Summer temperatures beyond 30 degrees are not only stressful for people, electric car batteries also suffer from the heat. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, high heat noticeably accelerates the aging of lithium-ion batteries. If you follow a few simple rules when charging, parking and driving, you can significantly extend the life of your battery. These five measures help immediately.
Extreme temperatures have been considered one of the biggest challenges for batteries in electric cars for years. While the range and charging performance in particular decrease when it’s cold in winter, particularly high temperatures can also have a negative effect on the batteries.
Strong heat puts a strain on the sensitive cell structures and can accelerate the aging of the battery in the long term. However, with a few simple measures you can protect the battery and have a positive effect on the lifespan of the battery.
Why you shouldn’t charge your electric car to 100 percent in summer
High temperatures often cannot be avoided in summer, but some typical stresses on the electric car battery can. Similar to smartphones, it is also recommended for electric cars Do not constantly charge the battery to 100 percent.
Just like with cell phones, lithium-ion batteries age faster if they are regularly fully charged and exposed to high temperatures at the same time. In everyday life, it is often better to only charge the battery to around 80 percent.
If a long journey is planned and the electric car is used immediately after charging, the battery can of course still be charged to 100 percent. It becomes particularly problematic when an electric vehicle with a fully charged battery is exposed to high heat.
Because then the car and battery heat up excessively. This in turn puts a strain on the battery cells and significantly increases the aging of the battery. As a result, capacity and service life can suffer greatly.
Park your electric car in the shade instead of in the sun: This keeps the battery cool
If the electric car has to stand still for a long period of time, it should be checked after a shady spots or an underground car park be kept on the lookout. This can prevent the car and battery from overheating.
The battery ages more quickly, especially with a high charge level and strong heat, which can be avoided in this way. In addition, the battery cooling system uses less energy after starting to cool the battery cells back to an appropriate temperature.
Fast charging in the heat: why it harms your battery
A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that temperature plays a central role in charging lithium-ion batteries. It can affect both charging speed and the risk of accelerated aging.
Experts therefore recommend to avoid frequent fast charging – especially at very high temperatures. For long vacation trips in the summer, it is advisable to plan more time.
This is especially necessary because the battery management reduces the performance during fast charging if it gets too hot. To prevent overheating, charging often takes longer.
Drive evenly, charge the battery longer: the right electric car driving style in summer
Those too Driving style can have an influence on the load on the battery in summer. Anyone who frequently accelerates sharply or maintains high speeds places additional demands on the energy storage system. At the same time, more heat is created in the system.
It is gentler to drive consistently and proactively and avoid unnecessary load peaks. It can also help, already to use the air conditioning when chargingto pre-cool the interior.
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