Step on it - hard acceleration is good for your battery health

[Lightning Rod]

I often wonder if heavy excelleration wears the drive motors down quicker. I've read that these motors can go a half million miles or more without issues.

I plan on keeping this truck until 2040.

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[Ricks Lightning]

I'll make sure to copy and paste the article so when I get pulled over I can share it with the cop.
Out here there's lots of cops that drive BEV. Mainly Teslas.
I volunteer weekly at our station. There is 1 other lightning and a hummer, not to mention dozens of Teslas..

Rick

 

[Maxx]

I understand real life use may be better because it included long periods of rest but I am not completely sold on the point it emphasizes. I always wonder if you have a cell or two already on the edge, flooring it may push them over early.

Maintaining higher capacity for longer is not my main concern. Avoiding pack failure even under warranty is.

 

[Brent@ANParts]

Glad to hear the Italian Tune Up still works with modern cars, hah!

 

[JPro]

Details matter.

The title is sensational "Science Says Hard Acceleration Might Be Good For Your EV Battery" but the truth is not really that simple.

This study is consistent with other recent studies that have shown longer life spans in real life usage (EV driven by EV owners) vs typical EV battery bench testing - bench testing will repeated cycle a battery at a constant rate until an end of life level is reached.

So what this is confirming is that bench testing in the past has NOT been simulating real EV driving which does involve a variety of discharge currents and amounts, and the bench testing needs to be rejiggered to use "dynamic discharging."

From the article:

"...This might sound like it's a great idea to go flooring your car all over the place, but that's also not exactly true. Like most things in life, good comes in moderation. And your battery? Well, variety (or, rather, dynamic discharging) is the spice of life.... Ultimately, the findings found that battery health responds well to low-frequency pulses and higher peak currents rather than a sustained draw. The study refers to this as low-frequency pulses, which can be thought of as mild bursts of power, like being in stop-and-go traffic or short stints of acceleration. [they cosidered] End of Life (EOL) at 85% SOH...

The study found that after a battery experiences the majority of its age-related degradation (which happens early on in the battery's lifecycle), its main degradation factor is a combination of loss due to two main factors:

• First, positive electrodes become more unstable at higher voltages, meaning that a higher resting State of Charge (SOC) can degrade the positive electrode of a battery quickly.
• Second, negative electrode capacity loss is impacted by the Depth of Discharge (DoD), meaning that if a battery operates at a very low SOC, it can also degrade more quickly. This is why most folks recommend keeping an EV battery as close to 50% as possible for day-to-day driving.

However, it also found that prolonged draw at a constant current (like sustained highway driving on long, flat roads at a constant speed) could result in an accelerated capacity degradation. Meanwhile, mixed driving that simulated urban environments where speed and load varied showed less overall degradation before the battery reached EOL. ... What's more interesting is that as the current increased, the battery was able to reach a higher number of EFCs [equivalent full cycles (0-100%)]...

While this might make you want to get out and start flooring your EV at every traffic light in the name of battery health, that's not what you should be taking away from this study ... the key to battery longevity is variety. Keeping your battery at a healthy level and realizing that driving in rush hour traffic might be frustrating, but it's actually great for your battery's overall health. ..."

I'd say stop light to stop light counts as "short stints of acceleration"!

 

[Quantum]

Love to do that as needed - then I need to edit my State Farm Safe Drive/Save trip to "passenger" - otherwise my discount decreases.

 

[chl]

I understand real life use may be better because it included long periods of rest but I am not completely sold on the point it emphasizes. I always wonder if you have a cell or two already on the edge, flooring it may push them over early.

Maintaining higher capacity for longer is not my main concern. Avoiding pack failure even under warranty is.

Yes, I think the headline was misleading, since the body of the article makes it clear that dynamic discharging is the key, not burning rubber (and wasting electrons). Heat is a big factor in battery life and flooring it all the time probably would thermally stress the battery.

 

[chl]

I often wonder if heavy excelleration wears the drive motors down quicker. I've read that these motors can go a half million miles or more without issues.

I plan on keeping this truck until 2040.

I'm sure it does.

And AI says yes, the reasons are pretty obvious common sense:

While electric vehicle (EV) motors are generally robust and have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, heavy and repeated acceleration can lead to increased stress and heat within the motor and battery system, potentially impacting long-term performance and durability over many years, primarily through elevated temperatures and increased current drawHere's how heavy acceleration affects EV motors:

• Heat Generation:

Hard acceleration draws more current from the battery and generates more heat in the motor windings and associated components. While EV motors are designed with cooling systems, excessive heat can stress these components over time.

• Component Stress:

Repeated hard acceleration places stress on the motor's internal components, including bearings and potentially the magnets, although the latter is less of a concern in modern EVs compared to older or highly modified systems.

• Efficiency Impact:

While electric motors can be very efficient, operating at their peak efficiency point isn't always at maximum acceleration. This means that while you get immediate power, you're consuming energy less efficiently than at more moderate speeds, although the overall energy cost is generally lower than in an ICE vehicle under similar conditions.

• Battery Life:

Increased current draw during heavy acceleration can also lead to faster battery heating, which can negatively impact the battery's long-term health and lifespan, even if the impact is less severe than in ICE vehicles.

• Tire Wear:

A significant and often overlooked consequence of aggressive acceleration in EVs is increased tire wear, as EVs are designed for rapid acceleration and the tires need to handle the increased torque and grip demands.

• Comparison to ICE:

The wear from heavy acceleration in EVs is generally not as drastic as in ICE vehicles where cylinder rings and cylinder walls experience significant friction during rapid acceleration.

In summary, while EV motors are built to handle significant stress, consistent and extreme acceleration can contribute to wear and tear on components, particularly bearings, and can lead to higher operating temperatures that may affect the longevity of the entire powertrain over a very long period of time.

 

[THX1138]

I tend to treat my battery with outmost care at least once every time I'm out driving.

I have a hard time not taking good care of mine.

 

[Zaptor]

<- Health nut.

-Zap

 

[jetfixr1]

So the italians were right?

 

[MaintGrl]

So the italians were right?

 

[jetfixr1]

Italian tuneup

 

[astrand1]

I tend to treat my battery with outmost care at least once every time I'm out driving.

Gotta give it the old Italian tune-up!

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

The o'l Rev-up-tune-up...reminds me of a 77 Murcury I had a million years ago, before I got old.

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