Are you looking to switch from a gas-powered vehicle? Learn the answers to your questions about the electric car battery before purchasing!
Transcript:
With gasoline prices at an all-time high, I’m sure many of you are considering your next vehicle purchase to be an electric vehicle.
I know I am.
But are you wondering how the battery technology of your electric vehicle will impact your lifestyle, whether you’re always running errands are driving far for work?
Hi, I’m Nancy at Kneble’s Auto Service Center.
All batteries for electric vehicles are not made the same, but they all lose energy over the life of the battery.
That leaves us with three basic questions to ponder before making a decision.
First question.
How do you go about charging your car’s battery, or when is it recommended to charge your battery?
Second question.
How long will your car’s battery last, or rather, when will you have to replace your battery?
And the third question, since we’re an auto repair shop, we want to put this in perspective for you, the driver.
What is the cost of replacing your battery?
Before I answer these questions, consider liking us on Facebook, following us on Instagram, and check out our YouTube channel.
You may be wondering, how you go about charging your vehicle’s battery.
Do you treat it like your cell phone when you wait until the battery is depleted before charging it?
Well, it depends on the manufacturer.
Tesla and Mercedes use lithium-ion batteries with the benefit of no memory effect, which translates to not having to wait until the battery depletes.
You can top off that battery with a charge every day if you like. But for example, according to Kia.com, Kia Motors suggests “frequent use of DC fast charging can negatively impact battery performance and durability, and Kia recommends minimizing the use of DC fast charging.”
Hence, you know what the manufacturer of your electric vehicle recommends. Not batteries are the same in every make and model. Therefore, they shouldn’t be treated the same.
That leads us to the second question on how long will your battery last.
Over time, an electric battery loses life, which is referred to as battery degradation. It is hard to determine how long your battery will last.
Since different manufacturers use different technology, there is no one answer.
Tesla claims your vehicle’s batteries can last between 300 to 500,000 miles.
Mercedes uses general verbiage stating it will last as long as the average owner of the vehicle.
Well, they probably wouldn’t want me to test that theory, because I’ve had my car for nearly 20 years, which is pushing what Green Cars says. Because according to them, the average EV battery will last no more than 10 years.
If you keep your car long enough that it needs to be replacing the battery, you’re going to want to know the cost of that replacement.
Currently, according to Green Cars, the average cost of a battery is approximately $135 per kilowatt-hour of that battery, with an average electric vehicle battery being 108 kilowatt-hours.
Now, along with the installation cost, this translates to 15 to $20,000.
Ouch!
You may be avoiding the other costs that come down the road of owning an electric power engine, but that may be the signal known when you say, “Eh! It’s time to buy a new vehicle.”
The cost of that repair would make my decision to buy a new car.
Speaking of which, refer to my video, Should I repair or replace my vehicle?
When you’re ready to buy an electric vehicle, there is more to consider than just the battery life.
I recommend my video on tips on buying a new car.
Happy shopping for your electric vehicle, because it’s so painful to go to those pumps.
In the meantime, we will be here for your service on your vehicle at 5473 Somers Point Road in Mays Landing, next to Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen.
You can schedule an appointment with us at 609-625-3286, or you can do it also online through our website.
See you next Wednesday for another great video.
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