What Affects Battery Degradation in Electric Cars?
Ever noticed how your smartphone’s battery loses battery life over the years?
That’s called battery degradation, and unfortunately, it also happens in electric cars (or any other rechargeable Li-Ion Battery)! Luckily for you, most electric cars offer a multitude of measures in-built to slow down the battery degradation process.
So how much range does your electric car’s battery actually lose each year? This is an important consideration before you decide to purchase an electric car, as battery longevity has been a huge concern for many.
What affects battery degradation in electric cars?
There are many factors that affect the rate at which your battery degrades, from your charging habits, mileage, and even the technological and chemical construction of your battery cells. Let’s take a closer look at 4 common reasons why your EV’s battery might degrade faster.
Fast Charging
With the long charging time being a big blocker for EV adoption, the usage and installation of fast charging outlets have its obvious benefits. However, there’s a hidden drawback that many might not be aware of…
The increased thermal load produced by fast charging can damage the internal components of an EV’s battery cell. This leads to fewer Li-ions being able to transfer from the cathode to the anode, affecting its energy storage capabilities.
Ambient Temperature
Both cold and hot climates can slow down an EV’s charging rate and have a big influence on the rate of Li-battery degradation. This is because the temperature of the environment where your car is will impact the rate and efficiency of chemical reactions inside the battery.
Time
Typically, an electric car’s battery can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years.
However, like all electronic devices, time and wear and tear are the biggest factors for battery degradatio, and it is something that we can’t control.
Your Mileage
Similarly, your EV’s battery will experience more wear on its cells when it goes through more charge cycles. Like how your phone’s battery health diminishes over the years with every charge, the same can also happen to your electric car.
The more mileage you clock, the more you’ll need to charge your car, which can accelerate battery degradation!