Are you interested in getting the new Dodge Charger Daytona electric vehicle (EV) or a similar electric car but are worried about replacing costly EV batteries earlier than expected? SLAC-Stanford Battery Center researchers have good news: EV batteries last longer and degrade slower than previously believed.
In a recent study, the researchers found that the current testing methods aren’t accurately measuring EV battery lifespan and degradation. Furthermore, braking behavior might help extend the lifespan of EV batteries. Thanks to regenerative braking, stop-and-go driving might help get the most out of the EV Dodge Charger lifespan.
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV is the electric car version of the popular muscle car. The 2024 model year comes in baseline R/T and high-performance Scat Pack submodels. Dodge plans to introduce a gasoline engine submodel in 2025.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T can go up to 308 miles on a single full charge. The Daytona Charger Scat Pack has a shorter range of 241 miles. Adding options, like 18-inch wheels and sticky tires, might reduce the EV battery range.
Like most electric vehicles, the EV Dodge Charger lifespan is expected to last between 15 and 20 years, comparable to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
However, the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center researchers found out that these numbers aren’t accurate because consumers used their EVs differently.
EV batteries undergo similar industry laboratory testing to their internal combustion engine counterparts. They’re subjected to a constant discharge rate before charging to full status. The laboratory repeats the cycle until the EV batteries finally fail. The average time it takes for the batteries to fail is calculated and presented as the expected service life of the energy storage container.
The EPA determines EV range through a modified method for calculating fuel economy in ICE engines. Their approach includes a test where they operate an EV with fully charged batteries nonstop until the electric car runs out of juice.
Additionally, the EPA doesn’t perform dynamic testing to account for variances in efficiency, such as ambient temperatures, running the heater or A/C, and how the driver uses their vehicle. Instead, the agency crunches the numbers with a baseline formula, adding values like temperature as needed.
The SLAC-Stanford Battery Center study warns that this approach leads to misleading results. One of the researchers pointed out that drivers never operated their vehicles like the testers did during testing.
For example, drivers don’t maintain the same speed while driving in real-life conditions. They often hit the gas pedal to speed up and the brake pedal to slow down. In vehicles with regenerative braking, hitting the brakes charge the batteries. The extra charge reduces the need for the EV to plug into a charging station or for the hybrid to burn fuel.
Drivers also don’t keep operating their vehicles until the gas tank runs empty or the EV batteries fully drain. They’ll stop at various points of their trip to do things that might last hours. Frequent and extended stops give the EV batteries much-needed breaks, allowing them to cool and reducing the drain on their stored charge.
According to the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center researchers, real-life driving practices help EV batteries last longer than the expectations set by industry standard laboratory testing.
Industry standard lab testing indicated that typical EV batteries lasted between 100,000 and 200,000 miles before requiring replacement. However, few batteries reach that 200,000-mile mark. Most manufacturers offer warranties for 100,000 to 150,000 miles.
On average, drivers cover 14,000 miles every year. EV batteries rated for 100,000 miles will last slightly more than 7 years. Those with 150,000 miles have almost 11 years to look forward to.
However, the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center researchers reported that EV batteries lasted up to 38% longer. In terms of mileage, the batteries could last up to 195,000 miles before needing replacement.
Dividing the new total mileage of 195,000 miles by the average annual mileage of 14,000 miles yields almost 14 years of useful service life for EV batteries.
According to the study, spurts of acceleration and braking help EV batteries last longer. Constantly hitting the accelerator pedal and brake pedal slows down the degradation.
EV batteries degrade in two ways. One is charge-discharge cycles, the process of completely charging and discharging the battery. The other is time.
Previously, agencies like the EPA assumed that charging cycles played a more significant role in determining EV battery life. This thinking still applies to commercial EVs that operate in roles like business and public transportation. Electric buses and other commercial EVs are constantly on the road or being charged, similar to how laboratories determine the maximum charge-discharge cycles of the batteries.
The study pointed out that private car owners used their EVs differently. Consumers drove their electric cars to destinations like groceries, schools, and workplaces. However, their EVs also go unused far longer because they’re not always on the road.
Furthermore, private owners often left their unused EVs unplugged and uncharged because they didn’t want to pay the cost of electricity to charge their cars unless they needed to. Thus, time is more relevant than cycling to determine how long the battery will last in an EV owned by a consumer.
While the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center study isn’t the last word on the EV battery’s lifespan, it helps you understand that EV batteries last longer than commonly believed.
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