EV Battery Life: Smart Tips to Make Your Electric Car’s Battery Last Longer

Electric vehicle batteries are one of the most expensive components of your car -an out-of-pocket replacement for the battery pack of a Tesla can range between $15000 – $22000. It is therefore important to maintain them to get the best performance and preserve their long-term value.

The good news is that battery technology has been getting better every year. Most people are not going to have battery issues, Ideally, the EV battery pack should last the lifetime of your EV but we do not live in an ideal world and things can go wrong.

Your battery pack will start degrading over time, leading to losses in the amount of energy your battery can store and, ultimately, loss in the battery range.

You can significantly extend your EV battery’s lifespan with proper care and smart charging habits.

Here are 6 key practices and tips to keep in mind.

1. Avoid Charging Your Vehicle to 100 percent

There is nothing wrong with charging your battery to 100 percent, but if your goal is to maximize the life of your EV battery, try to avoid charging to 100 percent regularly. A good practice is to set the default charging limit to about 90 percent in the car’s infotainment system.

Here is what Ford recommends for its F-150 Lightening EV

“Ford recommends that you charge to 90 percent for everyday driving and charge to 100 percent when you need the full range for a trip. Charging to 90% helps prolong the life of your battery.”

A 100 percent battery charge causes some stress on the battery, you should save that for when you really need it such as when you are going on a long trips.

2. Maintain a Charge State of Between 20 – 80 percent Charge

Both extremes -high or low – are not very healthy for your battery. Try to maintain your battery at about 20 – 80 percent charge.  You don’t want to run your battery to near zero before initiating a charging session or go to 100 percent (unless necessary) when you charge it.

Here is what the BMW i4 Owners manual states:

“To optimize the service life of the high-voltage battery, keep the charge level between 10% to 80% if possible.”

Keep the battery levels at about 20-80 percent charge levels for optimal performance. This is sometimes called the EV 80 % rule.

3. Avoid DC Fast Charging

DC fast charging can be very convenient when you are pressed for time. It does however have its shortcomings -it generates more heat than the home AC charging. Such heat can accelerate the degradation of your EV battery. DC is more stressful for your EV batteries.

“Only charge the high-voltage battery with Direct Current if necessary” – Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan Owner’s manual.

Avoid frequently using fast charging. DC fast charging generates heat that can accelerate battery degradation. Use Level 2 (240V) charging for routine charging when possible.