Forget gentle driving for the sake of your electric car – a serious study overturns all beliefs

Researchers at Stanford University have conducted a study that challenges popular beliefs about how to drive electric cars.

A recent study conducted by the prestigious Stanford University may surprise the growing number of electric car drivers. Contrary to the popular belief that gentle driving can preserve the battery of electric vehicles, the results reveal that a more dynamic driving style could actually improve its lifespan. For their experiment, researchers from the renowned American university analyzed the behavior of 92 battery cells subjected to 47 different driving profiles, on a variety of routes, ranging from city driving to highway driving.

These tests produced a rather surprising result. They showed that car batteries subjected to frequent speed variations and use on more varied routes lasted up to 38% longer than those used at more constant speeds on much more monotonous journeys, such as on motorways. This represents a significant gain in battery life, since vehicles that were driven on all types of routes at very heterogeneous speeds had a lifespan of up to 313,800 kilometers, while those that were mainly driven on motorways at a more regular speed "only" reached 227,000 km.

This phenomenon is explained, according to the study conducted in California, by the chemical behavior of the cells: a constant power supply promotes accelerated aging of the electrodes, while more dynamic cycles, integrating more intense use phases followed by recovery periods, seem to limit this degradation. By alternating regenerative acceleration and braking – the same ones that allow the batteries to be recharged simply by decelerating – the system avoids continuous wear, which gives the battery a more balanced and longer-lasting life cycle.

In addition to its findings on how to drive to improve electric battery performance, the study also provides recommendations on charging management. To preserve the battery over the long term, users are advised to maintain a charge level around 50%, avoiding full charges to 100% as much as possible or, conversely, driving too often with a charge close to 0. Here are the keys, according to research conducted by Stanford University, to optimizing the performance of our electric vehicle batteries.