Ever noticed how your smartphone’s battery loses battery life over the years? 

That’s called battery degradation, and unfortunately, it also happens in electric cars (or any other rechargeable Li-Ion Battery)! Luckily for you, most electric cars offer a multitude of measures in-built to slow down the battery degradation process. 

So how much range does your electric car’s battery actually lose each year? This is an important consideration before you decide to purchase an electric car, and battery longevity has been a huge concern for many. 

What affects battery degradation in electric cars?

There are many factors that affect the rate at which your battery degrades, from your charging habits, mileage, and even the technological and chemical construction of your battery cells. Let’s take a closer look at 4 common reasons why your EV’s battery might degrade faster.

Fast Charging

With the long charging time being a big blocker for EV adoption, the usage and installation of fast charging outlets have its obvious benefits. However, there’s a hidden drawback that many might not be aware of… 

The increased thermal load that’s produced by fast charging can actually damage the internal components of an EV’s battery cell. This then leads to fewer Li-ions being able to transfer from the cathode to the anode, affecting its energy storage capabilities.

Ambient Temperature

Both cold and hot climates can slow down an EV’s charging rate and have a big influence on the rate of Li-battery degradation. This is because the temperature of the environment where your car is in will impact the rate and efficiency of chemical reactions inside the battery.

Time

Typically, an electric car’s battery can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. This is good news for Singaporean drivers as most of us drive the same car for less than 10 years due to the COE premiums.

However, just like all electronic devices, time and wear and tear is the biggest factor for battery degradation. This is something that we can’t control.

Instead, you sure ensure that your EV’s battery is covered by warranties for added peace of mind. Cars like the BYD e6 is covered by a battery warranty for up to 8 years or 500,000km!

Your Mileage

Similarly, your EV’s battery will experience more wear on its cells when it goes through more charge cycles. Just like how your phone’s battery health diminishes over the years with every charge, the same can happen to your electric car too.

The more mileage you clock means you’ll need to charge your car more, which can accelerate battery degradation!

If you’re in the market for an electric car, the BYD e6 is an EV you should seriously consider. With 522KM of range on the super safe BYD Blade Battery, fast charging capabilities that allows you to charge from 20% to 80% in just 40 minutes with a 70kW DC Charger, and 1 hour with a 40kW AC charger, there’s no better option out there!

Additionally, all BYD cars come with a slew of complimentary warranty and servicing packages like

1. Free Servicing for up to 6 years or 120,000km
2. Battery Warranty for up to 8 years or 500,000km
3. Factory Warranty of up to 6 years or 150,000km

These packages offered are significantly more than many other EV brands in Singapore, offering drivers with utmost assurance and guaranteed peace of mind when driving an EV in Singapore.

AC and DC. These two terms are always mentioned when you read up about electric car charging. So, what are they? And how are they different? Let’s find out!

And no… these abbreviations don’t refer to the American rock band… 

AC and DC Charging for Electric Vehicles

The two electric vehicle charging terms refer to Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) charging. 

The term AC describes the electrical current’s flow of charge, which alternates and periodically changes direction. On the other hand, DC power always moves in a straight line.

Charging with an AC Charger

By default, the power that comes from the grid is dispensed in AC. However, batteries like the one found in your EV can only store power as DC. 

Therefore, the power from the AC charger has to flow through the onboard charger before going to the traction battery. As the conversion will take some time, and there might be some limitations to the power output of your onboard charger, AC charging will usually take a longer time to power up your car.

Charging with a DC Charger

When you charge your electric vehicle with a DC charger (also known as Fast or Rapid Chargers), it bypasses all of the limitations of the onboard charger and required conversion. Instead, it provides DC power directly to the battery, therefore charging speed has the potential to be greatly increased.

However, it’s also important to note that charging times are dependent on the battery size, the output of the charger, as well as many other factors. Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that many electric vehicles will be able to power up to 80% charge in about an hour with the current DC fast chargers on the market.

The Importance of a High Voltage Onboard Charger

Onboard chargers have their own rating, typically below 10kW. This means that the onboard charger will only be able to receive 10kW of power from the charger at a go. 

In other words, if you’re charging your electric vehicle with a 22kW external charger, you’ll only receive power at the rate of 10kW at a time. This is the maximum speed your electric vehicle will charge at.

With an onboard charger that has a higher rating, like the BYD e6’s class-leading 40kW onboard charger, charging times will be quicker as you’ll be able to receive more power from AC chargers.

This is why it’s important to choose an electric vehicle that not only has a good battery range, but also a high voltage onboard charger.

If you’re in the market for an electric car, you should definitely consider the BYD e6 — the most affordable EV in Singapore right now. 

The BYD e6 takes just 40mins to charge from 20% to 80% on a DC charger, and just 1 hour on an AC charger, which is significantly faster than many other EVs.