Exploring Battery Degradation and Range Variability in Electric Vehicles Across Global Drive Patterns and Charging Levels

Accurate life cycle estimates are required to sustain electric vehicles (EVs) in different regions of the world. The battery pack is one of the most important and expensive components of the EV, and its frequent replacement can significantly impact the adoption of EVs in various parts of the world with variable terrain. However, battery degradation depends on driving terrain, also called driving profiles. There exists a research gap on the health degradation of the battery pack when driven on variable terrain representative of different regions of the world. This paper compares multiple driving profiles from different countries for capacity degradation and estimated range while the charging rate is kept at 1C. Thereafter, the influence of charging C-rate on degradation is also investigated. Since a higher charging C rate leads to higher degradation, fast charging (Level 3) must be avoided in regions that are prone to higher degradation; otherwise, the EVs would be at risk of premature end of life, much lower than expected. The analysis revealed that road conditions and driving patterns significantly affect battery pack lifespan, as capacity retention is inversely proportional to the load current.