The 5 Most Common Types of EV Batteries Explained
Reading Time: 4 minutesDid you know that there are different types of EV batteries?
The type of battery that powers your electric vehicle makes a big difference when it comes to range. Besides that, how fast you recharge your EV or how long it will last after the manufacturer’s warranty depends on the type of battery. In fact, even the safety of your electric vehicle is determined by the battery pack.
Which leads us to an important question: what are the different types of batteries on electric vehicles?
1. Lead-Acid Battery
A lead-acid battery is the traditional type of battery used in most gasoline vehicles to start the engine. Beyond that, some of the earliest electric vehicles in the 90s, like the GM EV1 or the Ford Ranger EV, used lead-acid batteries.
However, lead-acid batteries are no longer used by EV manufacturers because they’re inefficient. More succinctly, lead acid batteries are susceptible to cold temperatures, and they’re not durable compared to other types of EV batteries. Not to mention, they’re heavy and bulky.
Then again, lead acid batteries are inexpensive, and they’re a good option if you’re converting a gasoline vehicle to an electric vehicle—although marine deep-cycle batteries are best suited for that kind of that job.
2. Nickel-Metal-Hydride Battery
After auto manufacturers phased out lead acid batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries were often used as an alternative. Some early electric vehicles fitted with nickel metal hydride batteries include the Honda EV Plus, Toyota RAV4 EV, and the Ford Ranger EV.
But nickel metal hydride batteries didn’t become popular in the electric vehicle industry because they’re expensive and inefficient at high temperatures. Also, nickel metal hydride batteries discharge faster than other batteries. For that reason, nickel metal hydride batteries are more common in hybrid vehicles than electric vehicles.
Interestingly, nickel metal hydride batteries are more durable than lead acid or lithium-ion batteries.
3. Lithium-Ion Battery
Most electric vehicles nowadays use lithium-ion batteries. This is because they’re lightweight with high energy efficiency than lead acid or nickel metal hydride batteries. They’re also less likely to overheat at high temperatures, which helps minimize the risks of a fire breaking out.
Beyond that, lithium-ion takes longer to discharge compared to other types of batteries. Some of the longest-range electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries can travel over 500 miles on a full charge. It’s even more impressive that a Tesla with a lithium-ion battery pack comes with a warranty of eight years—but a Tesla’s expected lifespan is between 300k to 500k miles.
However, not all lithium-ion batteries are the same. Most high-end electric vehicles have lithium-ion batteries with a positive electrode made from cobalt. On the other hand, some EV manufacturers are shifting towards lithium iron phosphate batteries for entry-level electric vehicles.
Despite its benefits, one of the biggest disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries is that they’re not environmentally friendly when disposed of. Not to mention, mining lithium-ion raw materials can disrupt ecosystems vital to wildlife and indigenous communities. The good news is that there are promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries that are more environmentally friendly.
In addition to that, lithium-ion batteries can be recycled after they’re disposed of.
4. Solid-State Battery
Solid-state batteries are currently in development, and they’ve not yet been used in electric vehicles. According to Toyota, the first electric vehicles with solid-state batteries could be on the road by 2025. This could be a ‘game changer,’ considering that solid-state batteries are more energy-packed than lithium-ion batteries.
Another benefit of solid-state batteries is that they don’t take up too much space compared to lithium-ion batteries. Because of the weight advantage, solid-state batteries may double the range of electric vehicles and improve performance.
However, solid-state batteries are still in the research phase—until they’re mass-produced, we won’t know if they’re practically better than lithium-ion batteries.
5. Lithium-Sulfur
Lithium-sulfur batteries are another alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Similar to solid-state batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries can deliver more range than lithium-ion batteries. They’re also cheaper to produce with less impact on the environment compared to lithium-ion batteries made of cobalt, according to the European Commission.
The reason why we haven’t yet seen lithium-sulfur batteries on EVs is that they have a short lifespan. Nonetheless, researchers are working on experiments that could solve that problem.
What Is the Best Type of EV Battery?
At the moment, most electric vehicle brands in North America use lithium-ion batteries made up of cobalt, graphite, nickel, or aluminum. If you’re driving a Tesla, you can expect its lithium-ion battery pack to have a life expectancy of 300k to 500k miles. Beyond that, the battery range of the latest electric vehicles on a full charge is between 300 miles to 500 miles.
On the flip side, lithium-ion battery packs are expensive to replace. In fact, the cost of your battery is almost half the price of your electric vehicle.
But in the future, we could have cheaper and lighter battery packs with more electric range than lithium-ion battery packs. Lithium-sulfur and solid-state batteries are the most promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, but they’ve not yet been adopted by the EV industry.
Nickel metal hydride batteries are also suitable for range-extender hybrid cars—but auto manufacturers are opting for lithium-ion battery packs to produce plug-in hybrids. Then again, if you’re converting an old gasoline vehicle to an EV, you could use lead-acid batteries.
EV Battery Technology Is Gradually Improving
Back in the 90s, the best electric vehicles had batteries that could cover a range of between 50 and 100 miles when fully charged. Now the technology has advanced, and some electric vehicles can travel almost 500 miles on a full battery charge. Over the next decade, we may have electric vehicles that cover over 1,000 miles on a full battery charge.
Better yet, EV batteries could develop to the point you won’t need to replace them until you’ve driven over 1 million miles.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/different-types-ev-batteries-explained/
Ref: makeuseof
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