The Expert Podcast

Key Points Covered: 
  • The Heat Problem: Rapid charging generates heat when converting AC to DC electrical energy, which is the primary enemy of EV battery packs
  • Optimal Temperature Range: EV batteries are designed to function optimally between 15-45°C (59-113°F) - temperatures outside this range cause degradation
  • Climate Impact on Battery Life: EVs used in hot climates like Arizona and Nevada show significantly faster battery capacity degradation, even with low mileage
  • Temperature Effects on Performance: 
    • Overheating dramatically reduces a battery's ability to hold charge
    • Cold temperatures prevent batteries from charging at full capacity
    • Both extremes impact overall battery usefulness
  • Battery Lifespan Concerns: Rechargeable batteries are designed for thousands of charge cycles, but excessive heat can reduce useful life by several years
  • Thermal Runaway Risk: Fast charging can overheat batteries, causing decomposition and potentially catastrophic thermal runaway situations
  • Technology Solutions: Industry is developing thermal management systems with sensors in: 
    • Connection ports
    • Battery packs
    • Charging systems to monitor temperature
  • Buyer Tips: Regular battery health monitoring is crucial, especially when purchasing used EVs, to ensure remaining capacity maintains acceptable vehicle value
Source: AZO Materials article on fast charging and EV battery health impacts

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The Expert Podcast brings you firsthand narratives from experts across diverse industries, including private investigators, general contractors and builders, insurance agencies, vehicle specialists, lawyers, and many others.

Does rapid charging of an electric vehicle wear out the battery faster? Here's an article from AZO Materials that asks the question: fast charging and its potential impacts on EV battery health. Rapid charging makes the transition more workable, but there's a consequence. The consequence is heat. When converting electrical energy from AC to DC, heat is the worst energy enemy of an electric vehicle battery pack.

EV batteries have developed to fully function in a range of 15 to 45 degrees Celsius. High temperatures may have catastrophic effects, so even use of an EV in hot climates will degrade the battery faster - that's been proven. Overheating can dramatically impede a battery's ability to stay charged, and cold can also do the same thing. EV can also keep the battery from charging at its full capacity to begin with.

Useful life rechargeable batteries are designed to last a few thousand charge cycles. Excessive heat damage can significantly reduce a battery's usefulness by several years. So as that fast charger blasts energy into that battery, it can overheat the battery, starting to decompose, initiating thermal runaway - potentially catastrophic.

They're talking about putting sensors into the connection port thermal management system and inside the battery pack to have a temperature sensor to see if that battery overheats. There's been reports of vehicles that have been used in hot climates in Arizona, Nevada, where the battery capacity has degraded much quicker, even with low miles.

So making sure that battery health is monitored on a regular basis, especially when you're looking to purchase an electric vehicle, to make sure that your remaining battery capacity is up to snuff and keeps the vehicle having an acceptable value for longer term use.