Three main factors affect the service life of an electric vehicle battery where you can have a rest and bet 20Bet Casino Canada: battery manufacturing technology, engine power and capacity, and thermal regulation. Let’s look at each in more detail.
Battery technology
Battery manufacturing technology involves the use of different chemical elements in its composition. Electric cars on the market usually have three types of batteries:
NMC. This is a designation for nickel-manganese-cobalt products. They charge quickly and are environmentally friendly, suitable for recycling at enterprises. At the same time, their service life is shorter than that of competitors, and their dependence on the presence of a thermal regulation system is high.
NCA. The composition includes aluminum, nickel, and cobalt. In terms of its characteristics and service life, this option is in many ways similar to NMC and shares its disadvantages. Removing manganese from the battery made it more environmentally friendly, but such power elements are not yet very common in electric cars.
LFP. Consists of iron, lithium, and phosphates. They have the longest service life, cheaper than competitors. The disadvantages include a shorter range and a heavier weight, which can make operation inconvenient.
To get the most durable battery, it is worth taking a closer look at LFP options. They are designed for 3000-5000 cycles. But you need to be prepared for a reduced range – you will have to charge the battery more often. At the same time, it is difficult to say in advance how long the power source will last, when it will need to be replaced.
Engine power and capacity
When predicting the service life of an electric car battery, you need to take into account the capacity and engine power parameters. You need to look at their ratio.
The higher the capacity, the longer the electric car can travel on a single charge. Accordingly, if the engine power is higher and the capacity is lower, the battery will have to be charged more often. This will reduce the service life.
To extend the service life, it is recommended to buy models with higher capacity and lower power.
Proper thermoregulation
The batteries of modern electric cars are heat-sensitive. They are contraindicated to overheating during use or charging, because it significantly reduces the working life.
If the temperature is low, it is also bad because the efficiency decreases, and with it the range.
It is better to buy a vehicle that has a thermal control system. It monitors the battery temperature and maintains it in the correct range recommended by the manufacturer.
In addition to increasing the service life, this increases safety. There is less risk of fire due to overheating. The electric car will charge better and faster.
Experts note that the battery life of an electric car with a thermal control system is 40% longer than without it.
Another factor
In Russia, you need to take into account an additional factor that affects durability. We are talking about the climate. There are two features here:
Cold winters. The cold harms the operation of any battery. Already at a temperature of -20 °, tests show a drop in capacity of up to 30%. As a result, you have to charge the battery more often, which means the resource is depleted faster. Considering that winters in our country are much colder, you can understand all the risks of using a car without a temperature control system. You should also remember that it is better not to charge at sub-zero temperatures.
Hot summer. An increase in temperature at this time of year also harms the batteries. There is a risk of overheating, fire. In this case, replacement will be required ahead of time.
The above shows how important it is to monitor the conditions of use of the vehicle, control the charging process in order to prevent premature depletion of the resource.
How many times can you charge an electric car?
Experts say that the average lifespan of modern electric car batteries is about 8-15 years. This is true provided that additional factors do not interfere – improper charging, hypothermia, overheating, etc.
The battery can withstand about 1,500 charge cycles before its capacity drops by about 20%. Then, gradual natural degradation begins. You will see it by the main sign – charging will become more and more frequent.
There are charging stations on the market — reviewed by many tech websites — that show how much energy has been spent.
To use the electric car’s power source longer, you need to initially choose models with high capacity, because wear will affect them noticeably less.
How the resource is lost
As we have already noted, the number of charges before you begin to feel a gradual decrease in resources is about 1,500. Then the reserve capacity drops by about 20% and decreases more and more over time. This means that if the car initially drove freely without connecting to a charging station for about 400 km, after the degradation began, it will drive 320 km, and then less and less. It is difficult for the driver not to notice such signs. But if they began too early, this is a reason to think about the cause.
Usually, the fastest loss of capacity is observed in the first three years of driving, and then gradually slows down. Some models even have a reserve of 70% of the original in the seventh or eighth year of service.
Avoid extreme temperatures. It is better not to leave the electric car in an open parking lot in the summer, when the sun heats it strongly. In winter, the best option is to place it in a heated garage.
Do not fully charge the battery. The optimal average indicator is up to 80% full. Select the desired mode at the station to control the duration of recharging.
It is better not to use fast charging stations permanently. This option is only for short stops, when the battery needs to be charged and then driven on. At home, it is better to buy slow chargers, to which the car must be connected for several hours. This increases the time for fully charging the battery, but eliminates most of the risks, including overheating, reduced resources.
Monitor the condition of the power source. It does not require additional maintenance, but checking its capacity, conditions of use, all this will help eliminate the main risks.
Use only safe charging stations. They must be equipped with an RCD. Check the integrity of the connection cable – there should be no damage to the insulation. The electric charging station for electric cars must be in good working order.
Monitor your driving style. To reduce the load on the battery, avoid sudden acceleration and braking.
Electric car owners also use other life hacks. For example, when you need to charge in the summer, you can precondition the interior to reduce the temperature and prevent overheating.
