With all the pollution and global warming news roaming around, people were forced to consider an alternative solution for the conventional fuel cell vehicles, which are the primary contributor to all the hubbubs of global warming. And now there are gas prices trekking to new highs. For all of this, there is an obvious solution- Electric Vehicles.
When EVs entered the picture, people began to discuss how to keep them healthy, especially their batteries. And by healthy what do you mean? – feeding battery with veggies and green tea? Nah! You should make sure it’s long-lasting with a high performance throughout.
(PS: EVs may not require veggies and green tea to be healthy, but you definitely do.)
Here are some tips on keeping your EV Batteries healthy and safe.
AVOID FULLY CHARGING THE BATTERY
Your battery is at 98% charging, and you have to leave. But you feel this itch to wait until the battery is 100% charged. Does that ever happen to you?? Probably most of the time, right? Yeah! Never do that. To avoid depletion of the life span of your battery, reduce pushing your EV battery charge to 100%. While charging at a high percentage, the high voltage will stress the battery. You know what happens when you’re stressed. You lose your capacity. The same goes for EV batteries too. When it is stressed too much, the life cycle of the battery will shorten. Try to keep the battery charging level below 95%. So the next time that little whisper in your head asks you to wait till the number 100 appears on your screen doesn’t listen to it.
PS: Avoid over-draining your battery too. Don’t let your battery go down below 25%. Not good for your battery life.
Bonus tips:
- Keep the battery charge level between 25%-75%.
- Only charge the battery according to your daily driving habits.
LIMIT THE USE OF FAST CHARGING
We completely understand that fast charging is an obvious go-to when you have a hectic lifestyle and want to save some time. Fast charging once in a while is harmless. But depending too much on fast charging may affect the battery life in the long run. While fast charging, the charger is pushing too much current to the battery in a short period, causing more heat loss and strain on the battery – both of which are harmful to the battery’s lifespan. So, the next time you want to go for fast charging, take a pause and ask yourself, “Do I really need fast charging right now?”
TEMPERATURE IS EVERYTHING
The battery’s health is directly proportional to the system’s temperature management efficiency. We’ve been hearing this from the high school. And it’s not different in the case of our EV batteries.
Tips for proper temperature control:
- Avoid leaving your EVs under the sun for long: EVs have an inbuilt temperature management system to maintain the EV temperature at optimum range. If unplugged, the system will take power directly from the battery which will drain the battery too soon (which would otherwise draw power from the grid when plugged) – again not good for the battery life. This may cause the battery to overheat, causing internal components to fail. Too much heat is not good for anyone. So try to park the EVs under shade if unplugged.
- Cold is the enemy of EV batteries: Just like high temperature, very low temperature is also harmful to EV batteries. In cold weather, the battery’s and thereby the whole EV’s performance slows down. If charged in cold weather, it can even damage the battery let alone shorten its life. In frigid weather, warm up the battery first by taking on a short drive before charging the battery.
- Avoid flooring your car: Overspeeding is not good for anyone and anything. Definitely not for your EVs. Flooring your car may drain and hence, heat your battery so fast. We both know by now that heating up the battery is NOT good.
Okay, let’s keep this between us: We both know that never driving your vehicle fast is impossible. When going on a trip with your friends, or when you’re way behind the schedule for an appointment, you may have to drive a little faster. We’re all guilty of it.
So make sure, you allow your EV to cool down completely after a speed-ride before taking on the next cruise.
Last but not least, there is the most obvious one.
Check your battery regularly– its performance, its physical health (ie, if there is any damage or swelling in the battery), the overall performance of your electric vehicle, etc. And you’re good to go.
Also, if you intend to purchase an EV charger, make sure to only do so from reputable vendors.
Celltric Energy is a prominent EV Charging Service Provider in India, offering both residential and commercial services with 24×7 local support.
On that note, Adios, Amigos. Have a happy EV life!!!
References:
https://www.motortrend.com/news/ev-lithium-ion-battery-life-tips-tricks-advice/
https://www.motorhills.com/how-to-keep-an-electric-car-battery-healthy/
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-take-care-electric-vehicle-battery/
https://www.kia.com/dm/discover-kia/ask/how-to-extend-ev-battery-life.html
