Jul 12, 2022 08:15 PM
Here’s one way we know that an EV’s battery will last the car’s lifetime
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/07/her...-lifetime/
INTRO: It's often said that the easiest way to get people to buy an electric vehicle is to let them test-drive one. But here in the US, EVs only accounted for 3 percent of the 15 million new vehicles sold in 2021. That means there are an awful lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to these newfangled machines.
The top concern is probably range anxiety, a fear that is usually dispelled as someone gets used to waking up to a full battery every morning. I won't dwell on that today, but the next-most common point of confusion about EVs has to be the traction battery's longevity, or potential lack thereof.
It's an understandable concern; many of us are used to using consumer electronic devices powered by rechargable batteries that develop what's known as "memory." The effect is caused by repeatedly charging a cell before it has been fully depleted, resulting in the cell "forgetting" that it can deplete itself further. The lithium-ion cells used by EVs aren't really affected by the memory effect, but they can degrade storage capacity if subjected to too many fast charges or if their thermal management isn't taken seriously.
The Nissan Leaf bears a lot of responsibility for the idea that EV batteries don't last. Nissan eschewed liquid cooling for the Leaf's pack, and the EV first went on sale in model year 2012, so there has been enough time for some early Leafs to lose up to 20 percent of their pack's storage capacity.
Most EVs aren’t the Nissan Leaf
As it turns out, an EV's battery pack is subject to a more stringent warranty than the rest of the car—federal law requires automakers to guarantee packs for eight years, or 100,000 miles (160,000 km), at a minimum. And with the exception of Nissan, every EV on sale today features liquid battery cooling as part of the battery management system.
Tesla has been making EVs for long enough that some of its cars have accumulated massive mileages, providing real-world data on degradation over time. EVs from OEMs that are newer to the electrified end of the market instead have to rely on extensive testing programs to determine if their battery packs have what it takes for the long road... (MORE - details)
Electric vehicles pass the remote road test
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/ele...-road-test
RELEASE: Electrics vehicles can handle the distances required to travel to essential services in remote and regional Australia, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).
According to co-author Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, the results show the use of electric vehicles in remote communities is more feasible than might be expected.
"We analysed the distances between people's homes and the nearest "service hub" towns -- where they might go to the do the shopping, for example," Dr Sturmberg, said. "The vast majority of residents, or 93 per cent, could do those trips with even the lower-range of electric vehicles currently available on the Australian market. That's without needing to recharge en route."
Dr Sturmberg said given this, there's no excuse for leaving our remote communities out of the discussion.
"We need to do better -- electric vehicles shouldn't be left in the too hard basket. It's an unequitable and unfair path forward if remote and regional communities are the last ones left driving diesel vehicles, especially as they will be some of the most impacted by catastrophic climate change," Dr Sturmberg said.
"Yes the barriers are obvious -- large distances, unsealed roads. But the benefits are equally obvious. It's difficult and expensive to get diesel out to these communities, and electric engines are simpler and more robust than fuel engines."
Co-author Dr Francis Markham added there are some limits to what we know, and aspects that need further investigation.
"For example, we still don't have clear data on the impact of unsealed roads or different conditions on the effective range of electric vehicles," Dr Markham said. "And information on the performance of electric vehicles in very hot conditions is still lacking. However, we are confident that electric vehicles do have a place in regional and remote Australia."
According to the researchers, transport is one of the key issues we need to tackle to limit the worst effects of climate change.
"The transport sector is responsible for 25 per cent of global emissions and more than 18 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas pollution," Dr Sturmberg said. "It must rapidly decarbonise -- and electric vehicles are going to be a crucial part of that decarbonisation."
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/07/her...-lifetime/
INTRO: It's often said that the easiest way to get people to buy an electric vehicle is to let them test-drive one. But here in the US, EVs only accounted for 3 percent of the 15 million new vehicles sold in 2021. That means there are an awful lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to these newfangled machines.
The top concern is probably range anxiety, a fear that is usually dispelled as someone gets used to waking up to a full battery every morning. I won't dwell on that today, but the next-most common point of confusion about EVs has to be the traction battery's longevity, or potential lack thereof.
It's an understandable concern; many of us are used to using consumer electronic devices powered by rechargable batteries that develop what's known as "memory." The effect is caused by repeatedly charging a cell before it has been fully depleted, resulting in the cell "forgetting" that it can deplete itself further. The lithium-ion cells used by EVs aren't really affected by the memory effect, but they can degrade storage capacity if subjected to too many fast charges or if their thermal management isn't taken seriously.
The Nissan Leaf bears a lot of responsibility for the idea that EV batteries don't last. Nissan eschewed liquid cooling for the Leaf's pack, and the EV first went on sale in model year 2012, so there has been enough time for some early Leafs to lose up to 20 percent of their pack's storage capacity.
Most EVs aren’t the Nissan Leaf
As it turns out, an EV's battery pack is subject to a more stringent warranty than the rest of the car—federal law requires automakers to guarantee packs for eight years, or 100,000 miles (160,000 km), at a minimum. And with the exception of Nissan, every EV on sale today features liquid battery cooling as part of the battery management system.
Tesla has been making EVs for long enough that some of its cars have accumulated massive mileages, providing real-world data on degradation over time. EVs from OEMs that are newer to the electrified end of the market instead have to rely on extensive testing programs to determine if their battery packs have what it takes for the long road... (MORE - details)
Electric vehicles pass the remote road test
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/ele...-road-test
RELEASE: Electrics vehicles can handle the distances required to travel to essential services in remote and regional Australia, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).
According to co-author Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, the results show the use of electric vehicles in remote communities is more feasible than might be expected.
"We analysed the distances between people's homes and the nearest "service hub" towns -- where they might go to the do the shopping, for example," Dr Sturmberg, said. "The vast majority of residents, or 93 per cent, could do those trips with even the lower-range of electric vehicles currently available on the Australian market. That's without needing to recharge en route."
Dr Sturmberg said given this, there's no excuse for leaving our remote communities out of the discussion.
"We need to do better -- electric vehicles shouldn't be left in the too hard basket. It's an unequitable and unfair path forward if remote and regional communities are the last ones left driving diesel vehicles, especially as they will be some of the most impacted by catastrophic climate change," Dr Sturmberg said.
"Yes the barriers are obvious -- large distances, unsealed roads. But the benefits are equally obvious. It's difficult and expensive to get diesel out to these communities, and electric engines are simpler and more robust than fuel engines."
Co-author Dr Francis Markham added there are some limits to what we know, and aspects that need further investigation.
"For example, we still don't have clear data on the impact of unsealed roads or different conditions on the effective range of electric vehicles," Dr Markham said. "And information on the performance of electric vehicles in very hot conditions is still lacking. However, we are confident that electric vehicles do have a place in regional and remote Australia."
According to the researchers, transport is one of the key issues we need to tackle to limit the worst effects of climate change.
"The transport sector is responsible for 25 per cent of global emissions and more than 18 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas pollution," Dr Sturmberg said. "It must rapidly decarbonise -- and electric vehicles are going to be a crucial part of that decarbonisation."
