Although electric car batteries have an average life of 15-20 years, like all batteries, they go through a process of ageing and wear.
But don’t worry – there are several things you can do to help improve the health and longevity of your EV battery, all of which are included in this blog.
Follow our six simple tips to take care of your electric car battery and maximise EV battery life.
Rapid and ultra-rapid public EV chargers are the perfect solution for when your battery is about to die, and you need to charge as soon as possible. With high charging rates of 50kW and above, you can top-up your electric car in as little as 20-45 minutes.
Typically, these rapid electric car chargers are located in public, at supermarkets and hotels, whereas ultra-rapid EV charging points capable of charging at rates of 150kW are found at motorway service stations.
But while rapid charging sessions may seem tempting on a day-to-day basis due to the shortened charging time, you should not rely on these rapid EV charging points to religiously top-up or fully charge your electric car.
High direct current (DC) charging rates – classified as rates above 22kW – put significant strain on your battery, resulting in your EV battery degrading quicker over time and, in turn, decreasing your EV range.
Instead, charge your electric car at rapid public charging points before long journeys and in emergencies only. Otherwise, you could be doing more damage to your electric car battery.
On a daily basis, it’s recommended by industry experts that EV owners should charge using a 3.6kW, 7kW, 11kW or 22kW home electric car charger, as they put much less strain on your battery by utilising AC (alternating current) from the grid – not to mention significant cost benefits and improved convenience if you invest in a home EV charger.
If you frequently let your EV battery charge fall below 20%, the battery performance over time will drop – increasing range anxiety. In the same sense, lithium batteries degrade faster when at 100% charge.
So, do not charge your EV to 100% every night – or at all, if you can help it. Keeping your charge between 20-80% puts the least amount of strain on your EV battery – so it’s best practice to charge your EV to 80% if you want to reduce range anxiety, or hold it in the 20-80% sweet spot.
Most modern electric vehicles can help maintain this 20-80% balance as they offer control to set maximum charging limit. For example, the Tesla Model Y allows you can set a charging limit via the EV’s internal touchscreen, so your EV will automatically stop charging when it hits 80% – both for home chargers and public charging points. By taking advantage of this feature, you restrict any unnecessary strain on your electric car battery.
An easy way to improve your charging habits and preserve your battery life is to invest in a smart home EV charger. With advanced smart features, you can minimise your reliance on DC rapid chargers and make it easier to ensure your charge is between the advised 20-80% zone.
As touched upon before, avoid fully charging your EV to 100%, as this can damage your electric vehicle’s battery – especially if done frequently.
EV battery charging best practices include only fully charging before long journeys. Consistently charging to 100% will damage the battery, and it’s unlikely (unless you travel long distances for work) that you will need to charge your EV every day – let alone to 100%.
As such, only charge your EV battery to 100% when you really need to, such as when you need the full range of your electric vehicle for road trips and long journeys.
Like most vehicles, your electric car will be most comfortable when parked in the shade rather than in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Parking in the shade keeps the battery cooler and prevents it from overheating, maintaining longevity and battery performance.
In the same sense, extremely cold weather and hot weather can negatively impact your EV’s battery by decreasing efficiency and reducing range. To caveat this drop in performance, park your electric car in a garage or enclosed parking space – if possible.
Let your electric car cool down before you start charging it. For example, if you have just finished a long drive on the motorway, it would not be advised to start charging your EV as soon as you arrive home.
Ideally, you should try to charge your electric vehicle at the coolest time of day or night to take care of your EV battery. With a smart electric car charger, you can pre-set your EV to charge when the temperature is at its lowest with the charge scheduling feature. Given that the temperature it’s usually at its coolest overnight, you’ll charge for cheaper, too.
Just like with petrol and diesel cars, you should make sure your vehicle doesn’t sit in the driveway or stay parked in the same place for too long. Taking your electric vehicle out for small drives helps to look after the EV’s battery and overall health.
If you are driving every day, you don’t need to worry about this tip too much, as your EV will likely get out and about enough. On the other hand, if you can’t remember the last time you drove your electric car, it might be time to take it out for a quick spin to ensure your battery stays in top condition.
If you are thinking about getting an EV home charger installed, please get in touch with us for helpful and unbiased advice. With expert engineers across the UK; we can install home electric car chargers wherever you are – all with first-class customer service.
Browse our market-leading range of home electric vehicle chargers, or if you don’t know where to start and prefer to speak to someone directly, call us on 03333 44 96 99 or fill in the contact form below. Our expert customer service team are always happy to help – we’re open seven days a week, including bank holidays, too.
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This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
Tenants and homeowners are eligible for finance.
You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
