With the annual budget plan for the next fiscal year making some announcements to promote electric vehicles in the country, they are expected to be more popular in the Nepali market after mid-July.
Electric vehicles have many advantages and disadvantages in comparison to fossil-fuel vehicles. One of the most pressing issues for electric vehicle users could be the age of the battery.
Most of the batteries of electric vehicles (EV) are made from Lithium-ion (Li-ion), the same battery that is used to power your smartphones. It means everyone has experienced the issues of the battery over time. When the battery is brand new, it seems to last forever, but over time it needs to be charged more frequently as the capacity reduces. Its performance depletes over time and ultimately it needs to be replaced.
The life of the battery, however, can be increased to some extent. Here are some tips that can help make the batteries of an EV last longer.
1. Charge neither too low nor too high
Charging your EV’s battery to 100 per cent may seem a safe option, but in the long run, it can affect the durability of the battery. Similarly, using your vehicle when the battery is below 15 per cent regularly also affects the battery’s life. This should not be practised daily. The ideal charge of the battery should always be between 20 and 80 per cents. It would be best if the batteries are charged full only for the long-distance trips.
To help you maintain the battery, make a proper record of your daily battery usage. For example, if your daily usage is 40 per cent of your charge, it will be better for your battery if you use the middle segment of the power (80%-40%) than using your top (100%-60%).
2. Avoid fast charging
Fast charging can be a great convenience when your batteries are dying out soon. It can, however, affect the health of your EV’s battery. Since it presses so much current into the battery in a short period that strains the battery and declines it faster. The degradation of the battery may not be visible in a short term, but it will affect it in the long run.
3. Minimise exposure to high temperatures
The vehicle’s exposure to high temperatures should be minimised as much as possible. A high-temperature exposure for a longer period can degrade the components of the battery and overall the battery itself. You should be aware enough to park your EV in a shade as much as possible. If you know the car is going to be exposed to high temperatures, charging it only up to 80 per cent would be the best option because there is a very high chance of a fully charged battery deteriorating rapidly.
4. Don’t leave the car fully or undercharged
When the vehicle is not been used for a longer period, it is recommended not to leave your vehicle fully charged or undercharged. When you leave your vehicle parked in such conditions, the battery will struggle to preserve its state of charge. So, when you are about to store your EV, it is highly recommended to leave the vehicle with only optimal charge rather than full or no charge at all.
5. Don’t run your car until it’s flat
Unless it is an emergency or you forget to charge your EV properly, stop running your car until it is flat. Complete exhaustion of any battery is never a good idea for its long-term health. Repetition of such action can drain your EV’s battery’s health way quicker than it should. It is highly recommended to keep track of your battery whenever you are travelling with your EVs because you currently do not have easy accessibility to power like vehicles that run on fossil fuels have.
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