1. How long does an EV battery last?

By far one of the main concerns drivers have about electric cars is their battery’s longevity –in our Mobility Monitor research 33 percent of potential EV drivers stated it as an essential concern. More recently, the Green Finance Institute found that 62% of drivers who said they wouldn’t buy a second-hand EV cited concerns around battery lifespan. In addition and in that same report, the majority of dealerships recognized battery lifespan as one of the top consumer concerns in the context of used EVs.

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The EV battery will outlive your electric car

EV batteries are built from the start to be resilient and durable. Currently, most electric car batteries are estimated to last between 15 and 20 years before they need replacing. By comparison, the average life expectancy of a traditional car is currently only 12 years, so EV batteries will likely outlive the vehicle they’re in.

EVs are estimated to lose an average of 2.3 percent of their battery capacity per year. In other words, if you purchase an EV today with a 240 km (150 miles) range, you’ll have only lost about 27 km (17 miles) of accessible range after five years. Overall, EVs are projected to last between 100,000 and 200,000 miles, (160,000 km – 320,000 km) before their battery needs replacing. It’s worth also remembering that most manufacturers offer an 8-year warranty or a 160,000km (100,000 mile) drive limit, so you’ll be protected against any unexpected defects or early failure.

But aren’t EV batteries made from the same material as the batteries in smartphones?

In a way, yes. But there’s more to it.

Like most consumer electronics, EV batteries use lithium-ion technology to store and release energy. Compared to other types of batteries, lithium-ion has a high energy density, meaning it can store a high amount of energy in a given weight.

But there’s more to an EV battery than just lithium-ion.

The battery in, for example, a mobile is consumer-grade, which means it’s optimized for maximum runtime at low cost. Also, it’s a lot smaller.

An EV battery is made to industry standards with longevity in mind. A big difference is how the energy is used.

Unlike your or laptop, EVs are made up of thousands of individual lithium-ion cells and they have built-in protection mechanisms to protect against aging and wear.

After a mobile is charged, the stored energy can be fully utilized until the battery goes empty. In other words, the user has full access to the stored energy.

Today, EVs have an advanced battery management system, commonly referred to as BMS. This intelligent system controls every aspect of battery charging and discharging, protects battery cells, and ensures you have enough range for years to come.

The BMS can set aside some capacity to protect the battery and redistribute energy to ensure cells are being used evenly. It can also adjust charging depending on the weather conditions, for example, by slowing or stopping charging completely in extremely cold or warm weather to protect battery cells.

How to extend your EV battery’s life?

Of course, like any other product, eventually, it will perform less optimally.

Although advancements in EV battery technology have increased the longevity of electric vehicles, it is important to take appropriate steps to maintain and optimize battery performance. Here are 3 handy tips to extend your EV battery's life:

1. Minimize Daily Charging: Avoid charging your EV daily to reduce battery stress.
2. Maintain 20-80% Charge: Only charge 100 percent when needed for long trips.
3. Manage the State of Charge for Storage: During long-term storage, maintain the battery charge between 25%-75%

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2. What are EV batteries made of?

Typically, EV batteries are made up of thousands of rechargeable lithium-ion cells connected together to form the battery pack. Besides lithium, they also contain various rare or hard-to-extract materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.

While you might associate lithium-ion cells with EV batteries, there are a number of other battery chemistries that can be used to power electric cars. Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), for instance, were popular in the early days of electric vehicles and are still used in some hybrid models.

But even lithium-ion batteries aren’t exclusively made up of lithium. Like other batteries, lithium-ion cells have a positively charged cathode and a negatively charged anode. The former is typically made from a mix of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, while the anode is usually made of graphite.

The battery pack is contained in a steel or aluminum casing that holds the individual cells together and offers protection against mechanical damage. 

Different EV battery cell types

While we tend to think of EV batteries as a single unit, in practice, they are broken down into modules, each made up of hundreds or even thousands of individual cells. These cells can take different forms, and there are three main types currently on the market. 

• Cylindrical cells: Some of the cheapest and easiest to manufacture, but they can be somewhat limited in their power output compared to other types of cells.
• Prismatic cells: They require less material for the casing but can often store more energy and deliver higher power in a smaller body.
• Pouch cells: Contained in a soft plastic casing, making them highly versatile for different formats. That said, their casing is fragile on its own, requiring additional protection against mechanical shocks.

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4. Are EV batteries bad for the environment?

Whether EVs are better or worse for the environment than combustion engine cars has been debated since the first electric cars came on the market.

In a nutshell, electric cars are far better than internal combustion engine vehicles.

 Make no mistake, electric vehicles and their batteries are a crucial step towards a more sustainable future in transportation, as they offer a cleaner and greener alternative to traditional combustion engine cars. On-road operation of EVs results in significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions, with zero tailpipe emissions.

That being said, there is still an impact on the environment. The bulk of this comes from the production of the EV battery and the extraction of the raw materials needed for it. Let’s explore the environmental impact of manufacturing EV batteries.

Environmental impact of battery production

EV batteries are made of many rare and difficult-to-extract materials, aptly named rare earth elements (REE), such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese. We’ve explored the environmental impact of mining each of these materials more extensively here. Make no mistake, policymakers and industry leaders have a duty to enhance the working conditions related to the mining and production of batteries and are working on improving the entire battery production and lifecycle journey.

Billions versus millions

In one of our REVOLUTION Podcasts, we spoke to Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director of Vehicles & e-mobility Supply Chains at Transport & Environment (T&E). And asked her about mining.

"I think today, I don't know, whenever people hear the word electric car, they probably think of a mine, which is just so unfair." - Julia Poliscanova

Did you know that each year, we extract a staggering 15 billion tons of coal, oil, and natural gas to fuel our traditional mobility needs and current economies?

Contrast that with the critical metals essential for electric vehicles – approximately 7 million tons annually. And projections show that by , even with widespread EV adoption, we'll require 30 to 40 million tons of these materials yearly.

To put it in perspective, remember that one billion is equal to one thousand million.

But here's the difference that maybe matters most:

The company is the world’s best Electric Vehicle Lithium Battery supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

The combustion engine fuel that goes into a car – the petrol, the diesel – when it's burnt, that's gone forever. So, the extraction of resources is a running cost.

In our podcast episode, Julia emphasized that the raw metals needed for electric mobility offer a unique advantage – they're a capital cost. Once mined and integrated into EV technologies, they contribute to years of emission-free driving, reducing the need for constant extraction.

Of course, it’s vital to embrace a more responsible approach across the entire journey and utilize responsible recycling practices. Ethical Sourcing and Tracing are paramount. From carbon footprints to eliminating forced labor, batteries must adhere to ethical practices throughout their supply chains, extending even to mining operations.

A New law on more sustainable, circular, and safe batteries

In July of , The European Parliament adopted new regulations on batteries. Strengthening sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries. The regulation will regulate the entire life cycle of batteries – from production to reuse and recycling – and ensure that they are safe, sustainable, and competitive.

"So the idea is no matter where the battery comes from, there needs to be this digital tracing of the supply chain attached to the battery.” – Julia Poliscanova

For the first time, it ensures comprehensive environmental safeguards across the battery life cycle – from sourcing raw materials to production and recycling.

Did you know that the impact of the EU battery regulation isn't confined to Europe alone? Batteries produced worldwide must meet stringent environmental and ethical criteria, ensuring a sustainable future for all.

The rise of LFP batteries

Luckily, EV manufacturers are increasingly moving away from materials like cobalt and looking for more sustainable alternatives. One such technology that has been gaining popularity is lithium iron phosphate (LFP or Li-FP), which replaces cobalt with iron which is non-toxic and easier to source ethically.

Many Chinese manufacturers have already embraced LFP batteries, while Western carmakers are starting to catch on as well. Tesla, for instance, already produces half of its cars with cobalt-free LFP batteries.

The environmental impact of EV batteries over their lifetime

Over their 15-20 year long lifespan, EVs will help prevent enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, and a typical EV reaches parity in terms of emissions with a combustion engine car after around 33,000 km on the road.

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6. How much does an EV battery weigh?

On average, EV batteries weigh around 454 kg, or 1,000 pounds. How heavy an EV and its battery depends greatly on the vehicle, with some EV batteries weighing only a few hundred kilograms while others can weigh upwards of 900 kg (2,000 pounds).

What determines the weight of an EV battery?

A typical EV battery contains 8 kilograms of lithium, 14 kilograms of cobalt, and 20 kilograms of manganese, although this can vary greatly depending on the model.

All in all, the individual battery cells make up about 60 to 75 percent of a battery’s total weight, while the remaining 25 to 40 percent is made up of the battery’s casing, cables, and thermal and battery management systems (TMS and BMS).

Impact of battery weight on driving specifications

Adding around 500 kilograms of battery weight to an EV doesn't harm its handling, in fact,
EVs tend to be more stable and often handle better than their gas counterparts.

This added weight helps lower the car’s center of gravity, making it much more stable on slippery road conditions or tight curves. This also greatly improves passenger safety by minimizing the chance of a rollover in an accident.

Advancements in battery technology and lightweight materials

While EVs tend to be heavier than combustion engine cars on average, this isn’t necessarily going to be the case for long.

In fact, materials such as magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, and polymer composites can reduce the car’s weight by up to 50 percent, helping decrease energy consumption and boosting efficiency.

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Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Energy storage systems, usually batteries, are essential for all-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Types of Energy Storage Systems

The following energy storage systems are used in all-electric vehicles, PHEVs, and HEVs.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are currently used in most portable consumer electronics such as cell phones and laptops because of their high energy per unit mass and volume relative to other electrical energy storage systems. They also have a high power-to-weight ratio, high energy efficiency, good high-temperature performance, long life, and low self-discharge. Most components of lithium-ion batteries can be recycled, but the cost of material recovery remains a challenge for the industry. Most of today's all-electric vehicles and PHEVs use lithium-ion batteries, though the exact chemistry often varies from that of consumer electronics batteries. Research and development are ongoing to reduce their relatively high cost, extend their useful life, use less cobalt, and address safety concerns in regard to various fault conditions.

Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries

Nickel-metal hydride batteries, used routinely in computer and medical equipment, offer reasonable specific energy and power capabilities. Nickel-metal hydride batteries have a much longer life cycle than lead-acid batteries and are safe and abuse-tolerant. These batteries have been widely used in HEVs. The main challenges with nickel-metal hydride batteries are their high cost, high self-discharge rate, heat generation at high temperatures, and the need to control hydrogen loss.

Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries can be designed to be high power and are inexpensive, safe, recyclable, and reliable. However, low specific energy, poor cold-temperature performance, and short calendar and lifecycle impede their use. Advanced high-power lead-acid batteries are being developed, but these batteries are only used in commercially available electric vehicles for ancillary loads. They are also used for stop-start functionality in internal combustion engine vehicles to eliminate idling during stops and reduce fuel consumption.

Ultracapacitors

Ultracapacitors store energy in the interface between an electrode and an electrolyte when voltage is applied. Energy storage capacity increases as the electrolyte-electrode surface area increases. Although ultracapacitors have low energy density, they have very high power density, which means they can deliver high amounts of power in a short time. Ultracapacitors can provide vehicles with additional power during acceleration and hill climbing and help recover braking energy. They may also be useful as secondary energy-storage devices in electric vehicles because they help electrochemical batteries level load power.

Recycling Batteries

Electric vehicles are relatively new to the U.S. auto market, so only a small number of them have approached the end of their useful lives. As electric vehicles become increasingly common, the battery recycling market may expand.

Studies have shown that an electric vehicle battery could have at least 70% of its initial capacity left at the end of its life if it has not failed or been damaged. The remaining capacity can be more than sufficient for most energy storage applications, and the battery can continue to work for another 10 years or more. Many studies have concluded that end-of-life electric vehicle batteries are technically feasible for second-use applications such as stationary grid and backup power applications. Although there are viable business models for high-value, small, and niche applications for second-use batteries (i.e., powering forklifts and portable devices, replacing diesel backup generators, acting as after-market replacement packs for electric vehicles), the economic viability of installing second-life batteries is still evolving. Costs associated with the purchase price of end-of-life batteries include transportation, storage, sorting and testing, remanufacturing, reassembly and repurposing, integration into battery energy storage systems, certification, and installation.

Widespread battery recycling would help keep hazardous materials from entering the waste stream, both at the end of a battery's useful life and during its production. The U.S. Department of Energy is also supporting the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize to develop and demonstrate profitable solutions for collecting, sorting, storing, and transporting spent and discarded lithium-ion batteries for eventual recycling and materials recovery. After collection of spent batteries, the material recovery from recycling would also reintroduce critical materials back into the supply chain and increase the domestic sources for such materials. Work is now underway to develop battery recycling processes that minimize the life cycle impacts of using lithium-ion and other kinds of batteries in vehicles. But not all recycling processes are the same, and different methods of separation are required for material recovery.

To recover valuable materials from lithium-ion batteries, there are three major technologies currently in different stages of commercialization: smelting (pyrometallurgy), chemical leaching (hydrometallurgy), and direct recycling. In addition to these methods, mechanical treatment through disassembly, crushing, shredding, and separation to create what is called black mass is a major element of any recycling technology.

• Smelting (pyrometallurgy) is the process of high-temperature thermal treatment of batteries in a furnace to extract metals and intermediate salts. These can be further processed to create battery-grade precursors that could go to cathode processing facilities. Smelting (pyrometallurgy) facilities are operational on a large scale and can accept multiple kinds of batteries, including lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride. During high-temperature processing, organic materials, including the electrolyte and carbon anodes, are burned as fuel or reductant. The valuable metals and intermediate salts are recovered and sent to refining storage make them into a product suitable for any use, including battery grade processing. The other materials, including lithium, are contained in the slag, which is used as an additive in concrete. Smelting burns a significant amount of energy.
• Chemical leaching (hydrometallurgy) is a process using chemical treatment to extract key compounds from the black mass, including lithium compounds. The process uses leaching fluids such as inorganic acid, organic acid, alkali, or even bacteria solutions that dissolve metals in cathodes to salts that can be used as precursors to make new cathodes. Many companies in the United States and around the world are building factories for hydrometallurgy because of lower capex and flexibility to directly produce cathodes. In the next few years, several facilities will come online to recycle the onslaught of batteries being retired.
• Direct recycling involves the recovery of cathodes while maintaining its molecular structure rather than breaking it down into constituent metals for reprocessing into battery-grade cathode. Eliminating the need for smelting or chemical leaching makes the prospect of direct recycling most economically viable. With improvement in efficiencies and at-scale production of cathodes of the future, direct recycling factories could be a viable option.

Separating the different kinds of battery materials is often a stumbling block in recovering high-value materials. Therefore, battery design that considers disassembly and recycling is important for the sustainability of electric vehicles. Standardizing batteries, materials, and cell design would also make recycling easier and more cost-effective.

See the report: Technical and Economic Feasibility of Applying Used EV Batteries in Stationary Applications.

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