Findings (Mar 2021)

Impact of Charging Rates on Electric Vehicle Battery Life

  • Sivapriya Mothilal Bhagavathy,
  • Hannah Budnitz,
  • Tim Schwanen,
  • Malcolm McCulloch

Abstract

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This article synthesizes the sparse empirical literature on the impact of different charging rates on electric vehicle battery life with a focus on popular electric car models. The findings show that rapid and ultra-rapid charging cause more degradation of the most common electric vehicle batteries than fast charging, although this degradation is limited to an extent by battery management systems. The information in this article can aid in planning the expansion of different types of charging infrastructure and be used to inform drivers who are switching to battery electric vehicles.