What Is the Battery Life of an Electric Car?
What you need to know about the lifespan of an EV battery and how to prolong it is provided here.
A major issue for anyone considering purchasing an electric car is battery longevity. Even while it’s typical for owners of gas-only cars to change their batteries once or twice, those batteries are little, reasonably priced, and reasonably simple to replace. Rarely is the entire procedure more than a little annoyance. On the other hand, the battery in an electric vehicle (EV) is significantly more costly and larger. It takes a lot longer to replace one, and you cannot do it yourself.
What you need to know about the lifespan of an EV battery and how to prolong it is provided here.
Keys to EV Batteries
The lithium-ion battery pack found in the majority of electric cars is utilized to store the energy needed to run the motors. These are significantly larger lead-acid batteries, usually found beneath the floor in the center of the vehicle, as opposed to the little ones found under the hood of gas-powered cars. Although automakers are always looking for ways to enhance battery performance and are researching new, superior battery options, lithium-ion batteries are now the industry standard.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in EVs for a number of reasons. They balance enhanced driving range and battery size better thanks to their higher energy density. In addition, lithium-ion batteries have a slower rate of discharge, don’t need to be maintained frequently, and provide a more stable voltage as the charge drops.
Although they have certain drawbacks, lithium-ion batteries are perfect for use in electric cars for these reasons. Electric vehicles are more expensive than gas vehicles in part because they are more expensive to produce. Extremely high or low temperatures might have an impact on their performance and shorten their driving range. Another problem is battery life; fully charging and draining a lithium-ion battery shortens its life. How long can you expect these bulky, pricey batteries to endure before needing to be replaced is the key question.
The typical lifespan of batteries in electric cars
The lifespan of an electric vehicle’s battery is influenced by your unique driving habits, much like the fuel efficiency of a gas-powered car changes based on how and where you drive. Examining the manufacturer’s warranty is a useful method of estimating how long an EV battery should survive in a particular car. The federal government has established a minimum guarantee of eight years or up to 100,000 miles for all EV batteries currently on the market; however, several automakers provide longer warranties.
You can be quite sure that your EV battery will last at least that long because auto manufacturers don’t want to foot the bill for repairing EV batteries that die while still under warranty. According to estimations from the US Department of Energy, EV batteries can last between 12 and 15 years under typical driving circumstances. In fact, a battery-electric vehicle’s initial owner may never even need to replace the battery because that’s significantly longer than most car owners maintain their vehicles.
Increased Battery Life
Try the following tips to make your EV battery last longer. First, if at all possible, steer clear of quick charging. In situations where you’re traveling or don’t have time to wait, public rapid chargers are a terrific alternative, although lithium-ion batteries deteriorate more quickly when charged this way. For longer battery life, use your slower home charger.
Secondly, refrain from fully charging or depleting your battery. Even while it’s quite tempting to use it all the way, it’s best to strive for 90%. Many cars may be programmed to cease charging after a specific percentage, which makes this task easier. Additionally, avoid letting the battery on your automobile get too low. If you keep it as close to its maximum capacity as you can, it will last longer.
Replacing a battery is inevitable.
An electric car’s battery will eventually need to be changed, much like the battery in a gas-powered car. The life of a battery can be prolonged, but not indefinitely. An electric vehicle battery should typically last for ten years before needing to be replaced. Therefore, you shouldn’t have to worry about changing the battery very soon if you purchase an EV now.
Back to Blog