Many electric vehicle (EV) drivers appreciate that they no longer require oil changes or tune-ups for their car, but regular battery maintenance must still take place to keep your EV running optimally.
Always follow your battery manufacturer’s recommendations when charging and optimizing battery lifespan, including factors like avoiding rapid acceleration and excessive braking which could shorten battery range.
Avoid Excessive Heat
Temperature extremes accelerate the evaporation of battery water, decreasing capacity and shortening lifespan. To protect their EV batteries from this danger, drivers can follow several simple strategies like avoiding extreme temperatures and making sure that it has sufficient charge – or charging their vehicle overnight when temperatures are lower.
As a rule of thumb, EV batteries should remain between 20% to 80% charged at all times. While charging to 100% can help recalibrate BMS settings and improve state of charge readings, consistently charging at this level may damage an EV’s battery over time. Adherence to manufacturer guidelines and best practices regarding charging can reduce risks in hot weather conditions while manufacturers often release software updates with improved charging efficiencies and battery management systems; adhering to these recommendations can improve both battery performance and longevity.
Monitor Your Battery Levels
Though EV battery degradation is inevitable, you can take steps to extend its life by charging at moderate levels, avoiding extreme temperatures, and driving frequently. Here are a few strategies for keeping your EV running at full strength for as long as possible.
Most modern EVs provide an easy and straightforward way to monitor the charge levels in their batteries. While each vehicle varies in how it does this, most feature an easily visible digital gauge on their dashboard or near their charging port that displays this data and alerts drivers when it’s time for charging up.
Avoid letting your EV battery drain to extremely low levels as this strains the cells and limits your range. Most EVs feature built-in systems to avoid this scenario by automatically shutting off when charge reaches zero; rapid chargers should also be avoided as overuse may damage battery cells and shorten lifespan; aim to charge at least once weekly if possible.
Clean Your Battery
Though electric vehicles (EVs) tend to last long lives, it is still important to take preventative steps in order to keep their lithium-ion battery healthy over time. Even though many come with warranty provisions covering up to eight years or 100,000 miles.
Corrosion and sulfation can both compromise a vehicle battery’s performance. Corrosion typically appears as a flaky layer of brown, white, or blue/green discoloration on battery terminals; while sulfation happens more subtly when lead plates break down over time and form lead sulfate crystals on lead plates when left without being recharged regularly.
As both processes can be easily avoided with proper battery maintenance, both are easily avoidable. Regularly keeping your battery clean can extend its lifespan and save money in the long run. To remove corrosion from battery terminals, disconnect both sets of cables (black first and red second), apply baking soda-water solution directly onto affected area, scrub with wire brush then rinse.
Avoid Overcharging
As is true for laptop batteries, lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles perform best when charged between 20% and 80% of full charge capacity. Avoiding overcharging and deep discharging can help ensure that your EV’s lithium-ion battery lasts as long as possible.
Electric vehicles typically feature charging management systems which automatically adjust to maximize battery life by slowing the rate of charging when approaching 100% capacity. This feature can often be automated by software in the vehicle itself.
Driving efficiently is another key way to extend the lifespan of your battery. Try reducing acceleration and brake usage using regenerative braking whenever possible; keeping tires at their ideal pressure also reduces energy usage; parking under shaded parking stalls is another effective strategy; also consider preheating/cooling before driving your EV so as to conserve power further.