5 Essential Steps for Monitoring Your EV Battery Health

Nobody wants to hear that their EV’s battery is aging faster than yesterday’s smartphone. Keeping it healthy doesn’t have to be rocket science, though.

A few simple checks and some low-key maintenance can stretch its lifespan, meaning you won’t have to fork over cash for a new pack anytime soon.

Over the last few months, I’ve learned a few tricks, especially after some close calls involving long road trips and glitchy chargers in the middle of nowhere. Let’s go through five steps that’ll save you stress and potentially a chunk of money down the line.

1.   Track Battery Usage Via Your App

Modern EVs typically come with a built-in companion app. Don’t just let it hang out on your home screen, open it up and snoop around. Check battery health stats, observe how often you’re charging, and spot any weird dips in range.

I once noticed a sudden drop in my daily commute’s range after an unexpected cold snap. Turned out it was due to leaving my EV outside overnight in sub-freezing temps, and the battery didn’t appreciate the chilly vibes.

While it is always recommended to take expert advice on replacing a car battery, for everything else, the app provided by the manufacturer does pretty well. If you know how to use it and pay sufficient attention to it, you’ll have little to worry about in-terms of range and depreciation.

2.   Keep An Eye On Temperature

Batteries and extreme temperatures

go together like hot sauce and ice cream, it’s a rough combo. Monitor where and how long your EV sits around. If your garage feels like a sauna or your driveway chills like Antarctica, grab a cheap digital thermometer and start taking notes.

After swapping indoor parking spots most owners see a sizable improvement in range, with even small changes going a long way when it comes to this.

3.   Pay Attention To Charging Habits

Plugging in whenever you feel like it sounds convenient, but it’s not always ideal. If you’re topping off your battery constantly or always pushing it to 100%, that could add unnecessary wear.

Aim for moderate charge levels, somewhere between 20% to 80% for daily use. If you can switch to overnight charging that is capped at 80%, you’ll no longer be surprised by range drops that come out of nowhere, leaving you more confident when heading out in the morning.

4.   Dive into Your EV’s Built-In Diagnostics

Don’t sleep on your car’s built-in diagnostic screens, those tools are there for a reason. Peek at the system’s data logs, run performance tests and keep tabs on battery health indicators.

Many times, just installing an update that you’ve been avoiding all this while could make your range a lot smoother and charging sessions significantly less erratic. By paying attention to these insights, you can notice issues well before they turn into nightmares.

5.   Schedule Regular Professional Check-Ups

Sure, we all hate making service appointments. But just like regular dentist visits keep your teeth in line, a periodic battery check-up by a qualified EV technician can catch subtle problems early.

When I brought my car in after noticing a slight performance dip, the mechanic adjusted a few parameters that brought everything back to normal. A short visit saved me from bigger headaches down the road.

It is essential that you only work with certified professionals who know what they are doing. Cars today, especially EVs, are far too complex for average mechanics to deal with. Every brand now has dedicated programs to train technicians, and anyone you leave your car with should be so trained.

Conclusion

You don’t have to obsess over your EV’s battery health every single day, but keeping it on your radar will reward you with a stable range, fewer unpleasant surprises, and a longer lifespan. Remember, just like stretching before a workout or checking your phone’s battery percentage, a little bit of upfront effort can pay off big time in the long run.