Electric car battery life: how long will my e-car last??

without the battery the e-vehicle is not viable, it is the heart and therefore important. If the battery breaks down, it can be really expensive. What does an electric car battery last and how can you help increase its lifespan? We have the information and good everyday tips for you.

In order to be able to cover longer distances with an electric car, the battery must be able to absorb and store a certain amount of energy. Currently, the batteries used have a storage capacity of between 40 and 100 kilowatt hours (kwh), depending on whether the vehicle is a small car or an electric sports car. Is the fear of suffering battery damage really justified??

Manufacturer’s warranty on e-car battery

Just like with combustion cars, the manufacturers also give guarantees for electric cars. The battery is to be seen here separately and is therefore also provided with a separate warranty. However, full storage capacity is not guaranteed by any manufacturer, as it automatically decreases with the years. Here we have compiled the warranties for e-car batteries of all brands for you:

How long does an electric car battery last??

Currently, the battery is expected to last eight to ten years, which is about 500 to 1.should correspond to 000 charging cycles. This assumes an average range of 100 kilometers per charge, which corresponds to a mileage of 50.000 to 100.000 kilometers would correspond.

However, technology has also advanced considerably and a modern lithium-ion battery can deliver up to 3.000 charging cycles well. An example here is the tesla model S, which in the ideal case with a battery lasts over 300.can drive 000 kilometers.

After that, the remaining capacity can no longer be used in an electric car. If the capacity decreases, the range also decreases, because the battery can store less energy. The more years the battery has been in service, the more the properties of the material change, which also reduces the range. Still, you don’t have to be afraid of breaking down with your electric car.

E-car battery broken: how much does a battery damage cost??

It depends on the car and the size of the battery, but the battery is definitely the most expensive component in an electric car. Good 10.000 euro of the purchase price can make up this and if the battery breaks early, the repair is often so expensive that an economic total loss can be the result. Therefore, look for a sufficient warranty of the car brands or lease the battery, if that is offered. In this case, the battery would simply be replaced if it had a defect.

In addition, it makes sense to take out comprehensive insurance, because normally a defect in the battery is included in the insurance. but just to be on the safe side, check with your insurance company if there is a special rate to cover a broken e-car battery.

Increase battery life of electric cars

Everyone can help increase the life of the e-car battery. You don’t have to read complicated care instructions, but adapt your own behavior to the electric car. An e-car is not a classic car and has other needs that need to be taken into account.

E-car battery full charge – avoid at all costs

Sounds strange, but it is so. Charging an electric car to 100 percent can do more damage to the battery in the long run than it brings you in terms of range. The best thing to do is to charge the battery only up to 80 percent, because that will take you a long way and you don’t risk shortening the battery’s life even more.

No deep discharge

Deep discharging of the electric car battery is also a bad thing. Deep discharge is when the battery level drops below 20 percent. Ideally, you should always keep the battery in a fairly constant state of charge of about. 50 to 70 percent, which is what the electric car would prefer. It is obvious that this is difficult to implement in practice – you would have to recharge constantly. Therefore, at the very least, make sure that the battery level does not fall below 20 percent.

Snore charging is good for battery life

Of course, you want to charge your electric car as quickly as possible, which is fine if you have to cover longer distances. However, once you have time, it would be very beneficial to the battery life if you perform a so-called snore charge. This means that the e-car is not charged at a fast-charging station but simply at home. Slow charging is a pure blessing for the battery in the meantime.

E-vehicles and the cold: charge immediately after the journey

If a battery has cooled down, it can age more quickly and therefore no longer absorb the same amount of energy as a battery that is at its comfortable temperature. However, since we will often have cold temperatures in our latitudes, you can make it easier for the battery by charging it immediately after the trip when it is cold outside. Then the battery is still warmed up and charges healthier and faster again.

Avoid heat

If the battery is fully charged, a shady parking space is preferable to one in the blazing sun – the battery does not like too much heat. Therefore, a parking garage or a garage in the summer is highly recommended and the battery should not be fully charged in very hot temperatures. The battery feels most comfortable at temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. Of course, a shady place is also ideal during the charging process.

Self-discharge: avoiding long idle times

If you know that you will not be driving your e-car for a longer period of time, it should be parked in a dry and protected place and the battery should have a medium charge level. If the car is parked for several months, it is important to check the battery from time to time and, if necessary, charge it to approx. 60 percent recharge. If this is observed, the battery will also withstand longer periods of use without damage.

As a rule of thumb, the battery of an electric car discharges by about four percent per month, if the room temperature is appropriate. If it is too hot, the battery can quickly double its charge.

Driving an e-car economically

This point in particular might not appeal to fast drivers. The battery prefers it evenly. This means that accelerating strongly is not good for the battery in the long term. Sudden high power demands drain much of the stored energy from the battery and you need to charge more frequently. Modern batteries are expected to last between 500 and 1.000 charging processes without any problems, until the capacity slowly decreases. So if you have to charge more frequently, you will accelerate this process even more.

Battery management systems are useful

As a rule, the electric car has an intelligent battery management system that communicates with the wallbox or charging station at home. This optimizes the charging current for the gentlest possible charging and automatically controls the charging process. The system terminates the process when the battery has reached the optimum state of charge of 80 percent, and during the charging process it monitors whether the individual cells have the correct voltage. If not, this is compensated for by balancing.

If it is too cold outside, the system also registers this and automatically reduces the charging speed to protect the battery and prevent damage.