How to Extend the Lifespan of Electric Car Batteries

No one had heard of them a few years ago, but electric cars are now everywhere. Go down a regular residential street today, and you’ll notice more and more people with electric car charging stations in their drives.

There are many advantages to driving electric cars, including reducing your carbon footprint. That said, electric car batteries don’t last forever. They normally last up to around ten years.

You should try and increase the lifespan of your EV batteries as much as you can. Here, we discuss how to extend the lifespan of electric car batteries.

1. Limit exposure to 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 your EV in the shade or a garage.

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 good working condition.

2. Thermal management systems

Electric car batteries should have a thermal management system to prevent the battery from overheating on a hot day. The latest technology of framed Anti-Thermal Propagation (ATP) pads with built-in spacers from the Advanced Materials Engineers at Tecman acts as a thermal cell barrier and decreases the risk of electric car batteries overheating.

When you plug in your parked EV in cold conditions, the thermal management system should fire up to help keep the battery warm.

Well-performing thermal management systems should keep the battery in good condition for much longer.

3. Keep your battery charge between 20-80%

Charging your electric car to the max will give you more operating time and could be useful for longer journeys. But it is never a good idea for the lifespan of your EV battery to make a habit of charging your electric car up to 100%. Between 20-80% is a good stable guideline for the parameters of what your charge should be operating between.

Electric cars also do not enjoy standing still and staying unused for long periods of time, much like standard cars. So, keep some of the power in the battery and don’t let it drop down to 0% since this will decrease its lifespan over time.

4. Be a clever drive

Some EVs have great acceleration speeds. However, excessive speeds will lead to your electric vehicle needing to be charged more often, and reduce the battery’s lifespan in the long run. So, be a smart driver and take care to drive at sensible speeds. Driving at sensible lower speeds is also the far safer option for yourself, passengers, road users, and members of the public.