Electric Vehicles (EVs) are getting better by the day. The range is extending, and their prices are decreasing, making them a more acceptable solution to people who want to save on fuel. However, your EV’s efficiency over time will depend on how well you take care of the battery pack. Lithium batteries for electric vehicles need proper care and use to keep their life expectancy high. Here are some cool tips you can use in your everyday car use or maintenance to make yours live longer.
Always Park in the Shade
Your EV battery pack has an automated temperature control system that works to keep temperatures down for optimal efficiency. While this should only work when you’re driving and using the batteries, it will still kick on if the temperatures go up while the car is parked. This will happen a lot if you leave your car on a sunny lot. The running thermal management system will unnecessarily drain your batteries to keep the temperatures low.
Don’t Charge the Batteries to 100%
Charging lithium batteries to their full capacity is never a good idea. Even though a full charge will give you the maximum operating time from the batteries, it isn’t good for their overall lifespan. Most EVs and hybrids automatically disconnect battery charging just before it hits maximum to extend battery life. If yours doesn’t, make sure this doesn’t happen.
Avoid Quick Charge as Much as Possible
Quick charging is a great convenience especially if your batteries die out before you finish your trick. Fast charging pushes so much current into the batteries at one time; as a result, it strains them and ages them faster. While the difference might not be easy to notice, eight years of normal charging will give you 10% more battery health compared to 8 years of fast charging.
Plan your journey well such that you have enough juice to take you to a stopover that can charge your EV overnight. This is way better than dashing and fast charging your EV to make it through long haul trips.
Organize to Keep Your Car Charged During Long Storage
Storing your EV or hybrid for long could see it drop its charge to unsafe levels. Normally, leaving your battery below 30% for long hours isn’t good for battery life. If you don’t use your EV often or are planning a long trip, get a timed charger and plug it in. Set the charger to trickle feed your battery, so it keeps the charge just above the low mark but doesn’t fill it up to capacity.
Electric vehicles with good battery packs are meant to keep serving you right for over 15 years. However, if you’re to get a reasonable range after all those years, you have to take good care of the car and avoid unnecessarily stressing the battery. Also, you should learn that your EV is all about efficiency and not performance. This will teach you to anticipate terrain and use your electronic drive train to the fullest without pushing it too hard.
