Electric cars are quite the rage these days, as they’re simple, easy to drive, and unlike conventional vehicles, non-polluting, and battery operated. An electric car is much simpler to operate than a run-on-the-mill gasoline-powered car. In a gasoline-powered car, the fuel/air mixture is ignited by a spark from the spark plug once the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber. Whereas to start an EV all you have to do is push the “Start” button and ta-da the engine will come to life, and you’ll be ready for your eco-friendly ride.
Even though electric cars are simple, economical, and eco-friendly, many buyers have legitimate concerns over their battery; that an electric car wouldn’t last long. But, the life expectancy of an electric car totally depends on its usage and maintenance.
Here are a few ways in which you can extend your EV's life:
1. Speeding is fun but...
If you accelerate with power greater than your electric vehicle’s battery capacity, it might shorten your EV’s lifespan. If you frequently try to accelerate your EV at 70kw and the motor has a capacity of only 35kw, there are chances that you might drain out your EVs life quickly. Hence, accelerating smoothly will only extend the life of your EV.
2. Slow chargers can increase your EV’s lifespan!
If you really want to extend the lifespan of your electric car battery, then do not charge your EV frequently with greater power than your EV’s battery capacity.
The best way to charge your EV is with an AC charger. After charging it twice with a DC charger, we’d recommend you to charge it with an AC charger. As it has been said, slow and steady wins the race.
3. Keep your EVs charged between 30% - 80%
It’s been noticed that if an EV discharges frequently, then the lifespan can deteriorate too. It has been recommended that an EV should always be charged between 30% - 80%. Avoiding a drop below 30% can help extend its life.
4. Extreme temperatures shall be avoided
Extreme temperatures do not go hand in hand with lithium-ion batteries. Both cold and hot temperatures are likely to affect the lifespan. Prolonged exposure to heat can cause battery degradation and cold temperatures can affect the performance of the battery. It is recommended to park your vehicle in a garage or an area with a normal room temperature.
5. Look out for the charging time!
Leaving your EVs plugged in longer than required can cause some serious damage to the battery. Overheating can cause degradation of the battery leading to reducing the lifespan.
We, at BluSmart, have ensured that all our hubs meet the above requirements. Our well lit and managed hubs are currently operational at Kapashera, IGI Airport, Ansal Plaza, Spaze iTech Park, Wazirabad and Vasant Square mall. Our aim is to help quicken the adoption of EVs and that’s why we’re constructing more hubs in Dwarka and South Extension.
Each of our hubs can accommodate up to 25-35 cars at a time. These hubs are well accessible and equipped with more than 200 (DC) double gun - fast chargers with a range of 20kw to 30kw and more than 150 (AC) slow chargers with a range of 3.6kw. A fast charger can take about 75 minutes to charge a car and a slow charger takes about 6 hours. Currently, having the largest EV charging infrastructure in India, we plan to construct and open 130 such hubs to reduce the anxiety of owning an EV.
We hope to open all our hubs for public use in the upcoming months, for a sustainable and greener future.