Stanford: Existing EV batteries may last up to 40% longer than expected
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/12/existing-ev-batteries-may-last-up-to-40-longer-than-expectedDecember 9th, 2024
Existing EV batteries may last up to 40% longer than expected
Consumers real-world stop-and-go driving of electric vehicles benefits batteries more than the steady use simulated in almost all laboratory tests of new battery designs, Stanford-SLAC study finds.
The batteries of electric vehicles subject to the normal use of real-world drivers like heavy traffic, long highway trips, short city trips, and mostly being parked could last about a third longer than researchers have generally forecast, according to a new study by scientists working in the
SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, a joint center between Stanford Universitys
Precourt Institute for Energy and
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. This suggests that the owner of a typical EV may not need to replace the expensive battery pack or buy a new car for several additional years.
Almost always, battery scientists and engineers have tested the cycle lives of new battery designs in laboratories using a constant rate of discharge followed by recharging. They repeat this cycle rapidly many times to learn quickly if a new design is good or not for life expectancy, among other qualities.
This is not a good way to predict the life expectancy of EV batteries, especially for people who own EVs for everyday commuting, according to the
study published Dec. 9 in Nature Energy. While battery prices have plummeted about 90% over the past 15 years, batteries still account for almost a third of the price of a new EV. So, current and future EV commuters may be happy to learn that many extra miles await them.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41560-024-01675-8