The world is changing, and so is motoring. Climate change, technological leaps and the speed of life in urban centers are putting the spotlight on electric cars. So what do we need to know about them?

THEIR DOMINATION WILL HAPPEN EARLIER THAN WE EXPECT

Electric cars are already here, according to predictions. Where all the predictions fell out though is the time period of their dominance which... is coming very soon as the European Commission's new rules, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, are driving manufacturers straight to electrification. Fiat recently announced that by 2030 it will produce purely electric models, following the announcements of Ford, Volvo, MINI, Alpine, Jaguar and Land Rover. The increase in global interest in electrification is also demonstrated by the sales figures: in 2020, although global car sales were down by 20%, sales of electric cars rose by 43% compared to 2019. The picture is similar up to currently for 2021, with analysts predicting a 40% increase in electric sales by 2030, while by 2040, every new car is expected to be electric.

THE BATTERY IS THE "KEY" OF THE ELECTRIC CAR

The battery is the heart of the electric car. So if there's one thing we need to know about it, it's that it's designed to outlast the useful life of the vehicle it belongs to. The degradation of the battery and the reduction of its capacity over time is not something that worries car manufacturers, and this is because: although today's electric car batteries only lose about 1%-2% of their capacity, this confirms their durability and the goal of exceeding the useful life of a vehicle! A strong example remains the battery of the Tesla Model S. Researchers have found that a trip of 500,000 miles with its original battery is a feasible fact!

THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIFETIME OF AN ELECTRIC CAR BATTERY

The life of a battery is affected by several factors. A particularly important one to maintain its longevity is if it is used daily, while proven, it is affected by climatic conditions and location. Equally important is its charging, to which the vehicle owner must pay special attention: an EV battery is charged with a special charger or fast charger. If the battery is discharged on the road, it is necessary to find a charging station, while for maximum performance it should not be charged to 100% of its capacity - the battery charge should be between 20% and 70-80%. Both fully discharging and fully charging to 100% can cause the battery to lose its properties faster.