Knowing 4 Factors Affecting Electric Car Durability

Illustration of an electric car battery. (photo: Worldlesstech)

YOGYAKARTA – The battery is the main component of an electric vehicle (Electric Vehicle/EV) because it functions as storage or provider of electric power. If the battery life of an electric car must be made longer so that it can support daily activities without having to frequently charge at the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU).

The battery life of an electric car is one of the biggest concerns potential buyers have when considering an electric car. Remember, the life of an electric car battery can decrease over time. This is often seen as a major barrier to electric vehicle ownership.

So, what factors affect the battery life of an electric car? To find out the answer, consider the following review.

Factors Affecting Electric Car Battery Life

Compiled by VOI from various sources, here are the factors that affect electric car battery life:

1. Electric Car Battery Type

The battery life of electric vehicles, especially cars, varies depending on the type and settings of the vehicle. However, in general, the average lifespan of an electric car battery is between 10-15 years, or the equivalent of 200 thousand kilometers.

In addition, the life of an electric car battery is also influenced by the type of battery used. Originally, the most widely used type of electric car battery was lithium-ion (Li-ion).

Li-ion batteries will undergo a cycle of discharge when driving and charging when plugged into the SPKLU. The cycle will have an impact on how much power the battery can hold. Therefore, you must know how far the electric car can go before recharging.

2. Temperature

The battery life of an electric car is also affected by temperature. Temperatures that are too cold or too hot can affect EV battery life.

Hot temperatures have the potential to make electric car batteries reduce their lifespan faster. Meanwhile, temperatures that are too cold can make the mileage of electric cars shorter than warmer temperatures.

3. Battery Charging

The third factor that affects battery life is charging. If overcharging will affect the efficiency of energy storage so that the battery tends to run out faster.

Overcharging can cause chemical changes in the battery itself. This has a negative impact on energy storage efficiency.

Illustration of electric car charging. (Unsplash/@photographyfanatik)

On the other hand, emptying an electric car battery before charging is also not a good idea, considering that most li-ion batteries work best when their capacity is between 50-80 percent. Charging the last 20 percent of the battery also takes longer than the first 80 percent.

The average electric car has a battery that can be used up to 1000 times fully recharged. However, every year, the battery life will decrease even though it can still be used.

4. Types of Vehicle

The battery life of electric cars is also affected by the type of vehicle. Therefore, several types of electric car batteries sold by manufacturers have a free battery replacement warranty. It's just that, you have to pay a subscription fee to get these facilities.

As additional information, the durability of a good electric car can be seen from its power storage capacity.

A good endurance electric car has a high number of kilowatt-houts (kWh). A high number of kWh is likened to a larger gas tank. The larger the tank capacity or kilowatt-hour, the more distance we can drive without needing to stop.