E-car batteries last longer than you think! 4 reasons
Skepticism about electric cars is still high in some cases. Short range, lack of infrastructure and uncertain durability of the battery deter potential buyers. But there's good news – the EV battery lasts longer than you probably thought!
Reality vs. laboratory – in practice, the battery lasts longer
There are now enough e-cars that are in use for a longer period of time to make a meaningful evaluation of the durability of the battery. A Stuttgart-based technology consulting firm and also a study from the USA were able to prove that the e-car battery still works without any problems even after 300,000 kilometers of mileage - and you can also hear positive things about the range.
Battery aging slows down
Contrary to what was previously assumed, the battery does not automatically deteriorate with each year. The state of health of a battery is indicated by the State of Health (SoH) and shows what percentage of capacity a battery can still use. The starting point of a new battery is of course 100 percent, but many charging cycles and aging cause this percentage to decrease.
That's why manufacturers give a guarantee of a certain capacity after a certain mileage – usually it is promised that the battery capacity will still be at least 70 percent after 160,000 kilometers or 8 years. However, the practical studies show that this value was very conservatively estimated, because the tested vehicles still had a battery capacity of 90 percent even after 200,000 kilometers.
The battery ages most in the first 30,000 kilometers, during which time the SoH drops from 100 to 95 percent - after which the battery ages much more slowly.
300,000 kilometers are no problem
Previous tests on the durability of electric car batteries have been carried out in laboratories – parallel to the tests on combustion engines. However, these theoretical attempts do not show a realistic picture and therefore have no real significance. The leaders of the study found that accelerating, braking and short charging stops, as well as resting the battery when the car is stationary for hours, have a positive effect on the battery. This was not taken into account in the laboratory tests.
Find electric cars with a long range
The study results show that an electric car battery lasts up to 40 percent longer than was assumed. Instead of 160,000 kilometers or 8 years, a service life of 300,000 kilometers or 14 years can be assumed.
Individual use as an important factor
Of course, the above values are to be seen statistically – a big factor for battery health is, of course, the individual use of the e-car. If the battery cells are exposed to frequent stress, wear and tear is higher. Stress factors include, for example, driving in temperatures that are too high or too low, frequent fast charging, too frequent full or complete discharge, or standing for too long with 100 percent battery charge.
Combustion engines can also wear out more quickly if used improperly, so an adapted use of the e-car should not be anything special. If you pay attention to your car, you will benefit from it for longer – regardless of the type of drive.
Software updates help the battery
All the results that these studies have produced could have an impact on battery management systems in the future. These monitor and control the efficient operation of the battery and could increase the service life of the battery even further through updates.
