Types Of Batteries Used In Electric Vehicles & Their Parameters

In the last couple of years, almost every industry has seen some kind of innovative technology revolutionize it. Similarly, in the automobile industry, this change was brought about by battery-powered cars.

Considering the pollution caused by conventionally powered cars, this industry did not take long to adapt to the changes brought by electric motors. Over time, quite a few types of batteries have been used for electric cars, Lithium-ion being the most common one. Here mentioned are a few characteristic traits of each type of battery used in an electric car.

Lithium-ion Battery:

This is the most widely used electric car battery in the industry. You might already be familiar with it because smaller versions of this are used in portable devices like mobile phones and even laptops. However, the ones used in cars are much bigger and have a higher capacity, often being referred to as traction battery packs.

Lithium-ion batteries have an immensely high power-to-weight ratio, making the cars highly energy efficient. The battery performs quite better than others at high temperatures as well. This is mainly used due to its energy per weight ratio, which is an important consideration in electric car batteries.

 In other words, the smaller the weight of the battery, the further the car can drive on a single charge. The battery also has a low self-discharge level, meaning it is better able to maintain its charge when compared to the other alternatives. In addition to that, most components of the Li-ion batteries can get recycled. This is a bonus for electric cars since they are made with the main motive of saving the environment. These are mainly used in PHEV and BEV cars.

Parameters:

• Mass energy Density: 100-180 Wh/kg
• Volume Energy density: 200-300 Wh/L
• Power Density: 1000-1500 W/kg
• Self-Discharge rate: 1-5% per month

Hybrid Nickel-Metal (NIMH) battery:

Another variant of electric cars is hybrid cars which contain both battery-powered and fuel-powered engines. These are the cars that mainly use NIMH batteries, but these batteries are also compatible with BEV cars. These kinds of batteries do not require any outer power source to charge.

The charging of the battery mainly depends on the regenerative braking, speed, and wheels of the car. When compared to Li-ion batteries, NIMH batteries have a better life cycle and are safer in case of intolerant use.

However, these batteries have a higher self-discharge rate, are much more expensive, and generate considerable amounts of heat in high temperatures, which is quite common in a car. These few shortcomings make NIMH a lesser chosen option for a car whose batteries need to be charged from an outer source. This is also the main reason these batteries are used in hybrid cars.

Parameters:

• Mass energy Density: 40-120 Wh/kg
• Volume Energy density: 140-400 Wh/L
• Power Density: 300-1000 W/kg
• Self-Discharge Rate: ~30% per month

Lead-Acid Battery:

SLA or lead-acid is one of the oldest kinds of rechargeable batteries. When compared to NIMH or lithium batteries, these are a lot heavier and lose capacity eventually. However, the main reason automobile companies still use it is its cheap pricing. In addition to that, since they have been used for the longest time, the technology around the fitting and using the batteries more effectively has also evolved, which makes for a better end product. Nevertheless, SLA batteries are not yet found in consumer electric vehicles, although there are a few projects under development. The main use for this kind of battery is as a secondary storage system for commercial vehicles. Another good thing about these kinds of batteries is that they are recyclable. 

Parameters:

• Mass energy Density:30-40 Wh/kg
• Volume Energy density:60-75 Wh/L
• Power Density:180 W/kg
• Self-Discharge rate:3-20% per month

These are some of the most commonly used electric car batteries that you should have an idea about. While it is not very necessary to know what kind of battery your fuel-powered car has, since electric cars run on batteries, this decision becomes important.

The electric vehicle industry is still growing and has a long way to go. This only makes room for the numerous innovations and experiments that are taking place in this field. If you are planning to be a part of this industry, the information present in this article can come in quite handy.