The Surprising Truth About EV Battery Life

China's Breakthrough in All-Solid-State Battery Technology Boosts EV Range World's First Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant Launched by China in Gobi Desert The Surprising Truth About EV Battery Life #EV, #BatteryLife, #AllSolidState, #SolarThermal, #ChinaInnovation, #GobiDesert, #ElectricVehicles

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Innovation Pulse, your quick no-nonsense update on the latest in clean tech and EVs.

(00:10):
First, we will cover the latest news.
Chinese scientists innovate all solid-state batteries for longer EV ranges,
and China's dual-tower solar plant in the Gobi Desert powers half a million homes efficiently.
After this, we'll dive deep into the complexities of charging different types of EV batteries

(00:31):
and the strategies that maximize their lifespan. Stay tuned.
All solid-state batteries could revolutionize electric vehicles by offering longer ranges
and faster charging. Scientists in China have made significant progress in overcoming obstacles,
paving the way for this next-gen battery technology.

(00:53):
These batteries replace traditional liquid electrolytes with solid ones,
though mass production has been challenging due to issues with electrolyte conductivity
and durability. Recent breakthroughs in China include the development of iodine ions by the
Chinese Academy of Sciences to improve bonding, a flexible polymer skeleton by the Institute of

(01:16):
Metal Research to enhance durability and capacity, and a fluorinated shield by Tsinghua University
for added protection. These innovations could enable a 100-kilometre battery to power an EV
for over 1,000 kilometres. While China leads in advancements, companies worldwide are racing

(01:36):
to commercialize this technology with plans for mass production by the end of the decade.
China has achieved a significant milestone in renewable energy with the launch of the
world's first dual-tower solar thermal power plant in the Gobi Desert, developed by China
Three Gorgeous Corporation, utilizing 27,000 mirrors. The plant concentrates sunlight onto two

(02:04):
656-feet-high towers, generating heat up to 1,058 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat is stored to produce
steam, driving turbines to generate electricity even after sunset. Unlike photovoltaic panels,
solar thermal systems harness heat, providing stable, on-demand energy. The dual-tower design

(02:28):
improves efficiency by 25% over single-tower systems and reduces construction costs.
Part of a broader clean energy initiative, this facility will power around half a million households
annually. China, a leader in concentrated solar power, aims to enhance its renewable energy capacity

(02:49):
further, complimenting its existing solar and wind infrastructure. And now, pivot our discussion
towards the main clean tech topic. All right, everybody, welcome to another deep dive on
innovation pulse. I'm Dana, and today we're tackling something that affects millions of EV

(03:13):
drivers, but honestly confuses the heck out of most people. How to actually charge your electric
car battery the right way? And spoiler alert, the answer is way more interesting than you'd think.
Hey everyone, Yakov here. And Dana, you're right. This topic is fascinating because it turns
out everything depends on what kind of battery you have. Like, the advice for a BYD or a base Tesla

(03:39):
is completely different from what you do with a Tesla long range or a Porsche Taycan.
Wait, really? I thought all electric cars were basically the same under the hood.
That's what most people think. But here's the thing, there are two main battery
chemistries out there. You've got LFP, which stands for lithium iron phosphate,

(03:59):
and then you've got NMC or NCA, which are nickel manganese cobalt or nickel cobalt,
aluminum. And these behave totally differently. Okay, lay it on me. What's the difference?
So LFP batteries, which you'll find in cars like the BYD Ato3, the base Tesla Model 3,

(04:20):
and a bunch of Chinese EVs, these things are super stable. They can handle being charged to 100%
every single day. No problem. In fact, manufacturers actually recommend it.
Every day to 100%? That sounds wrong. I mean, we've all been told not to do that with our phones,
right? Exactly. And that's where it gets interesting. Your phone probably has an

(04:44):
NMC type battery. Those batteries really don't like sitting at 100% because it stresses the
chemistry. The voltage at full charge causes faster degradation. But LFP chemistry operates at a
lower voltage around 3.2 to 3.6 volts per cell. And it's just way more tolerant of being fully

(05:04):
charged. So if I bought a BYD or a base Tesla, I could literally plug it in every night and charge
to 100% without worrying. Yep. And here's the kicker. They actually want you to do that occasionally
because LFP batteries have this really flat voltage curve. Between like 20% and 80%, the voltage

(05:25):
barely changes, which makes it hard for the car's computer to accurately estimate how much charge
is left. Oh, so it needs to see the full range to calibrate itself? Exactly. Tesla even says in
their app, for LFP batteries, we recommend charging to 100% at least once per week.
It helps the battery management system, the BMS, keep everything balanced and accurate.

(05:49):
Okay. But what about those Tesla long range models? I've heard people obsess over keeping
those at 80%. Right. And that's because those use NMC or NCA chemistry. Higher energy density,
you get more range. But they're way more sensitive to high voltage. At 100% charge,
each cell is sitting at about 4.2 volts. And that's where chemical reactions start happening

(06:15):
that degrade the battery faster. So with a long range Tesla, you're basically trading convenience
for range? In a way, yes, you have to plan ahead. Like if you're taking a road trip next weekend,
you need to remember the night before to set your charge limit to 100%.
Otherwise, you're starting your trip with only 80 or 90% and losing maybe 60 or 80 kilometers of

(06:40):
range. That sounds annoying. Like what if you forget? Yeah, it's one of the hidden trade-offs
of high performance batteries. Tesla tries to help. Their trip planner can remind you,
but it's definitely something you have to think about. Meanwhile, with an LFP car,
you just plug in and don't worry about it. So for someone driving, say in Israel,

(07:04):
where distances are relatively short, Tel Aviv to Haifa is what 90 kilometers, would you even
need the long range model? That's actually a brilliant insight that came up in a real conversation I
saw. Someone with a BYD Ato 3 doing 60 kilometer round trips daily, realized that for their usage,
spending extra thousands for a long range Tesla would be completely pointless. The extra range

(07:30):
just sits there unused. And you get a more finicky battery that requires more careful management.
Plus, in hot climates like Israel, wouldn't that matter too? Absolutely. Heat accelerates battery
degradation and LFP batteries are way more thermally stable than NMC. So in places with
hot summers, LFP is actually the better choice for longevity. It's one of those things where the

(07:55):
cheaper battery is actually superior for most real-world use cases. Okay, so we've covered full
EVs, but what about plug-in hybrids? Those have even smaller batteries, right? Oh man, this is
where it gets really interesting. So a typical plug-in hybrid, let's say a Toyota RAV4 PHAV,

(08:16):
or a Kia Niro PHEV, has maybe a 12 to 18 kilowatt hour battery. Compare that to the
BYD's 60 kilowatt or a Tesla long ranges 75 kilowatts. That's tiny, so they must wear out
super fast, right? Charging every day using most of the battery? You'd think so, but here's the

(08:37):
clever part. They use massive hidden buffers. When your display shows 0%, the actual battery
cells might still be at 20 or 25% capacity, and when it shows 100%, the cells are only at maybe 80
or 85%. Wait, so they're lying to you about how much battery you have? Ha! Well, they're

(09:00):
protecting the battery. See, battery degradation isn't just about how many times you charge it,
it's way more about the depth of discharge. There's actually lab data showing that if you use
only 25% of a battery's capacity per cycle, you can get like 5,000 to 6,000 cycles. But if you do
full 100% to 0% cycles, you might only get 500 to 1,000. So shallow cycles are the secret?

(09:27):
Exactly! It's like bending a paperclip. Bend it a little bit, you can do it thousands of times.
Bend it all the way, it breaks after 20 tries. That's a great analogy, so the plug-in hybrid's
battery is technically cycling more often, but each cycle is so shallow that it evens out.
Right. And they add aggressive cooling, careful temperature management,

(09:50):
conservative charging currents, all to baby, that small battery. So even though it looks like it's
working harder, it's actually being pampered. But here's what I don't get. If hiding part of the
battery makes it last longer, why don't full EVs like the BYD do the same thing? Why not hide like
30% of the capacity and make the battery last forever? Ooh, great question! And this gets into

(10:14):
the business side of battery engineering. Technically, they absolutely could. It's just software.
But every kilowatt hour, they hide as range you can't use. If BYD hid 30% of the ATO3's battery,
you'd lose about 100 or 20 kilometers of range. Customers would revolt.
Right. Because range anxiety is already such a huge thing with EVs.

(10:38):
Exactly. Plus, with LFP chemistry, you don't really need those aggressive buffers.
The chemistry is already so stable that the benefit would be tiny,
maybe extending life from 15 years to 17 years. But you'd lose a huge chunk of usability.
So it's a trade-off. Plug-in hybrids sacrifice range for longevity because their range is already

(10:59):
limited. But full EVs need every kilometer they can get.
Perfectly said. And here's another angle. Warranties and regulations. The advertised range is based on
the usable capacity. If they let users adjust the buffer themselves, suddenly the certified range
doesn't match what people actually get. That's a regulatory nightmare.

(11:22):
Oh, I didn't even think about that. So even though it would be cool to have, like,
a longevity mode where you could choose to use less battery, the legal and warranty complications
make it not worth it for manufacturers. Exactly. Although I should mention,
Tesla does let you set your daily charge limit anywhere from like 50% to 100%.

(11:43):
But that's just where charging stops. It doesn't change the hidden buffer underneath.
And honestly, for most people with LFP batteries, just charging to 100% is fine anyway.
So what would be the optimal charging strategy? Let's say you have an 11-kilowatt home charger
and you drive about 60km round-trip daily. So you're using maybe 20% of the battery.

(12:05):
Okay, so first, that's like the dream scenario for battery longevity. You're only doing shallow
cycles, which is perfect. For the actual charging strategy, here's what I do. Charge to about 90%
overnight electricity hours, then top off to 100% in the hour before you leave for work.

(12:26):
Why split it like that? A few reasons. One, you're using the cheap night time electricity for the
bulk of the charge. That's 90% of your energy at the lower rate. Two, you're minimizing the time
the battery sits at 100%, which even for LFP is slightly better for long-term health.
And three, that final top-off period is when the battery management system does its cell balancing

(12:52):
work. Cell balancing? What's that? Oh right. So a battery pack isn't just one big battery.
It's made up of thousands of individual cells. Over time, those cells can drift slightly out of
some might be at 99%, others at 100.2%. The BMS needs to equalize them, and it does that mainly

(13:16):
when the pack is near full charge. So by reaching 100% occasionally, you're giving it a chance to
keep everything balanced. That's actually really cool. It's like the battery has its own maintenance
routine. Totally. And for LFP batteries specifically, they recommend doing a full calibration cycle
every month or two. Let it drop below 10%, then charge all the way to 100% in one go.

(13:42):
That recalibrates the battery meter and balances everything.
Okay, so just to recap for our listeners. If you have an LFP battery like a BYD or base Tesla,
charge to 100% freely, do occasional full cycles for calibration, and don't stress about it.
If you have an NMC battery like a Tesla long range, stick to 80-90% daily, and only go to 100%

(14:06):
before long trips. And plug-in hybrids basically take care of themselves with hidden buffers.
Perfect summary. And here's maybe the most surprising takeaway. Bigger batteries are actually
easier on themselves. Because you're using a smaller percentage of the total capacity,
each cell works less hard, generates less heat, and lasts longer. So even though the BYD has this

(14:31):
huge 60 kilowatt pack compared to a hybrid's 12 kilowatt, it's actually less stressed per kilometer
driven. It's like having a big gas tank versus a small one. You don't have to fill up as often,
and the fuel pump doesn't work as hard. Great analogy. Although fun fact, there's basically no
fuel pump equivalent in an EV. The electrons just flow from the battery to the motor,

(14:57):
but the principle holds. Huh, okay. So what about fast charging? We haven't really touched on that.
Oh, good catch. So DC fast charging, like at a supercharger or public rapid charger,
puts way more current through the battery, which means more heat.
Heat is one of the main enemies of battery life. So the general advice is, use fast charging when

(15:20):
you need it for road trips, but don't make it your daily routine if you can avoid it.
Makes sense. So home charging overnight is gentler because it's slower and cooler?
Exactly. And charging at night, when the ambient temperature is lower, is even better.
In places with hot summers, charging during the day when it's 40 in-out-ux, outside, and the

(15:41):
battery's already warm from driving, that's the worst case scenario.
Okay, so for our listener who's thinking about buying an EV or already has one,
what's the absolute top-line advice? Know your battery chemistry. If it's LFP,
charge freely to 100%. If it's NMC, be a bit more careful and stay around 80 turn 90% for daily use.

(16:04):
Charge slowly overnight when possible. Do occasional calibration cycles. And most importantly,
shallow daily cycles are your friend. If you're only using 20 or 30% of the battery each day,
you're basically in the perfect zone for maximum battery life.
And the battery should last what, 10 to 15 years easily?

(16:26):
For LFP, probably 15 years or more with good practices. For NMC, maybe 10 to 12 years.
Either way, it'll likely outlast the rest of the car, or at least get you well past the warranty
period. And honestly, battery replacement costs are dropping fast. So even if you do need a new
pack eventually, it won't be as painful as it used to be. That's actually really reassuring.

(16:50):
I think a lot of people still have this fear that EV batteries are fragile and expensive to replace.
Yeah, and that reputation came from early EVs like the first Nissan Leafs, which had air-cooled
batteries that degraded quickly in hot climates. Modern EVs are way better. Liquid cooling.
Better chemistry. Smarter management systems. It's night and day.

(17:12):
Well, I think we've covered a ton today. Anything else you want to leave listeners with?
Just this. Don't overthink it too much. If you follow the basics, charge at home when you can.
Avoid extreme temperatures when possible, and know whether your battery likes 100% or prefers 80%.
You'll be fine. EVs are actually pretty forgiving, and the technology keeps getting better.

(17:36):
Perfect. So whether you're rocking a BYD in Tel Aviv, a Tesla in California,
or a plug-in hybrid anywhere in between, just be mindful of your battery type and you're good to
go. Thanks for tuning in to Innovation Pulse, everyone. This has been Donna. And Jakov Lasker.
Until next time, keep those batteries healthy and your range anxiety low. Ha! Great line.

(17:59):
See you all next episode.
And that wraps up today's podcast, where we explored China's advancements in all solid
state batteries and solar thermal power, along with tips for optimizing EV battery
charging based on chemistry. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with your

(18:22):
friends and colleagues so they can also stay updated on the latest news and gain powerful
insights. Stay tuned for more updates.