Most electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries. These become less effective over the course of hundreds of charge cycles. In other words, they degrade over time and become less effective. Because of this, the travelling range of a fully charged EV will be reduced after several years of usage, however, there are ways to prevent the damage.
One of the most common reasons for battery degradation is related to the way you charge it. So tweaking your charging habits can make a lot of difference. The first thing that you need to make sure you do is to maintain the charge level of 20 to 80 %. This is the optimal charge rate for any battery, and completely charging or completely draining it causes it to degrade more quickly.
Fast charging is another thing you need to avoid. It’s a great convenience, but it pushes a lot of current into the batteries in a very short time. This puts strain on the batteries and causes them to deplete more quickly. So use fast chargers only when extremely necessary. Another useful piece of advice is to begin driving the electric vehicle as soon as possible after charging it. Do not fully charge your electric vehicle if it is going to stay parked for quite some time. During the times when it is not in use, it’s not good for the battery’s health to be fully charged. Keep it at half the charge instead to extend life.
Battery wear is also caused by vigorous acceleration as well as by intensive usage; therefore, it is preferable to keep things at a slow and consistent pace. Additionally, it is also better to stay away from driving in very high temperatures, as these extreme temperatures also affect the performance of a battery.
