PALO ALTO, CA—Electric vehicle batteries may last up to 40 percent longer than expected, according to a new study conducted by the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center. Real-world stop-and-go driving actually benefits EV batteries more than the steady use simulated in many laboratory tests of new battery designs. In fact, batteries subjected to heavy traffic, long highway trips and short local trips could last about one-third longer than researchers have generally forecast.
Traditionally, engineers have tested the cycle lives of new battery designs in labs using a constant rate of discharge followed by recharging. They repeat this cycle rapidly many times to learn quickly if a new design is good or not for life expectancy, among other qualities.