Will a car’s battery degrade if it’s left unused for an extended period? Here’s why.

Many electric car owners have had the confusion of having their car parked in the garage for a month or two, while it was fully charged, only to find that it couldn't start again when riding. Where's the electricity going? Is the battery "starved to death"? Today, Xiao Xin will talk about: Why does the battery become damaged when the electric car is parked for a long time?

1. The battery itself will "self-discharge"



Even if the electric car does not have any wiring and the battery is placed alone, its interior will undergo a weak self-discharge reaction due to its inherent chemical properties, causing the electricity to slowly decline. However, under normal temperature conditions, the monthly self-discharge rate of a qualified lead-acid battery is usually about 3% to 5%, and it generally takes several months to completely exhaust the electricity.
Therefore, if the vehicle experiences severe power loss (unable to start normally) when it is parked for only a month or two on a full charge, self-discharge is usually not the main cause, but more likely to be the result of power consumption of external devices such as anti-theft alarms, GPS modules and other continuously working external devices. In addition, factors such as the aging of the battery itself, not being fully charged before storage or excessive ambient temperature may further aggravate the loss of power.

2. Anti-theft alarms are "stealing electricity"
That's the real culprit.
When the electric car is turned off, the anti-theft alarm is constantly working, consuming the battery power 24 hours a day. Some alarms do not have a low power consumption, which may reach a few milliamperes or even tens of milliamperes. A month or two of accumulation is enough to drain the battery.
After the electricity is deeply emptied, if it is not replenished in time, crystallization (sulfatization) will occur inside the battery, causing the polarising active substance to fail and the battery capacity to decline permanently - this is commonly known as "battery starvation."

3. The battery does not need to go into "dormant"



When the battery is in a state of severe power loss for a long time, it enters a state similar to "dormant." At this time, ordinary chargers are often unable to charge it because they cannot detect the normal voltage. While it is possible to partially restore battery function with a professional repair charger, capacity and performance usually have declined significantly after activation.
How to avoid battery "starvation"?
✅Charge regularly: If the vehicle is not used for a long time, replenish the power at least once a month to prevent loss of power storage.
✅Disconnect the alarm: If it is parked for a long time, you can unplug the alarm fuse or disconnect the battery negative electrode.
✅Remove and store: Remove the battery and place it in a cool, dry, safe place. Recharge with a charger at least once every month.
✅Choose a low-power alarm: replace a micro-power anti-theft device with a power consumption of only 1 milliampere to reduce standby power consumption.
✅When the electric car is idle for a long time, the electric car's air switch (generally located under the seat mat) can be turned off to reduce the battery self-discharge.

Of course, in addition to using it correctly, choosing the right battery is equally critical.
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