Electric Battery for Cars: Everything You Need to Know
Electric cars are looking like the future of the vehicle industry. The best thing about these cars is that they take a huge part in reducing the noise as well as air pollution because they don’t emit smoke while running. The backbone of an electric vehicle is nothing but an electric battery.
If you want to explore what an electric car battery is, how long it can last, its performance degradation, and more, you are at the right place.
This read presents the basics of an electric vehicle battery in detail, from the importance of the battery in an electric car to the charging time and a comparison of different EV models. Read more for further details.
The basics of EV batteries
A small device that is formed with a series, parallel, or both connections of different cells and power up all the equipment of an electric car, such as a motor, headlights, and others, is known as an EV battery. Different EVs may use different electric batteries, e.g., lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hybrid batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in most all-electric cars, whereas you will see most hybrid cars equipped with nickel-metal hybrid batteries. All-electric vehicles have built-in traction motors that replace the combustion engine in traditional cars. These motors are driven by the electricity produced by a battery pack.
The same is the case with plug-in hybrid vehicles. The major difference between all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles is that a combustion engine is also present with the traction motor in a plug-in hybrid car.
The major benefit of EVs is that they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the dependence of the world on fossil fuels. Similarly, noise reduction, lifecycle emission reduction, and energy efficiency are a few more benefits of EV batteries installed in electric cars.
How long do electric car batteries last?
According to current industry standards, the government has made it mandatory for the electric vehicle manufacturers to offer a warranty of at least 8 years for EV batteries. It is equivalent to 100,000 miles. The state of California extends this warranty to 150,000 miles or 10 years.
The manufacturing cost of EV batteries is less, so manufacturers can build larger packages with more energy, extending the overall mileage. At the same time, the enhanced technology has reduced the degradation, which means the overall potential of a battery remains closer to the original one over time.
The new batteries are introduced with increased mileage. Even if they degrade, they offer longer mileage compared to any other battery previously available in the market. If your EV has a lithium-ion battery installed on it, you will hardly need to replace it. If it degrades, you can simply replace its cells, instead of replacing the whole battery. This is how it saves your money.
Comparing the Battery Longevity of Different EVs
Now that you know "how long do electric car batteries last". Let's compare the battery warranties of different EVs.
Tesla cars come with an 8-year EV battery warranty, which becomes 100,000 to 150,000 miles, depending on the type and range of a vehicle. This warranty is for the degradation of the battery. Tesla has made a claim that their vehicles should remain at least 70% of the total capacity during the first 8 years. If the car does not meet this standard, the manufacturer will replace it for free.
If we talk about the electric cars launched by KIA and Hyundai, they offer a warranty of 10 years or 100,000 mileage. This warranty is also against degradation, which should not be over 30% during the warranty period.
If EV batteries are used in a moderate climate, their lifespan can be up to 12 to 15 years. In some cases, it may extend to 20 years. If you use an EV in more extreme conditions, the life of the battery will be anywhere between 8 and 12 years.
EV batteries are the most costly component of electric cars, so replacing them becomes a big deal. Considering this factor, manufacturers use premium-quality materials to extend their life spans and control the overall budget over the years.
Factors Affecting the Battery Lifespan
Different factors affect the lifespan of an EV battery. They include:
- Higher average temperature
- Number of charge and discharge cycles
- Time
- AC usage
What is EV battery degradation?
EV batteries come with a specific lifespan (a number of years). Though they are long-lasting, with the passage of time, they start to lose the amount of energy they were made to store. The process of losing energy over time is commonly known as battery degradation. It reduces the overall efficiency, range, energy capacity, and power of EVs.
Predicting battery degradation is a tough nut to track. Every EV has different performance and each brand performs differently. As stated earlier, the average electric car battery life is between 8 and 10 years. After this period, their performance gets reduced compared to when they were new. It has been noticed many times that most car owners sell their vehicles long before replacing the EV battery.
State of Health (SOH) of an EV battery is the percentage value that helps you determine battery degradation or capacity compared to the time when it was purchased. A larger size EV battery is considered dead when its ability to store electric power is reduced by more than 30%.
The distance an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge is commonly called its all-electric range. Are you concerned about how long a charge lasts on an electric car? A single battery charge can last somewhere between 110 and more than 300 miles.
How much does an electric car battery replacement cost?
The cost of replacing an electric car battery depends on different factors, such as the chemical composition and the battery size. The reason behind this fact is that some materials are more costly than others.
You would be happy to see that the electric car battery replacement costs have reduced greatly in the past few years. As per the DOE statement, the replacement cost of a lithium-ion battery was dropped by 89% in 2022 compared to 2008.
With the advancement in technology and the increasing production, the replacement cost is reducing day by day. Though a significant reduction has been observed in the cost of EV battery replacement, it will cost you somewhere between $7,000 and $30,000.
The good news is that the number of electric car battery replacements in the US is only 2.5%. The higher number of battery replacements has found in the earlier versions of EVs that were introduced 13 to 14 years ago.
How to extend an EV battery life?
Though electric car batteries are extremely reliable than their traditional alternatives, you can take a few actions to increase their lifespan further. Let’s explore them one by one.
1. Never Let Your Battery Run Flat
It is a fact that letting your battery discharge to 0 is highly risky for its health. It is always recommended to recharge your battery before its charging reaches to 20%. Recharging the battery at the right time will surely increase its lifespan.
2. Avoid Overcharging Your Battery
Frequently charging your battery to 100% is something that is not recommended. Though a fully charged battery can provide you with a longer backup, it may affect the overall lifespan of the battery at the same time. It has often been seen in lithium-ion batteries. Their lifespan reduces every time you charge them over 80%.
3. Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Exposing your electric car batteries to extreme cold or extreme heat can be highly risky for the battery’s health. Therefore, make sure the place where you have installed the battery is not overheated. Similarly, always park your car in some shady areas to avoid extreme heat.
Extreme cold environments are also not so good for your cars to park. Therefore, try parking your vehicle in the garage or keep the car plugged in, even if you are not using it.
4. Let the Battery Cool Before Charging
When you drive the car for a couple of hours, the temperature of the battery rises to some extent. It is always better to let the battery cool before you recharge it. Doing this helps you extend the lifespan greatly.
5. Avoid Rapid Charging
Though fast charging can be valuable when you are in a hurry, it is not a good practice to rapid charge your vehicle frequently. It has been observed that the standard battery charging increases its performance by 10% compared to rapid charging.
Give it a go
A device made with a couple of cells that provide an EV (electric vehicle) with a solid power source is known as an electric battery. Lithium-ion batteries are ideal to use in all-electric vehicles. In comparison, nickel-metal hybrid batteries are often considered good for hybrid cars that work with combustion engines to run a car smoothly.
The average electric car battery life is between 8 and 10 years or 100,000 and 150,000 miles. Manufacturers also offer warranty for the same period. If you are wondering how long a single charge on the battery can last, you can drive an EV for around 100 to 300 miles with a single charge.
EV batteries are meant to perform their functions smoothly for almost a decade, so the number of battery replacements is extremely low.
FAQs
Q: Which battery is the best for EV?
A: Lithium-ion batteries are considered the best for all-electric vehicles due to their unmatched high-temperature performance and greater efficiency. In addition, they are known for holding a stable charge. Moreover, they are recyclable. All these factors contribute to making a lithium-ion battery a perfect choice for an electric car.
Q: Can you fully charge an EV at home?
A: Yes, it is possible to charge your electric vehicle fully at home with a standard 120V supply. You can purchase a cable with EV and charge your electric car without a home EV charger. All you need to do is find a standard charger. However, charging your EV at home has limitations. Doing it on a daily basis is not recommended. It can be unsafe, too.
Q: Can home solar panels charge an electric car?
A: Yes, you can charge your electric car with the power supplied by the solar panels that are installed on the rooftop of your home. With this approach, you can charge your EV for free. One thing you must make sure (before you charge your EV with the solar system) is the capacity of your solar system supply. It should be more than what your electric car battery needs.