Selected maintenance aspects of traction batteries in electric vehicles

Abstract

Electromobility is associated with the ever faster development and introduction of new electric vehicles to the market. These vehicles use an electric motor to drive the wheels of the vehicle and the necessary electrical energy is stored in traction batteries. Electric vehicles have a different construction method than traditional vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. For this reason, they are used, maintained and serviced differently. Becoming more familiar with selected operational issues of electric vehicles positively affects the reliability of their use as well as the safety and comfort of driving them. One important component of electric vehicles is the traction battery. Its proper operation influences the long-term preservation of the initial energy capacity and thus the range of the vehicle. The article presents test results concerning the state of traction batteries of a small electrically powered city vehicle. The vehicle, the batteries used and the diagnostic devices used to assess the condition of the battery are all described in detail. Based on literature analysis and the observation of market trends, a fast and effective method of assessment of the technical condition of batteries in electric vehicles was proposed. The method was tested on the selected vehicle. The technical condition of the battery in the vehicle was assessed after 30,000 km and 4.5 years of operation.