In this article, you will find all the answers about location of an electric car battery and what are the reasons behind it. The battery of an electric car is located right under the floor of the car. The battery has a Flat and skateboard-like design and is not that thick. The battery takes up all the bottom floor of the car between both the wheel axles.

Have you ever wondered where the battery of an electric car is located? The front of the car, where the engine is usually located, is either empty or in some cars there is a front trunk for extra storage space. So where is the battery located in an electric car? In this article, you will find all the answers about location of an electric car battery and what are the reasons behind it.

The battery of an electric car is located right under the floor of the car. The battery has a Flat and skateboard-like design and is not that thick. The battery takes up all the bottom floor of the car between both the wheel axles.

There are many reasons why the engineers have chosen this location, keep reading to figure out the answers to your questions.

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Location Of an Electric Car Battery

What are some Alternative places where the battery can be placed?

The battery can be placed in many other places, but they all have their flaws. The battery can be potentially placed in the following locations:

Front Trunk:

An enclosed storage space that is close to the front of the car is now referred to as the “frunk” in automotive circles. Similar to a trunk, which is typically found in the back of a car, these storage spaces are intended to be comparable.

Behind the Back Seats

Other vehicles may have the batteries in the trunk or underneath the back seat, mainly to make more room in the engine compartment for the engine and other components.

RAY: Additionally, practically all of these vehicles include a set of wire-connected auxiliary battery connections under the hood that are connected to the battery.

In The Trunk of the Car:

A sedan, coupe, or convertible’s trunk is a distinct, enclosed, lockable storage space from the passenger cabin. In the majority of cars, the trunk usually rests in the back of the vehicle.

The trunk may be in the front of an automobile if the engine is in the center or back of the body.

The initial Tesla roadster had its battery placed right behind the back seat of the car. But since the space was not that much the battery size was also very small as well, the battery was only 51 kWh battery.

And, as we will further discuss in detail, placing the battery in front, or in the back can cause practicality issues and, even worse, safety hazards.

Why are the Location of an Electric Car Battery on the Floor of the Car?

The battery location of electric cars has been chosen by engineers for various different reasons. At first, when Tesla made the initial roadster, it put the battery behind the seat.

But now in most modern Tesla and even modern electric (as we have discussed before) cars the battery has been moved to the very bottom of the car here are the reasons why.

Safety: – the increased center of gravity helps with the rollover risk of the car and with overall safety.
Practicality: – Having the battery on the floor will help with having an even floor and two trunks.
Better handling of the car: – it gives the car a better grip on the road because of an even distribution of weight.

1.Safety: – An Increased center of Gravity

Tesla and electric cars, in general, are considered a lot safer than regular combustion engine vehicles. There are many reasons for that but the main factor that plays the most effective role is the center of gravity.

Now, trust me this won’t be a physics lesson but in general when a car has a higher center of gravity it has a better safety rating due it being stable. The higher the weight and the more the concentration of the weight being put into a specific point will help in stability.

According to the NHTSA all Tesla’s and most electric cars have a very low risk of rollovers here is the table for the exact information.

A battery by definition is a collection of cells. So, the cell is little can of chemicals. And the challenges are taking a very high-energy cell, and a large number of them, and combining them safely into a large battery.
-Elon Musk

Model	Rollover risk	Overall safety rating (NHTSA)
Tesla Model S	5.7%	5-Star
2020 Audi E-Tron	9.2%	5-Star
2015 Chevrolet bolt	9.3%	5-Star

Model with safety rating

Since all-electric cars have a low center of gravity, they also have a very low risk of a rollover due this reason, which makes them an overall safer option than traditional combustion engine cars.

Since having the battery pack on the floor helps with the safety of the car, manufacturers prefer to keep it there.

Watch this detailed video to learn more about how electric cars are Safer!

electric cars are Safer!

2.Practicality

The location of the battery also helps the practicality of the car a lot. The other alternative places for placing the battery could include behind the backseats, in the front trunk area (where the engine of a regular car is), or in the trunk.

All of these areas would be able to replace the battery place, but they would sacrifice the practicality of the car heavenly.

Most electric cars have a front trunk, which is a very nice practical feature for most customers. Putting the battery in that area will cause there to be little to no space at all.

It will also uneven the weight of the car because the battery will cause most of the weight to come to the front of the car.

And if the battery was to be put in the back trunk or behind the backseats, it also again creates a great practicality issue as well, by reducing the space in the back trunk.

Also, we would not be able to place the same-sized battery in any of those places because they are simply too small to accommodate the battery.

So, to help keep the range out of the car and the biggest battery that the car can carry, putting the battery on the floor is the best viable option.

Another reason why electric cars have their battery placed on the floor is that the best place to put the battery in terms of storage, seating space, and general practicality is under the floor.

3.Better handling and Even weight.

As we have discussed in the above heading electric cars have a lower center of gravity than most other cars, which makes them safer.

But also, because of having a low center of gravity, electric vehicles also have better handling than most other cars do as well. This is also a good reason to put the battery at its specific location.

The low center of gravity allows the car to stay very stable and firm on the road, which is considered a pleasurable experience.

Even further, you cannot place the battery in any other location of the car than the floor because this will most likely make the weight uneven on one side of the car.

Having more or little weight on one side of the car causes there to be safety hazards because having uneven weight distribution on both axles will cause wheel spinning and harder braking. 50:50 weight distribution is very essential to have a grip on all four tiers.

Where is the Location of an Electric Car Battery?

Engineers determined that this was the best approach to evenly distribute the battery’s enormous weight throughout the vehicle and prevent it from being too front- or back-heavy.

Compared to cars powered by combustion engines, Electric cars are built differently. The battery of an Electric vehicle’s is housed in the center of the vehicle’s bottom instead of its front end.

The frame rests on top of the wheels, motors, and battery pack, which some manufacturers liken to the deck of a skateboard.

In an effort to boost aerodynamics and total range, several manufacturers are considering putting the battery vertically in the space between the front and back seats.

All in all, having the battery on the floor will help even weight distribution which will, in turn, help grip on the road and handling. In general, lithium-ion battery packs are somewhat heavy. Typically, the batteries are positioned beneath the floor of the vehicle.

Electric vehicles’ weight is greatly increased by their large battery packs, but they also have a relatively low center of gravity as a result. They then have a highly stable ride as a result. Batteries are sometimes mounted under the front bonnet of electric vehicles, though.

Why is an electric vehicle’s battery located in the floor?

Being the heaviest electric part of the car, the high voltage battery is placed quite low in the body floor. Another benefit of this is that the vehicle has a relatively low center of gravity, which increases its overall stability.

Conclusion

All in all, the battery location of an electric car cannot be changed any further, but due to the following,

Safety: – the increased center of gravity helps with the rollover risk of the car and with overall safety.

Practicality: – Having the battery on the floor will help with having an even floor and two trunks.

Better handling of the car: – it gives the car a better grip on the road because of an even distribution of weight.

So, keeping the battery on the floor of the car is the best option for manufacturers as of right now.

FAQs

How long do electric car batteries last in a lifetime?

Electric car batteries are very complex in their structure and require careful maintenance. It is considered that electric car batteries can last up to 200,000 miles or about 15 to 20 years.

Why do electrified cars have their battery on the Floor ?

The size of the battery cannot practically be fitted anywhere else, also there this helps improve the center of gravity, which in turn, helps the safety and handling of the car.

Why are electric cars safer than traditional cars?

Since electric cars have their batteries located right under the floor of the car, this increases the center of gravity of the car, this also decreases the car’s rollover risk. The center of gravity also helps them to increase the grip the car has on the road. Here’s the table of some electric cars and their safety ratings.

How much does a battery for an electric car cost?

Price points for 30 kWh packs range from $3,500 to $4,500, or at most $150 per kWh. Between $6,500 and $7,500, or up to $187.5 per kWh, were the prices for 40 kWh packs. A 62-kWh battery pack should cost no more than $153/kWh, or between $8,500 and $9,500.

How long will an electric vehicle last?

Electric vehicle batteries typically last 10 to 20 years, although certain variables may shorten this time frame. As heat does not work well with Electric cars, for example, batteries may deteriorate more quickly in hotter areas.