Batteries in an electric vehicle (EV) are one of the most crucial components. It is what gives us that necessary range to travel those long distances without fret. Similar to engines in ICE vehicles, batteries depreciate over a period of time.
Battery cycles are essential and determine the health of a battery. One battery or charge cycle as normally called is the complete charge of a battery to 100% after discharge till a certain level. A cycle is determined by a full 0-100% but not in the literal sense. For eg: if your battery drops to 20% and you charge it till 100%, the next day it drops to 70% and you charge it again to 100%. During this time the battery charges up by a total of 110%, i.e., 1 charge cycle + 10% extra. So, you don’t have to have a literal 0-100% to have one cycle, instead, you can complete it through multiple charging times.
Now, why is a charge cycle important? Well, the constant charge and discharge tend to wear out the battery and the chemicals within, degrading its performance and reducing its capacity. Therefore, it is always mentioned that a battery is good for a certain number of charges.
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Lithium-ion batteries, the technology which generally makes up the battery pack for most EVs are good for 4000-5000 battery cycles, which makes it around 5 to 6 years’ worth of regular charging for EVs, which is plenty for anyone using it.
As technology progresses, more chemical composition of batteries will come with higher battery cycles.