Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, with automotive brands like Tesla coming to the fore in recent years. More and more people have electric cars and charging points at home. One of the benefits of using electric cars is thought to be its ability to reduce pollution. A study found that electric plugin vehicles produce 54 percent lower lifetime carbon pollution compared to petrol and diesel.
Electric car batteries are usually comprised of a combination of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Electric car batteries do not last forever, they tend to last up to ten years. However, if you don’t look after your battery well, it may only last 7-8 years.
Let’s now take a look at how to look after electric car batteries properly.
Be careful about extreme temperatures
Electric car battery packs do not react well to boiling heat, or freezing cold temperatures. When it’s a sweltering hot summer’s day, you must remember to park the car in the shade.
Just as electric car batteries perform worse with heat, they are also less effective in colder temperatures. So, in general, be wary of exposing your EV to extreme temperatures in order to keep it in a good working condition.
Thermal management system
Electric car batteries should have a thermal management system to stop the battery from overheating while you’re away from the vehicle on a warm day. Stunning new technology in the form of framed Anti-Thermal Propagation (ATP) pads with built-in spacers can now act as a thermal cell barrier, thus reducing the risk of electric car batteries overheating or catching alight.
When you plug in your parked EV to charge it in colder weather, the car’s thermal management system should kick in to help keep the battery warm.
Using an EV’s thermal management systems properly should help to keep the battery in good condition for longer.
Make sure the battery doesn’t reach 0% charge
Electric cars do not fare well after standing still and being unused for long periods of time, much like regular cars. So, it is a good idea to keep hold of some power in the battery, you want to make an effort to not let it drop down to 0% since this can decrease the battery’s lifespan.
Nor should your battery reach 100% charge!
Charging your electric car to the fullest will give you the maximum operating time and may seem convenient for longer journeys. Nevertheless, it is never a good idea for the overall lifespan of your battery to frequently charge your electric car up to 100%.
Drive sensibly
Yes, it is true that some EVs are indeed impressively speedy rides. But at the same time, you need to know that driving at excessive speeds will mean your electric vehicle needs charging more regularly, and thus reduce its overall lifespan.
Take care and be sure to drive at sensible speeds. In addition, this is also safer for fellow motorists, and the public, and it will help you to avoid getting some hefty fines being pulled over by the cops.
Steer clear of ‘ultra rapid’ EV chargers
Granted, electric car batteries can take a fair amount of time to recharge, so using ‘ulta-rapid’ 100 kW plus chargers can seem tempting. However, doing so can significantly decrease the lifespan of your battery. Therefore, it is sensible to mainly choose to use standard chargers.
