Aside from replacing consumables like tires and windshield wiper blades, electric vehicles need very little routine maintenance.
Electric motors and batteries don’t need the regular oil changes, tune-ups, or filter changes we perform on gasoline and diesel cars. That doesn’t mean owning an electric car is simply a plug-in-and-forget-it experience.
This guide can help you get long life and minimal degradation from your EV battery.
Adjust Your Thinking
Think of an EV more along the lines of an electronic device such as a smartphone or a laptop, except that it has seats, wheels, airbags, and probably a better stereo. You may not realize it, but your phone and computer have similar batteries that need unique maintenance to maximize their life. The difference is that your phone will be outdated in three or four years, while the average car on the road is now more than 11 years old.
The time has come to adjust your thinking.
How Do Electric Batteries Work?
Batteries are storage units capable of holding vast amounts of energy. Car batteries organize and store energy efficiently, doling it out to an electric motor and accessories such as air conditioning and high-zoot audio systems.
Few technologies evolve at the rapid pace of batteries. That’s why today’s electric cars nearly all top 200 miles of range on a full charge, while batteries a decade ago were good for only 75 or so miles.
There are currently three ways to charge an electric car battery:
- Level 1: Charging via a household-style outlet.
- Level 2: Charging via a 220-volt charger commonly installed in garages or available in public stations.
- Level 3: Charging via a 480-volt direct current (DC) charger for rapid charging.
Household outlet Level 1 charging can take overnight to add just 15 or 20 miles, so most EV owners add a Level 2 charger to their homes. Level 3 chargers use power not typically supplied to residential homes.
EVs also use braking or coasting as regenerative energy feeding back into the battery. You won’t be able to charge a depleted battery by coasting downhill (well, unless you’re cruising down Pikes Peak), but you will see your estimated range bump upward in steep stretches.
How long electric car batteries last depends on their construction and how they receive a charge. Manufacturing methods involving battery cell arrangements vary greatly, so there is not a standardized design. Frankly, automakers (and battery suppliers) are still learning a lot about energy storage.
Do EV Batteries Require More Maintenance?
The simple answer here is: no, EV batteries are essentially maintenance-free in a traditional sense. An electric car driver will never come into contact with the battery tucked under the passenger compartment or beneath the rear seat.
EV running costs are considerably lower than comparable gas-fueled cars. It’s worth factoring that into the price of an EV if you’re doing some number crunching. For instance, a 2022 Nissan Leaf costs about 50% more than a comparably equipped Nissan Versa, but Leaf owners never need to have an oil change or a tune-up because there’s no oil to change, and there’s nothing to tune up. A bonus: electric cars rely on coasting to regenerate battery charge, reducing wear on braking components.
You’ll still be on the hook for a tire rotation (and eventual replacement), plus windshield wipers will eventually wear out.
As for essential maintenance to the battery, that comes down to responsible use. Read on.
How to Properly Maintain an EV Battery
You probably don’t need to alter your lifestyle to keep your EV’s battery in good shape, but there are some essential things to know.
First, it may be tempting to leave the house every morning with a significant “100%” indicator showing on the dashboard. Don’t do this unless you know you’re going to be maximizing the battery’s range. Instead, it’s best to keep the battery at around 80% charge. Adding the last 20% of the charge is taxing the battery, so charging operates in a non-linear curve.
The good news is newer EVs will let you manually set a charging maximum to help preserve battery life. With a 300-mile range, you’ll still have 240 miles to work with between charges. Odds are you’ll add very few miles to the odometer a day, let alone a week.
Charging Cycles
You’ll never want your EV to reach 0% charge remaining. Unlike a gas or diesel car, this means calling a tow truck to haul it home. Most models now include a “limp” mode allowing very low-speed driving to enable the EV to pull off the road before it goes completely dead.
Additionally, you should limit your use of Level 3 chargers. If this sounds counterintuitive, Level 3 chargers are kind of like hopping on a treadmill and immediately setting the speed to the fastest run. If you don’t fall off, at the very least, you’re going to be very tired after a few minutes. Instead, a Level 2 charger supplies the kind of power that makes the battery happy.
Charging the battery as little as possible is the best course of action.
EV Battery Thermal Management
Also, think about how you will store the vehicle. EVs are best kept in mild climates rather than with extended exposure to extreme heat or extreme cold. That doesn’t mean that a driver in Tucson or Fairbanks should skip out on an EV, but it will ultimately result in slightly faster battery degradation.
What Is Car Battery Degradation?
You’ve seen it with your smartphone or laptop as it ages: more charges and discharges performed result in shorter battery life. Over time, cells burn out, leaving the battery with lower capacity and less driving range.
Recent advancements in batteries have begun to reduce the risk of degradation. Today’s varied batteries are the best quality in history, and to prove that, extensive warranties back them.
How Long Is My EV Battery’s Lifespan?
Battery life can be a critical factor in shopping for an EV, but it’s hard to predict how long one will last. Early EVs, such as 2011 Nissan Leaf models, have either had battery packs replaced by now — or they’re going to be in dire need of such replacement.
How long your EV’s battery lasts depends on how you use it. Following the advice above about types of charging and vehicle storage can significantly prolong the lifespan of a battery.
RELATED STORIES: How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?
Do EV Batteries Have Warranties?
A separate warranty protects batteries compared to the conventional “bumper-to-bumper” coverage offered on a new car.
Coverage varies by automaker, car model, and by model year. Most hover around eight years or between 80,000 and 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, while some extend to 10 years. Hyundai’s warranty was unusual in that for a few model years, it provided lifetime coverage for the original owner — regardless of mileage. A dealer can also provide the exact end date of battery warranty coverage for either a new or used model.
Each warranty also differs in what the automaker determines as “battery failure.” Typically, batteries need to degrade beyond a certain point for the automaker to warrant total replacement.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace an EV Battery?
Replacing a battery is not for the faint of heart. Fitment of a new or refurbished battery is hardly a manageable undertaking, and one should never attempt it at home. Replacement means messing with a high-voltage electrical system with numerous connected computer systems and sensors. Additionally, battery packs are cumbersome and difficult to access.
A refurbished battery pack can cost as little as $2,000 for an early Nissan Leaf or upward of $10,000 for a higher-capacity unit in a more recent model.
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