Stanford finds spirited driving can extend EV battery life 38%, flipping old advice on its head

It turns out that a bit of spirited driving can be good for your EV battery life, according to a recent study from Stanford. 

One concern for any EV is the prospect – and price – of having to replace a knackered old battery. 

But it turns out that there’s a simple way to boost your EV’s battery life: floor your car every now and then. 

Yep, contrary to what you may have thought, a study from SLAC-Stanford Battery Center last year found that occasional hard driving is actually good for your battery health.

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The Stanford study showed the occasional bit of hard is good for your EV battery life

With modern EVs using relatively new technology, studies are regularly carried out to help motorists and carmakers gain a better understanding of battery health. 

Previous studies appeared to suggest that flooring it in your EV and making sudden stops could have a negative impact on your EV battery life. 

However, a study from SLAC-Stanford Battery Center that was published last year has turned that advice on its head. 

Unlike some earlier tests, the Stanford studies aimed to mimic real-world driving conditions and included things like accelerating, braking, queueing in traffic, and parking up for long periods of time.

The study looked at 92 commercial cells tested over a two-year period, across four types of EV discharge profiles, from constant discharge to dynamic discharging. 

And the results showed that ‘dynamic cycling’, which includes the occasional bit of hard acceleration, regenerative braking, and varied load conditions, can extend your EV battery’s life by up to 38 percent. 

“Real driving with frequent acceleration, braking that charges the batteries a bit, stopping to pop into a store, and letting the batteries rest for hours at a time, helps batteries last longer than we had thought based on industry-standard lab tests,” associate professor of energy science and engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Simona Onori said.

But faster driving will impact your EV’s range

While the occasional bit of spirited driving and ‘dynamic cycling’ might be good for the longevity of your car’s battery, it will have an impact on range. 

In fact, another study found that more than anything else, speed is the number one factor when it comes to losing range. 

The study analyzed data from hundreds of EVs, and found a steep drop in range as speed increased. 

For example, a sedan driving along at 50mph would have an expected range of around 277 miles, but if traveling at 80mph this dropped to 200 miles.

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