long is not healthy, so keep it ticking over.
Extreme weather conditions can affect the battery too. Despite this not having a direct impact on the health of the battery, it is noteworthy that both hot and cold conditions can slightly reduce the range in which you can travel. Although EV batteries are fitted with thermal management systems, it is advised to park your car in a garage or sheltered area if possible.
Rapid charging is great when you need instant charge, particularly if you’re only stopping quickly between meetings or if you’re on a long drive and need extra charge to get to your destination. While you shouldn’t be scared of using rapid chargers, continued use can degrade the battery faster than regular charging. It’s much better for the health of the battery if you can charge your car slowly overnight using a dedicated home charger.
After a particularly lengthy trip, allow time for the batteries to cool down before putting your EV back on charge. There is no set time for this but we would usually recommend leaving it for about an hour.
Electric car batteries tend to have a lifespan of about 10 years before you start to see any noticeable reduction in range or power output. Most manufacturers offer warranties on their batteries of around 8 years or 100,000 miles. EVs haven't been in mass production for long enough for us to notice the effect of battery degradation after a decade or so on a large scale. Battery technology will continue to improve to counteract this, but you can follow the steps outlined in this guide to increase the life of your EVs battery.
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