Maximizing lithium ion vehicle battery life through optimized partial charging

The limited lifetime, high cost, and large size of current lithium ion batteries are some of the primary obstacles to wider adoption of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Simulations presented in this paper predict that Li-ion battery life can be extended through intelligent charging, especially when predictions of next-day energy needs are used to charge the battery only as needed. As-needed charging minimizes battery degradation by minimizing time spent at high state-of-charge. Preliminary results presented here indicate that the battery of a vehicle used for daily commuting and short errands could see its useable life extended by up to 150 % over unoptimized charging.