You'll be surprised at the resilience of this electric vehicle. Our writer left his Kia EV6 unplugged in a freezing garage for nearly a month and was astonished at how little range the car lost. Dispel all fears of coming back to a completely dead battery after a long trip.
The Kia EV6 performed incredibly well, even in the challenging cold.
Despite common assumptions, this demonstration proves that your EV's battery won't completely die if left unplugged for a while. However, it's crucial to consult your owner's manual for long-term storage guidelines. Most manuals recommend keeping them plugged in, if possible, to automatically maintain optimal charge levels.
It's worth remembering that internal combustion vehicles can also face difficulties when stored for months at a time. Gasoline can evaporate, and fluids can go bad. The Kia EV6 outperformed many older gas-powered cars, handling weeks of cold storage like a champ. So, don't worry about leaving your EV parked in the cold for extended periods – it likely won't be a problem.
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The Real Battery Issue in Electric Vehicles: Not What You Think
In the electric vehicle (EV) sector, a significant obsession revolves around the durability of the high-capacity, high-cost battery packs. However, the data reveals that these large powerhouses are sturdy and reliable. Surprisingly, the nagging issues primarily stem from the humble 12-volt batteries, notorious for causing headaches among numerous automakers, grappling with charging concerns.
It's a common fear among skeptics and prospective buyers concerning the longevity of EV batteries. They constantly question whether the battery will hold up. The reassuring truth, however, is that the primary batteries in modern EVs are not known to fail significantly. The real issue lies in the diminutive 12-volt batteries, which if depleted, can leave you stranded even with a fully charged main battery.
It's a familiar risk for those who drive vehicles with internal combustion engines. These conventional cars utilize a 12-volt battery, typically a hefty lead-acid one, to start the car and run the electronics. While you might assume that EVs don't need these "old-school batteries" due to their enormous drive batteries, surprisingly, they depend on them for similar reasons.
EVs use 12-volt batteries to kick-start the primary power system, power low-voltage electronics such as infotainment systems, and manage background operations like passive entry systems and cellular connectivity. Regardless of the state of charge of the main battery, if the 12-volt battery is drained, you're likely to be stranded. Thus, even if you're driving around town powered by a $20,000 lithium-ion battery, you're still dependent on a modest $200 12-volt battery.
Is This A Long-Term Issues For EVs?
As stated by Steven Elek, a senior automotive data analyst at Consumer Reports, many people have misconceptions. They wrongly assume that since it's a battery-powered vehicle, the battery should never die. But that's simply not the case.
An analysis of Consumer Reports' reliability data shows a clear pattern of problems connected with 12-volt batteries. Although it's not confirmed whether these issues occur more frequently in EVs, data indicate consistent areas of concern for certain EVs, including Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Rivian R1S, and Rivian R1T. Multiple forums for these brands also corroborate these issues.
Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have all had to recall EVs due to problems with the system charging the 12-volt battery. Rivian adjusted the maintenance method of the 12-volt battery in the second-generation R1.
Understanding EV 12-Volt Systems
To comprehend these issues, it's crucial to know how EVs charge and utilize their 12-volt batteries. They typically employ a DC-to-DC converter, which takes direct current (DC) from the primary battery and reduces it from the pack's voltage (typically between 300 to 900 volts) to the charging voltage of a 12-volt battery, which is 14 volts, confusingly.
There are two basic strategies to manage this. Most companies adopt a simplistic approach; when the vehicle is operational, the high voltage (HV) system charges the 12-volt battery. When not running, the vehicle has low power demand, so the battery should last weeks without the vehicle's power. This is also how it works in an internal combustion vehicle. For safety reasons, most manufacturers don't want to engage the HV battery unless the user initiates it.
Some designs use more power when switched off, hence they have an automatic power control logic that will activate the HV battery to charge the LV system.
The Infamous 12-Volt Battery Failure
Notably, Rivian used such a system in the original R1S and R1T models, leading to the so-called "vampire drain." The vehicle's connectivity features and its security feature, Gear Guard, often drain the 12-volt battery, causing the entire HV system to activate and feed the 12-volt battery.