Cars

Test the battery in a used e-car

Chemistry meets physics, and in the end everything provides the necessary drive energy in an electric car. At least that’s the plan. But what happens when the traction battery is ailing? And the range of the e-speedster is getting shorter and shorter? There is no question that this will happen at some point. Because with age, every battery loses capacity and the range shrinks.

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Imagine that with a combustion engine: A tank that is getting smaller and smaller. From 60 to 50 or just 40 liters. And that’s not all: the internal resistance of the battery increases over time, and this results in a loss of performance when accelerating.

For buyers of a new e-car, the transience of the power storage is usually not an issue, as the manufacturers give generous guarantees on the batteries. Eight years or 100,000 miles in most cases, whichever comes first. For some, however, the assumption of costs ends at 100,000 kilometers.

Used e-car: The battery pack accounts for around 50 percent of the vehicle’s value

Buyers of used cars must therefore take a closer look, because the battery pack accounts for around 50 percent of the vehicle’s value. The older a car gets, the higher this proportion. If the battery fails in an e-car that is getting on in years, it is usually a total loss and repairs are no longer worthwhile. So be careful with short remaining warranty periods or a kilometer eater. Here it is imperative for the workshop to check the condition of the traction battery with the appropriate diagnostic software.

Battery status - battery replacement

Diagnosis: The individual cells can be read and reveal their condition.


The automotive supplier Mahle, for example, supplies such a device. The “TechPro”, according to Mahle, is the first tool that enables basic diagnostics via the OBD port. When assessing the battery condition, professionals speak of SoH, which stands for State of Health. The corresponding control unit for battery management is usually read out for this purpose. If the determined capacity is below 70 or 75 percent, the car manufacturers speak of a guarantee case.

In addition, a battery analysis via the charging socket should soon be possible. Supplier Mahle and software specialist Volytica Diagnostics have developed a charging and diagnostic device that is currently being tested in practice by TÜV Nord. This should read the state of health of the battery in ten minutes, regardless of what data the manufacturer provides via the OBD port. This type of diagnosis would thus be particularly neutral. For example, any need for repairs can be predicted.

The driver can also control how quickly the battery wears out

There are also ways to determine the health of the battery while driving. In the GTÜ battery test, for example, the battery is run almost empty. Drivers can also control how quickly batteries wear out. Basically, it is important to avoid stress on the battery, fast charging at a DC station is one of them. E-cars also don’t like being constantly charged to 100 percent or charging in the blazing sun.

This is how car manufacturers and testing organizations test batteries

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Audi

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DEKRA

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ford

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Hyundai/Kia

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Mazda

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Mercedes

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Renault

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Seat

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Skoda

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MOT South

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Volkswagen

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Kuga PHEV, Mustang Mach-E

The available battery energy content or the “State of Health” (SoH) can be read out using the ODIS diagnostic tester. Audi is currently evaluating concepts such as how an SoH certificate can be integrated into the Audi “Used Cars:plus” program or as an online product as part of private used car marketing.

A pilot project is running, so far only possible for commercial customers.

The capacity of the individual cells can be read out with a diagnostic device.

The range is read using an OBD-2 adapter while driving. The adapter is provided for the measurement by GTÜ partner Aviloo.

The data of the high-voltage battery, e.g. B. the SoH value (State of Health), can be read at any Kia dealership.

The parameters of all 16 battery modules can be read out with the M-MDS diagnosis tester.

The SoH value can be read out in the workshop using a special diagnosis.

The remaining battery capacity can be read using the diagnostic tool. In addition, customers will soon be able to generate a battery certificate for their electric vehicle via the My Renault app.

The battery capacity of the rechargeable battery is determined, because that is decisive. The total charged energy is determined as well as the proportion of direct current (DC).

The remaining capacity of the traction battery is determined using the diagnostic system.

A battery health certificate will be created – so far only for commercial customers.

Battery Health Status: “Simple” certification that the HV battery still has a capacity of >70% in relation to mileage or age. Battery Health Certificate: “Precise” determination of the remaining capacity using a uniform, reproducible measurement method.

Even with full batteries, you shouldn’t park a car, it’s better to drive off immediately. If you drive a lot of short distances, you should stay below 80 percent when charging, because the battery feels most comfortable between 20 and 80 percent. And: Avoid driving at full throttle and sprinting at traffic lights.

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