If you want to drive past the gas stations and decrease your carbon footprint, an electric vehicle is an excellent option, as EVs run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries you can replenish anytime. However, if you want your EV battery to go the distance, you should be aware of a few well-known tricks to make your electric battery last longer.

Whether it's hot or cold, extreme weather conditions can affect EV charging times. The batteries are temperature-sensitive, and extreme temperatures — AAA tests suggest 20ºF is too cold and 95º is too hot — are likely to affect the range, charge rate, and battery lifespan.

How you drive matters

The way you drive affects your battery life; more specifically, going too fast can significantly diminish battery power. Curbing your need for speed could be challenging as EVs accelerate and generate more torque than their gas-guzzling counterparts.

Avoid fast charging

Researchers conducting tests on EV batteries determined that the industry's fast-charging technique causes batteries to crack, leak, and lose storage capacity much faster than Level 1 or Level 2 charging. After 40 fast-charging cycles, batteries kept only 60% of their storage capacity.

If you want your battery to have a longer life, avoid charging your EV to 100%; regularly charging and discharging lithium-ion batteries causes them to degrade and lose power over time. It's recommended to keep your battery at 20% to 80% to prolong its lifespan.

If you need to store your EV, make sure the conditions are right for battery health. Consult the manufacturer regarding how high to charge your battery and whether you should leave your car plugged in or not. You should also keep your EV in a climate-controlled garage if possible.