How long does the battery of an electric car last and how should it be maintained?

Knowing how the traction battery of hybrid or electric cars is made is a good starting point, but we also need to know how to maintain them in good efficiency, also because the residual value of the car when we go to resell it on the used market will depend on the state of the battery.

The parameters for the warranty decay on the traction battery, which generally lasts around eight years, are quite strict and must be followed to the letter, as it is the fundamental element of an electric vehicle.

Therefore, we read the warranty rules - if we buy a new car - and we are extremely demanding about it if we buy a used one. However, there are rules to follow in maintaining the battery: never go below 20% of its charge, as it can seriously damage it. It is also advisable not to keep it at 100% all the time, as this would limit its lifespan.

Avoid too many consecutive fast charges, as this overheats the battery itself.

Of course, technology is advancing, and the batteries of the future - even in the near future - will be valid for two million kilometers. But in the present, what happens when the warranty on the battery expires at the end of eight years? Usually, it needs to be recharged more often, or maybe it can only be used in the city and not for long distances.

When the battery reaches 60% of its capacity, it is ready for its second life, which can become a stationary system, even though there is currently no plan for the reuse of batteries discarded from cars, although there are various experiments: but a market still needs to be created.

At the end of a battery's life, the recycling of the chemical elements inside it is discussed, which can be recycled up to 98%, as the materials they are composed of are destined to run out; but they can also be regenerated with new anode and cathode coatings.