How Much Does It Cost To Replace The Batteries In Electric Vehicles?

Just like how internal combustion engine vehicles get their energy from fuel, electric vehicles get theirs from batteries. The batteries here are a scaled-up version of the lithium-ion batteries that are in mobile phones.

Lithium battery is a type of rechargeable battery that is used in most vehicles and a number of portable electronics. Lithium is also the strongest and lightest of all metals. The batteries are comprised of thousands of individual Li-ion cells that work together. When the car is charging, the electricity is used to make chemical changes inside the batteries.

Electronic vehicles go through a cycle of what is known as a discharge that occurs when driving and charging when the car is plugged in. when this process is repeated, it affects the amount of charge the battery can hold. This then decreases the range and time needed between each journey to charge the battery. This is why most manufacturers have a five to eight-year warranty on their batteries. The prediction for most batteries though is that it will take about 10 – 20 years before the batteries wear out and need to be replaced.

How An Electric Car’s Battery Works

The way the electric car is powered by a battery is so simple. The battery connects to one or more electric motors which drive the wheels. When the accelerator is pressed, the car moves immediately. It feels the power going to the motor which consumes the energy that has been stored in the battery. Electric vehicles also work as generators. The way you would take your foot off the throttle would make the vehicle begin to slow down by converting its forward motion back into electricity. This happens strongly when the brakes are hit. The regenerative braking recovers storing it in the battery again and it improves the car’s range.

Battery Life Of Electric Vehicles

The battery of an electric vehicle, once it loses its capacity to power any vehicle, can be transformed to power a home or building by changing it to a battery storage system. The battery of an electronic vehicle is said to be able to last for many years. The electronic vehicle manufacturers guaranteed this. The Nissan model warrants that the electric car batteries will last for eight years or 100,000 miles. Also, Tesla manufacturers offer the same guarantee. It would not be good enough for a battery made to last for thousands of miles to wear out within few years of its purchase. That is why its manufacturers go to extreme points to ensure that the batteries last for at least ten years.

One of the ways the batteries are made to last is through what is known as buffered which means to use the battery power in half capacity and reduce it by storing it in a number of cycles. Another method is a clever cooling technique that would give the battery a trouble-free life.

Manufacturers also ensure to put the extra spare capacity in the batteries to compensate for any future degradation that may occur over time. This means that as the batteries get old, the spare capacity is used. This allows the range of the vehicle to stay the same throughout the use of that battery. The battery range and performance may start to fall once the battery gets to 80%.

Cost To Replace An Electric Vehicle Battery

Replacing the battery of an electric vehicle is not something to worry much about because the manufacturers have already provided enough warranty for up to 8 years or 100,000 miles. This means that even if the battery needs to be replaced, it could be covered by the warranty for the first 8 years of its purchase. The owner should always remember to check the years of warranty given to the battery.

Batteries can be one of the most expensive parts of owning an electric vehicle. If the warranty given has expired, it is useful to know how much it would cost to replace the battery.

In Nigeria, the owner of the electric vehicle has to get it from an authentic dealer to avoid fake batteries or being scammed. This would cost the owner to spend about N3 million to N5 million to purchase and replace the battery.

How To Maximize The Electric Vehicle’s Battery Life

Degradation of batteries is completely normal and is bound to happen and is especially expected with the battery of an electric vehicle. Even though this can happen anytime, it is advisable not to leave your car fully charged and plugged in for a long period of time or letting it knock out because the battery is low.

DC fast chargers are one of the best ways to charge the battery of an electric vehicle. The battery can go from 20% to 80% in just one hour. Charges are now becoming popular in most public stations. In as much as they are very convenient, they can deplete and degrade the battery faster than anything else if used too many times. To maximize the battery of an electric vehicle, fast charging should only be done when urgently needed.

Also, the extreme temperature is the worst foe of a battery’s longevity. Both hot weather and cold weather can lead to the battery being degraded especially when unplugged. Therefore, the vehicle should be parked in a garage to avoid such.