How to Take Care of Your EV Battery

• Minimising battery degradation
• How long will an EV battery last?
• 7 tips to help take care of your EV battery
• EV Battery Statistics
• EV charging with eFaraday

Like any electric device with a battery, such as our smartphones and laptops, we are conscious of battery life and can often notice when a battery isn’t holding its charge like it used to. Electric vehicle batteries are no different and if not taken care of, can start to degrade more quickly. This is far from ideal, so we’ve put together everything you need to know on how to take care of your EV battery so that you can experience the most out of your EV. 

Minimising Battery Degradation 

Battery degradation does happen and is a natural process of a battery over time. However, it is possible to minimalise this degradation by looking after the battery properly, thus expanding its lifespan and therefore the performance and range of the vehicle. 

How Long Will an EV Battery Last? 

Data shows that over the past decade, battery health decreases by approximately 10% over five years. However, with the improvement of science and technology, batteries now have the capabilities to last and hold their charge for much longer, so this figure is only expected to improve over time. 

Battery longevity will always vary between manufacturers and models, with many offering a warranty on the battery for much longer than the majority of EV drivers will keep the vehicle. However, it’s still valuable to understand how our actions can impact the life of our EV battery, thus improving our driving efficiency and experience. 

7 Tips to Help Take Care of Your EV Battery 

1. Only charge the battery fully for long journeys 

There will be situations in which a full charge is needed, such as on long journeys. However, charging to 100% capacity all of the time can negatively impact the health of your EV battery. It’s therefore advised to only charge your vehicle to its full capacity when it’s absolutely necessary. If your vehicle has in-built navigation, then it will advise if you are able to make the journey in your current state of charge. 

2. Go on short, regular drives

Much like with gasoline vehicles, to keep your vehicle in good working order it is always recommended to use your vehicle regularly, albeit if it’s only for short journeys.  

3. Don’t leave your EV parked in the same spot for too long 

A similar point to the above, if you’ve noticed your EV hasn’t been used in a while and has been parked in the same place it could be worth moving it. This is because your EV’s tyres can start to flatten if they’ve been left in the same position for too long, which can impact driving performance and thus the battery life. 

4. Keep the ‘state of charge’ between 20-80% 

For optimal care of your EV battery aim to keep the vehicle’s charge between 20-80%. This is because over-charging or letting the charge get too low can act to reduce battery life over time. The majority of EV drivers will actually only need 20-80% of a battery’s charge to carry out their day-to-day journeys. 

5. Minimise rapid charging

Although convenient and great if you are in the middle of a long journey, over-use of rapid chargers can degrade your battery health faster than if you were to charge your EV using a slower pace charger, such as a home charge point overnight.  

6. Minimise extreme temperatures 

Although many electric vehicles have inbuilt thermal management systems which act to control the battery temperature, extreme temperatures can have the potential to negatively impact the overall battery health. It is therefore recommended that even in a relatively mild climate, keep your vehicle within a shady spot or protected within a garage, when not in use. 

7. Let the battery cool down before charging

If you’ve just got back from a journey, particularly a long one, then it’s a good idea to let your vehicle’s battery cool down before you plug it into your EV charging station. Overheating of the battery can cause it to degrade quicker! 

EV Battery Statistics

• It is estimated that average estimated battery capacity for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will reach 11 kilowatt hours by 2025.
• The average capacity for a Lithium-ion battery is around 40kWh, but some cars now have up to a 100 kWh capacity.

EV Charging with eFaraday

These are therefore some easy ways to help minimise the degradation and take care of an EV battery. Home and workplace charge points are a great way to top up your vehicle’s charge during the day or charge it slowly overnight. 

If you’re interested in EV charge point installation and total end-to-end management then get in touch with the eFaraday team. We’ll find a bespoke solution for you and offer you a FREE quote. Call us on 0330 002 1154 or click here to fill out our online form.