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What is the battery an electric car?
Before understanding the causes of the weight of a battery in an electric car, let's take a look at what this part is made of.
Whether it's a combustion or electric car, the vehicle is powered by a battery, and it's this element that ensures the smooth running and stability of all the car's equipment: the radio, windows and sensors.
It's also important to know that there are several types of battery in an electric car:
- Lead-acid battery: this battery is found in both internal combustion and electric cars. Today, this type of battery is only used for traction. It is used to power the electrical circuit for accessories and equipment, such as the heating system.
- Battery Nickel-Metal Hydrides: Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are free from heavy metals and pollutants such as cadmium and lead, and therefore offer environmental benefits.
- Lithium-ion battery: this is the battery most commonly used in today's electric cars. As well as being an innovative technology, it is durable over time and conserves a significant amount of energy.
This explains the weight of an electric car battery
Lithium-ion batteries
Most electric car batteries have an accumulator that powers the car's engine: this is called the Lithium-ion battery.
The principle of this battery is that it releases electricity by exchanging lithium ions between two electrodes. It is thanks to these two elements that the current flows. This exchange of ions takes place via a liquid called theelectrolyte.
This type of battery is the most widely used for electric cars because it has a number of advantages, including :
- Good energy efficiency: this battery has the capacity to store a large quantity of energy.
- Improved charging efficiency: the battery withstands partial charges well, and in 30 minutes the battery can reach 50% of charge.
- Service life: the lithium-ion battery can last 3 to 4 times longer without any loss of efficiency
- Safety: this type of battery is highly resistant to the harshest environments. This is thanks to its IP67 protection, which covers dust and resists water.
So, when you use an electric car with a lithium-ion battery, the vehicle promises good performance and low autonomy optimal.
Read also : How long does an electric car battery last?
The weight of the battery depending on the model of electric car
In general terms, electric car batteries weigh between 250 and 300 kg. Depending on the car model chosen, the weight of the battery will vary depending on the size and composition of the battery and whether you use it for short or long distances.
Here are a few examples with 2 different car models:
- Battery weight for Renault Zoé
The Renault Zoé is definitely the best-selling electric car in France.
If your next project is to buy a Renault Zoé, you should know that the lithium battery of this electric car weighs 326 kg and delivers 79 kWh of lithium-ion power, giving it a high level of range and performance. It is made up of 12 modules and 192 cells. Its weight gives it a range of 395 km in the WLTP cycle.
- Battery weight for Tesla Model 3
For the Tesla Model 3, 2022 means new things:
The new battery in this electric car promises better performance than a lead-acid battery. Not only does this mean greater range, it also considerably reduces the weight of the car.
Read also : All electric cars without battery hire.
Electric car range
To keep electric vehicles on the road for as long as possible, a large proportion of the world's electricity needs to be generated by electricity. autonomy is required. In general, an electric car has an average range of between 150 and 600 km and must be equipped with at least 50 kWh. However, it's important to stress that range varies according to a number of factors:
- The electric car model.
- Driving style: sporty or eco-driving.
- Road topography: range may change if you use your electric car for city or motorway driving.
As you can see, the range of an electric car varies according to the needs of the driver. What's more, the greater the range of an electric vehicle, the greater the weight of the battery.
The importance of a battery's power-to-weight ratio
Why is the power-to-weight ratio important?
Power to weight ratios are important to consider. As we saw earlier, the weight of a battery alone can be in excess of 300 kg. This weight has a negative impact on the electric car because it becomes heavier and consumes much more energy. This is a challenge for electric car battery manufacturers, because they are looking for alternatives to build electric vehicles while maintaining good performance.
How do I maintain an electric car battery?
Whatever happens, the battery of your electric car is about to give way. To make sure it doesn't bow out early, let's take a look at how to maintain your car.
The secret is to regularly check the condition of the battery. There's something called the SOH (State of Health), which is the ratio between the current maximum capacity and the maximum capacity of the battery when first used. To find out what this is, you can contact the manufacturer of the electric carWe'll give you a full battery diagnosis, so you can take the right action.
What's more, there are a few tricks you can use to increase the battery life of your electric vehicle :
- Avoid overloading the battery The recommended load is between 20 and 80 %.
- Reducing your speed on the road: that's what's known as speed management.hypermiling. This means driving more gently in town or on motorways.
- Use your car regularly: if it's parked in your garage for too long, your car's battery could be damaged. electric car risk of ageing more quickly.
- Pay attention to the weather: it is advisable to keep your vehicle out of the sun when it is very hot.
- Prefer a normal charge to a rapid charge: the more normally your battery is charged, the less it heats up and the less it wears out.
- Check the condition of your tyres: if your tyres are deflated, your energy consumption will increase.
Things to remember
It's true that the weight of your future car is very important, especially if you want to cover long distances. The weight of the battery will also have an impact on the car as a whole, on your energy consumption and, above all, on the environment.
In the meantime, engineers are constantly working to improve the performance of the battery from electric car while reducing its weight.
Soon, we hope, it will no longer be necessary to choose between the range of an electric battery and its power.
