The world is rapidly moving towards a new era known as the “Electro-Digital Age,” characterized by advanced technology products and extensive mining activities. The increasing demand for large, resource-intensive lithium ion batteries to power the growing electric vehicle market is putting a strain on global mineral supply chains. In fact, nearly one in five cars sold worldwide last year was electric, a trend that is expected to accelerate in the near future. To meet this demand, car manufacturers and governments are rushing to secure more lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals required for battery production.
However, new research indicates that these batteries, which were previously believed to have short lifespans and be disposable, may actually last much longer than initially thought. In some cases, well-maintained electric vehicles (EVs) may even outlast traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. This revelation could provide manufacturers with crucial time to produce the necessary components to meet the growing global demand for EVs.
The latest findings, published in the journal Nature Energy by researchers from the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, suggest that EV batteries could have a lifespan about a third longer than previously estimated. This means that drivers may be able to use their modern EVs for several additional years without needing to replace the battery. The researchers attribute the significant difference in battery life estimates to the unrealistic testing conditions that have been the industry standard. By testing batteries for two years in ways that better simulate real-world driving conditions, the researchers observed a substantial improvement in battery longevity.
Stanford associate professor and senior author of the paper, Simona Onori, stated, “We’ve not been testing EV batteries the right way. To our surprise, real-world driving habits such as frequent acceleration, braking that charges the batteries, short stops, and allowing the batteries to rest for extended periods actually help extend the battery life beyond what was previously believed based on lab tests.”
The SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, whose primary objective is to accelerate the deployment of battery and energy storage technologies at scale to combat climate change, funded the research paper through grants from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Stanford Chevron Fellowship in Energy.
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More ‘realistic’ driving led to less battery degradation
The researchers conducted tests on 92 commercial lithium ion EV batteries over two years using four different driving profiles. The conventional approach in the industry involves a constant rate of battery discharge followed by immediate recharging. However, in real-world scenarios, drivers do not always deplete their batteries completely and recharge immediately. By simulating more realistic driving patterns where EV owners drive short distances over a few days without recharging, the researchers observed an increase in battery lifespan by up to 38%.
The researchers noted in their paper, “This work demonstrates the importance of testing batteries under actual usage conditions and challenges the commonly accepted practice of constant current discharge in laboratory settings.”
Surprisingly, the findings also contradicted the common belief that rapid acceleration and braking accelerate battery degradation. The data suggested that short, intense accelerations might actually slow down battery aging, indicating that driving habits play a significant role in battery longevity.
Stanford engineering PhD student and coauthor of the paper, Alexis Geslin, emphasized the impact of time on battery aging, stating, “For consumers using their EVs for daily activities but not charging them frequently, time becomes the primary factor in battery aging rather than cycling.”
Used electric vehicles may be more viable than previously thought
These findings contribute to a growing body of research suggesting that newer EVs may have longer lifespans than their predecessors. An analysis of 5,000 EV batteries by telematics company Geotab, as reported by Wired, revealed an average battery degradation of approximately 1.8% per year, compared to 2.3% for older EVs studied in 2019. The improving battery management systems could potentially extend the lifespan of EVs, with some estimates suggesting that an EV purchased today could last up to 20 years, surpassing the longevity of some internal combustion engine vehicles.
While the longevity of EVs is promising, the adoption of EVs for extended periods remains to be seen. The average age of vehicles on US roads is increasing, but this trend has not fully translated to EVs yet. As EV costs decrease and more drivers transition from traditional vehicles to EVs, the extended lifespan of EVs could alleviate pressure on global supply chains, which are currently striving to meet the demand for minerals and batteries.
