Most of the battery-powered products in our lives now use lithium-ion batteries, including cell phones, computers, power tools, and most importantly electric vehicles for us. Many of us have experienced some sort of battery failure, at least on smartphones.
However, electric automobiles are more expensive, and a reduction in capacity or battery capacity can significantly impact your driving habit. Consider how the fuel tank in your fuel car is depleting over time!
The Journal of Energy Storage recently released research from the University of Michigan on how customers can extend the life of lithium-ion batteries (in automobiles, phones, and other devices), and includes some pointers.
The Responsible Battery Coalition, a group of companies, academia, and organizations committed to responsible battery management to reduce the environmental impact of our increasingly battery-powered lifestyles today and in the future, supported the study.
The team looked at accessible battery usage and charging guidelines included in user manuals from various EV manufacturers, as well as academic studies on ways to make batteries last longer.
Top 6 Tips to Extend Lithium-Ion Battery Life
- Reduce your EV’s exposure to high temperatures during storage and use by parking it in the shade or plugging it in so the battery’s thermal management system can operate on grid power.
- Minimize exposure to cold temperatures—Again, the threat is largely from leaving the car unplugged in really cold weather. If you can plug in, the thermal management system on the battery will keep it warm. Even when unplugged, some EVs run the thermal management system until capacity drops to 15%, at which point things get ugly.
- Reduce the amount of time you spend at 100% charge—resist the impulse to plug in all night every night. If your daily travels take 30% of the battery, using the middle 30% (between 70% and 40%) is healthier for the battery than using the top 30% all of the time. Smart chargers will soon be able to sync with your calendar to anticipate your daily driving demands and adjust charges accordingly.
- Reduce the amount of time an EV spends at zero percent charge—Battery management systems normally turn an EV off well before it reaches zero percent. The greater risk is keeping a vehicle unplugged for too long, causing it to self-discharge to zero and remain there for an extended length of time.
- Avoid fast charging are wary of warning against high-voltage DC charging since they know that one of the keys to mainstream EV adoption is the ability to charge as quickly as filling a gas tank. Indeed, it’s adequate for recharging on infrequent lengthy trips—or when a last-minute appointment depletes your 70-percent overnight charge. It’s not a good idea to make it a habit.
- Avoid discharging faster than necessary— It’s difficult to ignore those insane Tesla launches, and they’re quite innocuous when you’re demoing your car to a potential EV convert. Just keep in mind that each one speeds up the demise of your vehicle’s battery by a certain degree.
In short, keep an eye on the temperature, charge and discharge slowly, don’t leave the battery on the charger, and avoid dropping below 80% or 20% unless absolutely necessary.
Not only will your batteries last longer, but you’ll also need to replace them less frequently, which is good for the environment in a variety of ways.
Lithium-ion Battery Life Calculator
Lithium-ion Battery life calculator to find out the life of your electric vehicle battery
“The article rightly says that every battery-powered product we use has lithium-ion batteries.
The tips given are really helpful for electric vehicle batteries.
Thank you for the article. Looking forward to more tips.”