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Top Tips for Optimising Battery Life On Your EV

Top Tips for Optimising Battery Life On Your EV

If you own an electric vehicle (EV) or you are considering buying one, it is worth bearing in mind that, just like mobile devices, the maximum battery life is often very different to the actual battery life. The amount of energy that you expend will depend on your habits and usage and this applies to electric vehicles as much as phones, petrol or diesel vehicles. As EVs are still relatively new to the market, it is not certain how long you can expect your battery to last, but it is estimated that at the moment you lose about 10% of your battery health in 5-6 years.

The technology is continually improving, with most manufacturer warranties guaranteeing the battery for around 8 years or 100,000 miles. We do know that vehicle mileage doesn’t impact the longevity of the battery, but there are a few things that you can do to make your vehicle’s charge go a little bit further.

  1. Watch the heat. Saving your power starts by being careful where you park. If your vehicle is exposed to extremely high temperatures, it is likely that its automated thermal management system will be activated. This means that it will be using power while you are parked. Prevent this by parking in a shady spot, or charge your EV while its parked so that the thermal management uses grid power, not your precious battery power.
  2. Don’t become over-reliant on fast charging. Fast charging can be a life saver if you are running low on charge and need to get somewhere soon. However, it puts more pressure on an EV’s battery than traditional slower charging. This means that the battery will wear out more quickly, and as it does so, it will become less efficient. The difference may seem irrelevant at the time but by using standard charging over fast charging for a period of 8-10 years you will get approximately one year’s more battery life.
  3. Maintain your state of charge. If you were the car owner who would fill your tank to the brim and not think about it again until it’s running on empty, you may be tempted to do the same with your battery. However, just as it’s not great for a regular vehicle, it doesn’t do an EV any favours either. Ideally you want to keep your EV’s state of charge somewhere between 20 and 80%, only charging to 100% when you are planning longer journeys or you are going somewhere where you are uncertain about charging opportunities.
  4. Don’t charge when hot. If you can avoid charging your vehicle immediately after a fast or long drive, you can help preserve the battery life and optimise charge.

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