In recent years, the purchase of an electric vehicle has increased significantlywhich in turn has also increased awareness about how to care for high-voltage batteries to prolong their useful life as much as possible.
While battery degradation is a completely natural and expected process, drivers have the ability to take steps to avoid accelerating this process and maintain their vehicles' range for a much longer period of time. Specialists in the area such as Jason Fenske, creator of the YouTube channel “Engineering Explained,” share some Helpful Tips to Improve the Life of Electric Vehicle Batteries.
Avoid storing an electric vehicle at high temperatures with a full battery
One of the main recommendations for Prolong the battery life, It is as simple as avoiding having an electric vehicle stopped or stored at high temperatures with a full battery. And the temperature at which the electric vehicle is stored is one of the most important factors that affect battery degradation.
In this senseJason Fenske reminds us of the need to avoid keeping the car at extreme temperatures when the battery is fully charged. Among other things, because high temperatures can accelerate chemical processes in the battery cells, and in turn precipitate energy loss.
According with the last, It is vitally important that electric vehicle owners are fully aware of where they park, especially in hot climates. Seeking shade or choosing covered parking can have a huge positive impact on long-term battery health.
It is certainly advisable to keep the battery charge at a moderate level, especially if the vehicle will not be used for an extended period of time. Likewise, it is also important to avoid both completely discharging and charging the battery to 100%.
Do not wait for the battery to discharge completely before recharging it
Waiting for the battery to discharge completely before recharging is a common habit that can also reduce battery life. In fact, This behavior can accelerate the degradation of battery cells. Even if the trip is short, it is advisable to recharge the electric vehicle after each trip instead of waiting for the charge indicator to reach critical levels.
Recharging the battery when it still has an adequate level of charge helps a lot to keep the cells in balance, and reduces stress on the battery. This little habit can help preserve the vehicle's energy storage capacity and range.
Avoid charging the battery to 100%
Another very useful tip is not to overcharge the electric vehicle battery. Even though technology has advanced a lot, Charging the battery to maximum capacity frequently can age the cells and reduce battery life.
It is, precisely because of the above, that It is recommended to keep the load in a more moderate range, specifically between 20% and 80%, instead of opting for a full charge. This simple measure reduces stress on the battery cells and promotes slower degradation.
The truth about fast charging
In recent months, the debate has continued about fast charging and its impact on battery degradation. However, recent studies such as Recurrent Auto show that the difference in degradation rate between Level 2 charging and fast charging is minimal to non-existent.
This means drivers can charge quickly without worrying about battery life. And, according to the study, EVs that charge quickly tend to show little difference in degradation of the range compared to electric vehicles that charge quickly to a lesser extent.
With these simple tips we can extend the useful life of our batteries much more.
