What is the lifespan of an EV car
How long do batteries last in electric cars?
For many car owners, the electric car represents an entirely new way of driving and brings with it many queries and worries. One of the largest concerns is how long the battery life is on an electric car.
Generally, electric car batteries last for as long as the rest of the car. But like with your phone or laptop battery, they degrade over time. Ultimately the cells should still be providing at least 70 percent of their capacity even after 200,000 miles, which is the sort of mileage that few cars ever reach, whether theyre ICE or EV.
As an example, a number of Tesla Model S taxis operating from Gatwick airport racked up over 300,000 miles each over three years, with all retaining at least 82 percent of their batteries health.
You may well have seen stories suggesting the opposite, leaving the owner either facing a hefty bill for a replacement or contemplating cutting their losses on a car thats otherwise worthless because it literally doesnt work.
And its not hard to see where these rumours and anecdotes come from, because our extensive experience ofmobile phones, tablets and laptop computers has shown many that, even over a relatively short period of time, the batteries powering them can quickly lose efficiency, resulting in the need for more frequent charging. In extreme cases the degradation is so severe the device wont even fire-up unless its permanently on charge, which is obviously no use for an EV.
So, how bad is the problem really? Well the good news is that the more electric cars that are out there and the longer they are run for, the more evidence is produced to show that the power pack will often last the lifetime of the car.
Better still, there are plenty of tips and strategies you can follow to make sure your cars batteries will survive better than most.
Battery life of an electric car
Thetruth is that batteries degrade over time and with use, meaning they become less efficient as they age and, ultimately, in the case of EVs the range of your car will reduce.
Theres also no denying that battery technology doesnt come cheap, and should the cells ever need replacement then its quite likely that theyll cost more to swap than the car is now worth - which is why we tend to replace mobile phones in their entirety rather than replace the battery pack.
Battery swapping stations - where electric car batteries can be changed in minutes - are beginning to crop up in Europe and may offer an answer to battery life queries.
Why does an electric car battery lose charge or degrade?
Continual advances in battery technology mean that issues surrounding degradation of performance are being reduced all the time. However, even the latest lithium-ion cells arent completely immune to losing performance over time, with a number of factors playing a role.
How-To Geek
The lithium-ion battery packs in an electric vehicle (EV) may be akin to the one in your cell phone, but do they degrade as quickly? We take a look at how long an electric car's battery really lasts.
Related: How Does an Electric Vehicle Work?
How Do Electric Car Batteries Work?
EV batteries are actually battery packs full of groups of individual lithium-ion cells, each of which can store a certain amount of power. As you drive around and use the car's electrical systems, that stored energy is discharged until the battery needs to be topped up again.
The life of an EV battery is commonly measured in charge cycles---that is, the number of times the battery is fully charged and discharged. As with other devices powered by lithium-ion cells, the amount of charge the battery can hold will decrease as the battery pack degrades over time. The battery in your smartphone, for example, might start to degrade after just a couple of years of use.
Thankfully EV batteries are built sturdier than that and the technology is constantly improving. Most car manufacturers have a five to eight-year warranty on their EV batteries. Tesla offers an eight-year warranty with unlimited mileage on the Model S, and Nissan backs their Leaf for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
An EV's battery capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). According to MyEV, the higher the rating, the better:
"An electric car's battery capacity is expressed in terms of kilowatt-hours, which is abbreviated as kWh. More is better here. Choosing an EV with a higher kWh rating is like buying a car that comes with a larger gas tank in that you'll be able to drive for more miles before needing a 'fill up.'"
Pretty much all EVs are also built to keep their batteries from charging all the way to 100% or completely losing their charge. That helps extend the battery's overall lifespan. Factors like extreme temperatures, driving at higher sustained speeds, and how much you use the car's peripheral electronics will also affect how much you get out of each charge.
Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than the lead-acid batteries used in gas-powered cars, and are more energy-dense than rechargeable nickel-hydride batteries, making them the logical choice for powering an EV. Changes in the metal and chemical composition of these batteries in recent years mean we could see even higher energy capacity and shorter recharge times in future generations of EVs.
How Many Years Does the Battery Last?
Your individual driving habits will affect the lifespan of an EV's battery, but most manufacturers cover their battery packs for at least eight years, and anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 miles. Tesla and Hyundai cover their EV batteries for life. Read the fine print here, though---some manufacturers will only replace the battery in the event of complete failure, which is exceedingly rare.
So how long can you drive an EV before the battery starts to lose charge capacity? It varies by manufacturer and use conditions, but it's usually a very gradual process. EV advocacy group Plug In America collects data from EV drivers on changes in charge capacity over time and found that Tesla Model S vehicles usually only lose around 5% of their total charge capacity after the first 50,000 miles of driving.
The bottom line? MyEV says that, when properly cared for, an EV's battery should get you well past the 100,000-mile mark before its capacity is limited. Some estimates range as high as 200,000 miles. When driven around 12,000 miles per year, that's around 17 years before the battery needs to be replaced. That's somewhat less than the average mileage of 15,000 per year logged by drivers in North America but still promising.
Related: Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3? EV Chargers Explained
Some things will shorten your battery's lifespan if done too often. Using fast charging stations all the time, for example, can burn out the battery faster because it's receiving a lot of electricity very quickly. Extreme cold slows down the chemical reactions that take place in a lithium-ion battery and can affect capacity. Extreme heat can also reduce a battery's charge capacity, but most EVs are equipped with a cooled battery back to mitigate that.
Conversely, steps like only charging the battery when necessary and staying between 20-80% capacity will help extend the life of an EV's battery pack, according to EVBox.
What Happens to Old EV Batteries?
EV manufacturers are working on ways to both repurpose and recycle old batteries once they've died or lost the capacity to power a vehicle. Completely dead batteries are usually recycled by being separated into their component metals, which are then used to rebuild new batteries. Only about half of a battery's components can be recycled as of this writing, but new methods are being developed to glean more valuable metals from an EV's battery at the end of its life.
Batteries with some capacity left can be repurposed to provide power in other ways. As backup batteries for homes, for example, or used to store energy from solar panels.
How Long Does an Electric Car Battery Last?
As electric cars and other electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular, many consumers hoping to make the switch want to know: How long does an EV battery last? While battery life span varies by manufacturer and age, in general you can expect new batteries to rival and often exceed the longevity of drivetrain components on internal combustion engine (ICE) Vehicles.
EV Batteries: The Basics
Electric cars are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are more energy dense than the lead-acid batteries found in internal combustion engines or rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries found in some hybrids. A lithium-ion batterys high energy density means it produces more power for its size, making it ideal for an electric car.
Because EVs are powered by the battery alone, they are far more simple and efficient than ICE vehicles. As lithium-ion batteries have decreased in cost by 97% over the last 30 years, experts believe that EVs will soon be as cheap to produce as ICE vehicles.
How Do EV Batteries Degrade?
EV batteries typically degrade due to temperature, cycles and time. Storage and operating temperatures have a huge impact on EV battery longevity; in general, warmer climates negatively affect the lifespan of an EV battery. As the battery goes through charge cycles discharged while driving and charged back up while plugged in it slowly loses maximum potential. However, simply not using or charging your EV battery does not mean it will last forever: Calendar degradation is the battery losing life over time.
Unlike the lithium-ion batteries found in a phone or laptop, EV batteries utilize complex battery management systems (BMS) that regulate how the batteries are charged and discharged to prolong their life. That means your EV battery is most likely to experience temperature or calendar degradation.
How Long Does an Electric Car Battery Last?
So the question remains: How long can you expect your EV battery to last? Fortunately for consumers, the government mandates EV manufacturers to warranty batteries for 8 years or 100,000 miles, while California extends that warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles.
As EV battery packs become cheaper to manufacture, companies can create larger batteries with more energy potential, which in turn increases their mile-range. Additionally, the improved technology reduces the degradation of batteries, meaning that over time the maximum potential stays closer to the new battery. And because newer batteries already have greatly increased in mileage range, as they degrade they will still maintain a longer mileage range than batteries from just a few years ago. Finally, because lithium-ion batteries are made up of many individual cells, you rarely need to replace the entire battery as it degrades. Instead, you can save money by simply replacing dead cells.
How Does EV Battery Longevity Compare to ICE Vehicles?
Both of the mandated warranty numbers (8 years, 100,000 miles) for EV batteries far exceed the average ICE vehicle drivetrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles. The average lifetime mileage of an ICE vehicle is about 133,000 miles. While experts estimate the average EV battery will last around 200,000 miles, some manufacturers already promise much more than that.
And the news gets better: Tesla has their sights set on a million-mile battery, and claims that they are not far from achieving this goal. On average, EV batteries only degrade at a rate of 2.3% of maximum capacity per year, so with proper care you can reliably expect your EV battery to last as long or longer than ICE drivetrain components.
How To Extend EV Battery Life
While EV batteries are already durable, there are specific actions owners can take to further maximize battery lifespan.
Follow EV Manufacturer Guidelines
First, it is important to follow your EVs specific guidelines for optimal battery performance, as well as keep your vehicles software up to date. Because each EV manufacturer utilizes different battery chemistries and cooling technologies, each will have its own set of optimal operating and charging instructions.
Maintain Moderate Temperatures
EVs with liquid-cooled batteries see better battery life retention because they maintain lower operating temperatures. In general, storing and operating your EV in moderate climates is an effective way to extend battery life. Even if you live in a warmer climate, parking your vehicle in a garage or well-shaded area helps, as a vehicle spends most of its life parked.
Minimize Rapid Charging
While occasionally utilizing direct current rapid charging (DCRC) to power your vehicle is okay, if you can minimize the frequency of this charging method, you are likely to see less battery degradation later in its life. Luckily, EV Connect offers a variety of charging stations to ensure a number of efficient solutions for your vehicle. And remember: Dont be afraid to use your EV, as frequent use is not a major factor in battery degradation.
An EV Batterys Second Life
One of the most exciting aspects of EV battery degradation for eco-conscious consumers is the fact that batteries can still serve a sustainable purpose after they leave your EV. Even as they lose efficiency to power a car (usually at 70% of their maximum charge potential), these powerful EV batteries retain enough life to pair with solar and can serve as secondary energy for your home. Some manufacturers even collect or buy back used batteries to sustainably power other projects, such as sports arenas. You can feel secure in knowing that the sustainability of your EVs power continues long after it leaves your vehicle.
EV batteries continue to decrease in cost, travel more miles on a charge and retain longer life spans. Experts already suggest that EV batteries will exceed the longevity of ICE components, and the technology improves every year. Its all good news: Your EV battery will serve your needs for years to come, and it can even be sustainably recycled after its life from powering your vehicle.
Interested in EV charging stations? Connect with us today.
Sources
Alternative Fuels Data Center - Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data
Geotab Fleet Data - What Can 6,000 Electric Vehicles Tell Us About EV Battery Health?
New Zealand Government Gen Less - EV Batteries and How Far They Can Go
Union of Concerned Scientists - How Long Will My EV Battery Last? (and 3 Tips To Help It Last Longer)
