EV Simplified: Things That Affect Battery Life In EVs

Battery packs are among the core components of electric vehicles. At present lithium-ion batteries are the ones widely used for high-speed EVs, and like any component, their life is affected by a variety of factors. They’re also the most expensive part in an EV, and it is imperative for any discerning EV owner that they must be cared for to ensure their longevity. We delve deeper on the factors that affect battery life in EVs:

Battery cycles:

The most obvious aspect that affects the life of a battery is its charge cycle. This refers to the process of charging a battery pack completely and then discharging it via normal usage. As the batteries are charged and discharged over a period of time, their cycle count increases. 

Typically, battery packs in EVs come with a specific cycle count, which gives us a rough estimate of the battery’s life. The higher the count, the longer lasting the battery will be. But as the battery goes through its cycles, its total charge capacity (also called State Of Health - SOH) slowly degrades in time. That said, modern battery management systems automatically optimise their charge cycles to ensure better battery life. So the EV batteries may not degrade as quickly as the smaller capacity ones that we use in our electronic devices.

Temperature:

Battery packs primarily contain chemicals, and charging and discharging are essentially chemical reactions, with the byproduct being electricity. Consequently, they are reactive to external temperature. Extreme heat or cold are the worst enemies of a battery pack’s life. Most of the electric two-wheeler batteries are passively air-cooled, so one must ensure they are charged in the shade or at a place where there is good airflow.

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Additionally, fast charging also affects the battery’s life over a period of time as it involves sending high amounts of electricity to the battery, which also results in the batteries heating up quickly. We’ve covered more about the advantages and disadvantages of fast charging technology here. Batteries need to work in a cool environment, however, extreme cold is also detrimental to its efficiency, including its charge capacity and consequently, the range.

Driving/ riding style:

Just like ICE vehicles, the life of a battery is also affected by how much you make the motor work. Driving aggressively with heavy throttle inputs drains the battery a lot quicker than driving at a sedate pace. This not only affects the range but also shortens the battery’s overall charge capacity over a period of time. To know more about how much the riding style affects the range of an electric scooter, check this out.

Like any sophisticated machine, batteries must be treated with care in order to ensure longevity, and these factors also largely apply to vehicles using lead-acid batteries as well. Maintaining a battery’s health is crucial because batteries cannot be repaired, and will only have to be replaced. While battery costs will go down significantly in the near future, it will still cost a significant amount of money to replace. Moreover, depleted batteries will also have to be disposed of appropriately. You can read more about whether EVs are being really green or not in our analysis here.