The most basic but potentially effective ways to extend the range are to drive carefully and smoothly, manage your energy well, use regenerative braking, and maintain proper tire pressure. To boost the appeal of electric cars to a wider range of consumers, manufacturers are consistently attempting to increase the capacity of their batteries. In that case, can we add an additional external battery to the electric car?
Yes, we can add additional external battery in electric car you can add one, two, or three extra battery packs to extend the range. If you’ve heard of the Fiat Cento Venti a concept vehicle with an upgradeable and modular battery pack, you might believe that adding batteries to an Electric car can be a wonderful idea to extend range.
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How Do Batteries for Electric Cars Operate?
The most widely used technology in the Electric car business right now is lithium-ion batteries, which are found in today’s electric cars.
To put it simply, they convert the chemical energy that lithium produces into electric energy that powers the car. Thousands of cells in each battery pack collaborate to provide adequate energy for a specific amount of time.
This straightforward description suggests that adding more battery cells is feasible. It’s not as easy as just adding a few extra cells to the installed battery pack, though.
Which Restrictions Will Apply if You Attempt to Add Additional External Battery to Your Current Battery Pack?
Technical & Technological Restrictions will apply if you attempt to add additional external battery to your current battery pack.
The following restrictions will apply if you attempt to add an additional external battery to your current battery pack because Electric car manufacturers do not provide their products with this feature:
What are the Technical & Technological Restrictions?
Following are the Technical & Technological Restrictions:
| Restrictions | Description |
|---|---|
| Result of technology | The first restriction is a result of technology since batteries become more sophisticated every day. Therefore, if you wish to add more batteries to the current pack. |
| Technical problems | Technical problems will still arise even if you utilize identical batteries. |
| Management of battery | The manager manages the batteries in accordance with how many there are in the car. |
| Cells Discharge | Battery cells don’t all discharge at the same rate, which is another factor to take into account. |
Result of technology:
The first restriction is a result of technology since batteries become more sophisticated every day. Therefore, if you wish to add more batteries to the current pack, the likelihood that they won’t work together or at the very least won’t complement one another is considerable.
Few electricians will agree to work for you since this incompatibility poses too great a risk and may even be dangerous and result in fire.
Technical problems:
Technical problems will still arise even if you utilize identical batteries. This is due to the fact that each cell has a unique system for keeping track of voltage, current, temperature, and overall health.
Modern electric cars contain battery managers that talk to each battery cell and keep track of their status.
Management of battery:
The manager manages the batteries in accordance with how many there are in the car. As a result, it can reject additional batteries if you try to add them to the main battery pack. These characteristics are adjusted by the manufacturer in a manner that may be unique from that of other manufacturers.
To connect these battery cells, you would also require additional wiring and wire gauges, which isn’t everyone’s responsibility. This is why it can void the warranty on your car.
Cells Discharge:
Battery cells don’t all discharge at the same rate, which is another factor to take into account. Different approaches are used by manufacturers to address this problem, however, adding a second cell may cause the behavior of the entire battery pack to become unbalanced.
Even if you were able to get around these restrictions, the additional weight you would be carrying within the car would lead to worse interior imbalance.
Each car has a unique technique of balancing these things by streamlining the design and aerodynamics, thus if you added weight to the vehicle, it would experience more wind resistance. Adding extra batteries could therefore alter this balance.
Space Restrictions
Despite all of the aforementioned restrictions, a lack of available space also prevents the addition of batteries to an Electric car. This is so that they can fit the most batteries possible inside the vehicle without using up any interior space.
The only possible approach, therefore, would be to transport the new battery pack outside the vehicle on some sort of trailer.
Safety
You would then need to take regulatory and safety considerations into account. Carrying a battery pack behind an electric car on a trailer might not be permitted by local rules.
Additionally, to protect the batteries from harm from water or other sources, manufacturers nest the batteries within the vehicles, typically on the floor. That kind of protection is not offered by leaving a battery on a trailer.
Cost Restraints
According to the government Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the anticipated planned maintenance costs for an electric car average $0.06 cents per mile, while they are $0.10 per mile for a traditional ICE-powered vehicle.
It would be advisable to disregard the concept of adding more batteries to your electric automobile due to all the aforementioned restrictions. It’s preferable to buy a high-range automobile upfront to save the added expense and complexity of adding more batteries to enhance range.
It would be expensive and highly specialized to add more batteries. Additionally, there is no assurance that it will be cost-effective because increasing the number of batteries always enhances the range.
For instance, if you double the number of cells, the increased weight will prevent your range from doubling because some of the energy produced will be required to manage it.
Changing Out the Electric Car Batteries
After hearing about the drawbacks of equipping Electric cars with batteries, it may be necessary to change the battery on occasion.
For instance, your high-voltage battery will ultimately degrade or cease to be able to maintain a charge for an extended period of time. But the maker foresees and supports that very different scenario.
When the battery in your automobile reaches the end of its lifespan, you can take it to a service shop that has been approved and have a new battery installed. You wouldn’t add additional cells to the installed packs. Instead, you would buy a new pack and replace the entire one.
Manufacture
The majority of Electric car manufacturers, nevertheless, forbid you from switching to a longer-range battery for your vehicle. This is so that these batteries don’t need to be upgraded and can last the entire life of the Electric car.
The only Electric cars with this feature are Tesla Roadsters, which allow owners to expand their range by switching to a newer model.
Range
Unlocking several internal car features is another way to extend range without additional batteries. Some automakers, like Tesla, offer and sell their vehicles with more modern characteristics like increased range.
Upgrading Battery
The batteries are the same size, they have the option to gradually provide these functions either through over-the-air updates or after the users have paid for them.
This indicates that although their batteries are software-limited in some versions, they have a high capacity and range. Therefore, upgrading to a battery with a greater range could cost more money.
Other automakers are imitating this trend and providing OTA updates for their vehicles’ features, such as batteries. If the manufacturer has already installed high-capacity batteries in the automobile, it may be an indication that you don’t need to add more to increase their range.
Consider Your Use of Energy.
You can significantly increase your car’s range by using its batteries intelligently, proving that energy conservation is not limited to home appliances.
When a battery is charged, a significant portion of the energy is used to cool or warm the automobile using the air conditioner or the heating seats.
If at all possible, turn the Air Conditioner down to a lower setting to consume less energy, but there are other ways to achieve so. The car must expend a lot of energy in excessively hot or cold conditions to warm or cool the interior.
Most Electric cars let you adjust the temperature before starting the engine and stepping inside the car. To make sure the car has enough energy for driving, you can set the car to defrost the windows or turn on the Air Conditioner while it is plugged into the charger.
How to Take Care of Electric Car Battery Charging?
Improper charging is one of the key factors that can shorten the lifespan and reduce the range of Electric car batteries.
Electric car batteries have a long lifespan, but you can increase them by taking good care of the battery. Range anxiety may cause you to constantly charge your automobile, keeping it fully charged whenever you can.
However, over time, this method of charging could harm your battery and cause a quicker rate of discharge. It is preferable to maintain your car’s li-ion battery between 20% and 80% of its capacity at all times.
Regarding the number of times, you may fully charge and discharge these batteries, their lifespan is predetermined (around 500 times). Additionally, the battery heats up more quickly during the final 20% of the charge, which is less powerful.
Control Your Speed
It is a well-known fact that energy consumption increases with speed. Since Electric cars have single-speed gearboxes, which result in quick torque and significantly higher revs, this fact is even more serious.
These features reduce range because they force the engine to work harder to reach greater speeds. This energy usage will significantly decrease if the speeds are kept within a controlled range by carefully planning the itineraries and avoiding high-speed motorways.
To avoid rapidly draining the battery, sat naves assist you in determining the most effective route. In this manner, you can extend the number of miles your battery can travel by using regenerative braking.
You can drive more smoothly and without abrupt braking or acceleration if you maintain a fair speed, which is another benefit. Knowing what is ahead will help you make better plans for handling intersections, corners, and roundabouts.
How Can Electric Car Range Be Enhanced?
The main justification for adding more batteries to an Electric car is probably to increase range so that it can travel farther.
You may get the most range possible on the road by configuring your driving habits and operational aspects.
You should be content with the car batteries you now have and find alternative ways to extend their range now that it won’t be possible in the near future, though you can still try it at your own risk.
Right now, your only option is to buy a car with a larger battery. Here are some tips for extending the life of your electric car battery.
13 Ways to Extend the Range of Your Electric car
1. Drive Sleekly
Simply, lead-footed driving will cause the battery of your Electric car to discharge more quickly. While it may be alluring to take use of an Electric car’s instant torque for speedy takes-offs, it’s more sensible to be cautious when accelerating from a stop.
Any vehicle, but especially an electric one, can save a lot of energy by using anticipation. Keep an eye out for any hazards and try to avoid stomping on the brake or accelerator pedal; accelerating a car is the most energy-intensive element of the equation, so maintaining momentum is essential.
2. Go Slow
When feasible, try to maintain a speed of less than 60 mph. In addition to avoiding a speeding penalty, this will increase the battery life of your vehicle. If you slow down by 10 mph, according to the Department of Energy, you’ll consume 14% less energy.
If your Electric car has an “Eco” mode, switch it on to accelerate more gradually; if it has a sport mode that makes things more exciting, leave it off. Simply slow down a bit; you’ll be astonished at how much further you can go at 65 mph compared to 75 mph.
3. Enhance Regenerative Breaks
Utilize the energy-recovering regenerative braking feature of your electric car whenever possible when stopping, and only apply the brakes when absolutely required.
Enable the maximum regeneration setting on your automobile to transfer more energy back to the batteries as the car slows down. Additionally, become familiar with your brake regeneration system and learn when it’s practical and advantageous to use it.
Most electric cars offer some variation of this feature, ranging from relatively light to full one-pedal driving (which is when you can come to a complete stop without touching the friction brake at all – just lift from the accelerator and the car will slow).
Simply put, brake re-gen adds a small amount of energy back into the battery to the energy lost when using conventional brakes.
4. Be Gentle with the Heat
An Electric car’s heater is a significant drain on battery power, especially when it is running at full blast. If your car has heated seats and a heated steering wheel, turn down the climate control in the winter and use those instead to remain warm instead, as they consume far less electricity.
Pre-heat your car when it’s plugged in as well to reduce the amount of time you spend using climate control while you’re driving.
5. Use the Air Conditioner to Keep Cool
The use of the air conditioner also rapidly depletes the battery. The obvious alternative is to drive with the windows open, but whenever possible, try running just the fan and not the compressor.
Sadly, the latter will have an adverse effect on your vehicle’s aerodynamics at greater speeds and, as a result, slightly lower its operating range. This is due to the fact that a vehicle requires more energy to operate the more aerodynamic “drag” it has, especially at greater speeds.
Even yet, driving with the windows down will cause the battery to discharge far more quickly than running the air conditioner at full blast. While more, pre-cool the car throughout the summer while it is charging to lessen the need for running the air conditioner once you are on the road.
6. Verify Your Tires Pressure
When it comes to getting the most out of your electric car, having good tires and the appropriate pressures are crucial.
According to tire producers, between 4 and 11% of fuel consumption can be attributed to the rolling resistance of the tire, and a 10% reduction in rolling resistance is equivalent to a 1% increase in fuel economy. As a result, you should regularly check the pressure in your tires.
Although the majority of electric vehicles now have low-rolling-resistance tires, it’s still worthwhile to have a look as tires range in efficiency from “A” (the most efficient) to “E.” (The grapiest, but also the least conducive to the range).
CARE FOR YOUR TIRES
According to some sources, more than 25% of all vehicles on the road have underinflated tires. Similar to driving a normal car, operating an electric car with under-inflated tires may increase its energy consumption and possibly cause uneven and/or premature tread wear.
Regularly check the air pressure with a basic tire gauge because it can fluctuate by an average of one PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) of air temperature fluctuation.
Ensure that the tires are correctly inflated to the PSI level advised by the car manufacturer. Usually, a sticker that is attached to the driver’s-side door frame contains this information.
7. Don’t drive with too much weight
The simplest approach to increase a car’s efficiency is to reduce its weight, as any automotive engineer will tell you. Get the clutter out of the trunk so that you don’t raise your car’s energy usage by 1% to 2% for every 100 pounds you add to the load.
On your Electric car, stay away from adding exterior accessories like cargo carriers and roof racks. Again, the aerodynamic drag that these objects produce will result in increased energy consumption at higher speeds.
If you must replace it, choose a model with a respectable rating. Similarly to this, avoid always carrying too many goods in your automobile because a heavy vehicle requires more effort to move.
Therefore, get rid of the equipment and keep in mind to remove roof racks and roof boxes when not in use because they can increase aerodynamic drag by 15% to 40%. So even if it is a nuisance, it is worthwhile.
8. Planning a More Efficient Route
While driving on a highway may be quicker, choosing a route that allows you to maintain a steady speed at a lower altitude can help you get the most out of your car’s operational range. Whenever possible, stay away from busy places.
Avoid hilly or mountainous places if at all possible. Traversing high hills also requires extra energy. Use the navigation system in your electric car if it can recommend routes that are low in energy use
Most electric car owners who log a lot of miles are accustomed to using one of the major charging applications, such as Watts Up! Or Zap-Map, to plan where they might charge while traveling.
But it’s also important to keep in mind that for best efficiency, electric cars don’t particularly enjoy traveling at a constant speed on a highway.
9. Stay Off of the Highways
When you type “fastest route” into your navigation app, it may occasionally take you on a longer-but-faster path that reduces your range for small benefits.
Therefore, a little bit of route planning can help keep that range figure intact and may even mean the difference between needing to stop for a fast top-up and not.
The manufacturer cited WLTP estimates are sanctioned lies, and you’ll get less in the cold. Knowing what your car can reasonably perform always helps. Although it’s not a problem, range anxiety can be reduced by understanding how far you can travel under any circumstance.
10. Time Your Charge
When your automobile is in the garage, you might not want to keep it plugged into the charger. That’s because when they’ve done charging, the majority of Electric car batteries will gradually discharge themselves.
By timing the charge so that the battery pack is fully charged just before you start driving, you might be able to get a few extra miles of range.
If your electricity provider offers a lower rate for off-peak use, doing this can also benefit the battery’s long-term health and save you some money.
As always, MYEV.com is the best free online marketplace for buying and selling used electric vehicles and may give you other useful information on purchasing and owning an Electric car.
11. Understand Your Modes
It’s important to understand which modes do what and why because most electric cars offer a choice of options. Typically, variations along the lines of Normal, Sport, and Range exist.
The default setting will be Normal, which will sharpen the throttle, make all the power available, and occasionally weigh the steering. Sport will do the opposite.
For best efficiency, an Eco or Range mode will frequently turn everything down, so the air conditioner might be limited, and the throttle might feel like it’s been mainlined with a tranquilizer.
A Range mode may add 10-15 miles (depending on the car) over a lengthy trip, so if that means choosing between making it home to charge or enjoying a little range-based peace of mind, it may be worthwhile in some cases.
12. Pre-cool the Car and Use Heat Sensibly
Many electric vehicles have pre-conditioning, and it’s probably the best thing you can do in the cold. In essence, if you know when you’re leaving, you can instruct the car to turn on and heat the cabin using mains electricity—as long as it’s connected—instead of the battery.
This is beneficial, and you can frequently use an app from your phone. On a chilly morning, having a warm automobile with a cleared windscreen is a welcome sight.
In the same way, heating up the entire volume inside a car just so you may wear a singlet in minus ten degrees is a bit of a waste; it’s more effective to wear a jumper and utilize heated seats and a heated steering wheel since you only heat yourself, not the entire vehicle.
Does that make sense? Any energy required to warm up the car comes directly from the battery, reducing your range, as an Electric car produces less waste heat than a car with a gasoline or diesel engine (which is typically what powers the heating).
13. Invest in Electric Car with the Appropriate Features
Invest in an electric car with the right features for your needs rather than just the largest battery.
There are a few things about electric automobiles to keep in mind right away: they behave differently from gasoline or diesel vehicles in terms of economy and efficiency, and they frequently respond better to various treatments.
Range
The first thing to keep in mind is that large vehicles with large batteries are not the end-all and be-all. The most effective electric vehicle may not always have the greatest pure range.
Although the range is convenient (and overall charging times per mile on public chargers tend to be faster), choose a vehicle that best fits your usage pattern.
Usually, traveling alone in town? You don’t need a Q8 e-Tron from Audi. It’s important to keep in mind that a car’s range can be misleading.
Battery Capacity
A battery’s kWh (kilowatt hour) capacity is merely the size of the fuel tank; therefore, if efficiency is what you’re interested in, you should really be looking at the miles-per-kWh statistic.
That’s more like miles per gallon since it represents how effectively that car uses its electrons. Anything over 4m/kWh without hypermiling is wonderful, and anything in the upper 3s is fairly decent.
You would be surprised at how much it can assist, but it won’t instantly top the battery backup. On a free-flowing highway, however, TG has discovered that it is less useful and that it is far preferable to keep to cruise control.
What Purpose Does It Serve to Replace Electric Car Batteries?
Even though an electric battery should last between 10 and 20 years before needing to be replaced (the majority of Electric car manufacturers have an eight-year/100,000-mile or a ten-year/150,000-mile warranty on their designated battery).
When an Electric car battery runs out of electricity for a car, it can still be used to power a building or a home by adding to a battery storage system. An energy storage system for batteries stores battery energy so it can be used later.
It can be tempting for an owner of an electric car to think that replacing the battery might accrue a few benefits. Perhaps you’re seeking for a battery that’s more potent, uses sustainable materials, or has safer parts. But contrary to what you would believe, it’s not that easy or uncomplicated.
However, Can Batteries ever be Added to an Electric car?
It is theoretically feasible to expand the battery capacity of an electric vehicle. Due to space, safety, and technology constraints, it is not feasible. The installation of new batteries will cause compatibility problems, call for rewiring, and possibly present fire risks.
What Varieties of Electric Car Batteries are Available Today?
Currently, there are five primary categories of batteries:
| Name of battery | Range |
|---|---|
| Lead–acid battery | The voltage for a single cell can vary from 1.8 V when loaded at full discharge to 2.10 V when fully charged in an open circuit. |
| Nickel-cadmium battery | The nominal voltage of the nickel-cadmium battery system is 1.2 V/cell. |
| Nickel-metal hydride battery | A Nickel-metal hydride battery cell has a 1.2V nominal voltage. |
| Lithium-ion battery | For short-term storage, a recommended voltage range of 3.0 to 4.2 V per cell in series is used. |
| Ultra-capacitors battery | Individual cells of ultra-capacitors are commonly found in the range of 100F to 500F, though they can extend higher or lower. |
Lead–acid battery:
The voltage for a single cell can vary from 1.8 V when loaded at full discharge to 2.10 V when fully charged in an open circuit. Float voltage ranges from 1.8 V to 2.27 V and depends on the battery type (flooded cells, gelled electrolyte, absorbed glass mat, etc.).
Nickel-cadmium battery:
The nominal voltage of the nickel-cadmium battery system is 1.2 V/cell. Depending on the battery, controller, and system type, the normal end voltage for discharge in PV systems ranges from 0.9 to 1.0 V/cell, and the typical end voltage for charging in PV systems ranges from 1.45 to 1.6 V/cell.
Nickel-metal hydride battery:
A NiMH cell has a 1.2V nominal voltage. In order to create a battery pack with a nominal voltage of 3.6V and a maximum voltage of 4.5V, three NiMH cells are stacked one on top of the other.
Lithium-ion battery:
For short-term storage, a recommended voltage range of 3.0 to 4.2 V per cell in series is used. Long-term storage: Store Li-Ion batteries at a low temperature and at around 75% to 80% of their maximum capacity (3.85 to 4.0 V) to prevent irreversible capacity loss.
Ultra-capacitors battery:
Individual cells of ultra-capacitors are commonly found in the range of 100F to 500F, though they can extend higher or lower. Most ultra-capacitors are rated in Farads.
Conclusion
This article will examine why it is impractical to add more batteries to an electric vehicle and how you can increase your electric car’s range by doing so. Although it is theoretically feasible to add more batteries to an Electric vehicle, this is not a realistic solution because of many technical constraints.
More batteries may not be recognized by the battery manager if you add them, or you might need to perform complicated rewiring and wire gauging. Additionally, adding extra batteries will increase the vehicle’s weight, which will reduce its performance and energy efficiency.
You should therefore get by with your present battery until automakers develop the technology.
FAQs
A hybrid can be expanded with additional batteries.
For this reason, it’s important to know that replacements and upgrades are readily available when necessary. Hybrid car buyers are aware that their vehicles will almost definitely outlive the batteries that they are sent with.
How frequently should EV batteries be changed?
10-20 years
Batteries for electric cars typically last 10 to 20 years, however, some variables may shorten that time. For instance, batteries may degrade more quickly in hotter climates since heat does not play well with Electric cars.
Can I upgrade my Tesla with a new battery?
Sure. It essentially just involves purchasing extra batteries, but you definitely need to be an electrician. Since you don’t want to carry all that extra weight the vast majority of the time, there are several prototypes, usually in the form of trailers. Just so you know, the long-range Tesla roughly matches the range of gas-powered vehicles.
Is it possible to use two lithium batteries?
Although the performance is excellent, you may desire greater capacity and wonder whether you can upgrade your system by adding a second battery. The quick answer is? Yes, however, we strongly advise doing it now rather than later!
Can I operate two lithium batteries in parallel?
Batteries can be connected in parallel up to two times. Connect positive to positive and negative to negative as in Figure 4 right to connect batteries in parallel. It is crucial to use identical battery models with the same voltage and to never mix batteries of various ages.
What happens if a second battery is connected in parallel?
When you link two or more batteries together to boost the amp-hour capacity, you are connecting them in parallel. The capacity will rise when the batteries are connected in parallel, but the voltage will stay the same.
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