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The lifespan of electric car batteries is longer than previously thought. Everyday driving behavior can extend the battery life by around a third.
The way consumers drive their electric vehicles in everyday life is more gentle on the batteries than the consistent use simulated in laboratory tests. That resulted in one current study from Stanford University.
This means that normal stop-and-go operation in heavy traffic, on long highway journeys or even on short trips in the city means that the lifespan of the batteries is much longer than researchers previously assumed.
Electric cars: battery lifespan incorrectly tested
According to the Stanford study, lifespan could be about a third longer than previously expected. Good news, because new batteries are expensive. If the US researchers are right, owners of a typical electric car will only have to expect to replace the battery or buy a new car after several years.
“We haven’t tested electric car batteries in the right way,” explains Simona Onori, lead author and professor of energy science and engineering. Until now, scientists and engineers have almost always tested the lifespan of new battery designs in laboratories using a constant rate of discharge and then recharging. They repeat this cycle quickly and many times to find out whether a new design is good or not in terms of life expectancy and other characteristics.
This scenario obviously cannot be compared with normal everyday life. “Proper driving with frequent acceleration, braking, stopping and letting the batteries rest for hours at a time will help them last longer than we thought,” says Onori.
Researchers in the USA are pleasantly surprised
Stanford University collaborated with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) on the new study. They designed four types of discharge profiles for electric vehicles: from standard constant discharge to dynamic discharge based on real driving data.
Using these profiles, the research team tested 92 commercially available lithium-ion batteries for more than two years. A machine learning algorithm trained on all the data collected by the team helped figure out the impact of the dynamic discharge profiles on battery wear. The result: the more realistically the actual driving behavior was reflected, the higher the life expectancy of the batteries rose.
New insights into the lifespan of batteries go beyond electric cars
The Stanford study provided insights for various areas of application. “In the future, it will be very important to evaluate new battery chemistries and designs with realistic demand profiles,” explains postdoctoral researcher Le Xu, professor of energy science and engineering. “Researchers can now test the suspected aging mechanisms at the chemical, material and cellular levels to deepen their understanding. This will facilitate the development of advanced control algorithms that optimize the use of existing commercial battery architectures.”
However, scientists and engineers could also apply the study’s results to other energy storage devices, as well as to materials and devices in the physical sciences where aging is crucial. These include, for example, plastics, glasses, solar cells and some biomaterials used in implants.
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- Batteries for electric cars – made from dirty coal! Researchers make discoveries
- Are electric cars destroying the German automotive industry?
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As a Tech Industry expert, I am not surprised by the findings of the study that batteries for electric cars last longer than expected. The rapid advancements in battery technology, particularly in lithium-ion batteries, have significantly improved their lifespan and overall performance in recent years.
These improvements have been driven by the demand for longer-lasting batteries in various applications, including electric vehicles. Manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development to enhance the durability and longevity of batteries, leading to increased efficiency and reliability.
This is great news for the electric vehicle industry, as longer-lasting batteries will not only improve the overall driving experience for consumers but also help to reduce the environmental impact of transportation. As more people transition to electric vehicles, having batteries that can withstand the test of time is crucial for the widespread adoption of clean energy solutions.
Overall, the study’s findings are a testament to the progress being made in battery technology and bode well for the future of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. I look forward to seeing further advancements in battery technology that will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of electric vehicles.
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