Electric vehicles’ (EVs) batteries have been causing their drivers some trouble, but not the one many might think.
While the vehicle’s main battery is operating as expected, the smaller, low-voltage one is dying often and without warning, leaving EV drivers stranded and in need of a jump start, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The 12-volt batteries, which have been under cars’ hoods for decades, don’t move vehicles, but they power interior lights and the vehicles’ other electronic parts. Given that EVs require more energy, the smaller batteries are “on” frequently and in turn get depleted faster than they would in gas-powered cars, according to Amod Kumar, an industry analyst at research firm S&P Global Mobility.
Currently, it’s unclear how far reaching the problem is. However, the issue has disrupted car manufacturers like Hyundai, Rivian and Cadillac’s EV launches in recent years, The Wall Street Journal reports. The issue has also led to at least two regulatory inquiries.
Meanwhile, other car companies have had to deal with software glitches and other hardware issues that have drained the battery faster — even when it’s in park. EV drivers’ frustration stems from the fact that the batteries are dying in brand new vehicles, giving already hesitant potential customers another reason to question switching to electric.
It’s perhaps more surprising that these batteries are giving out so quickly since they’re supposed to last between three to six years. A number of new EV owners didn’t think their car even had this small battery, due to the fact that it already houses a large lithium-ion one. When Cadillac unveiled its Lyriq electric SUV last year, initial customers complained about the 12-volt battery dying and that they could not start their new car.
The manufacturer reported the issue was a software anomaly that caused the battery to stay on after the vehicle was shut off. Cadillac has since instructed dealers to reprogram the module linked to the error.
Meanwhile California-based EV manufacturer Rivian Automotive dealt with similar problems last fall with some of its new pickup truck and SUV models. For Rivian, its vehicles’ 12-volt battery was quickly getting depleted because a sensor had failed to signal to the larger battery that it needed to recharge it when the car was on. The company updated the vehicles’ software to fix the problem, a spokesperson said.
Inconvenience is just one problem with the 12-volt batteries dying unexpectedly, however. The sudden shutdowns are also a safety hazard. U.S. auto-safety regulators have been looked into Hyundai Ioniq 5s and Kia EV6s after complaints of the 12-volt batteries dying while the car is moving. Drivers have reported hearing a loud “pop” noise, before their vehicles lose power, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Preliminary reviews revealed that a control-unit malfunction was interfering with the system’s ability to recharge the 12-volt battery, per regulatory filings.
Hyundai responded to the issue by instructing dealers to replace the faulty part if necessary. The manufacturer has also sent a software update to the impacted cars to decrease excess current. Hyundai also continues to cooperate with the regulatory investigation.
Going forward, car companies face the challenge of the 12-volt battery being too dated for today’s tech-savvy vehicles. The more technology EVs are equipped with, the more power they require. Shifting to a higher-voltage system would be tough because it would likely require wholesale changes to supply chain for the necessary parts, according to Bob Galyen, a battery consultant and former chief technology officer of battery-maker Contemporary Amperex Technology.
Currently a vehicle’s interior electronics like the stereo and overhead lights operate fine on a 12-volt system. More voltage would force car manufacturers to find suppliers that make specialized parts, Galyen said.
“Go out and try to source a 48-volt fan or a 48-volt door lifter,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s hard to find the components that are going to run to the higher voltages.”
Tesla has designed its newest model, the Cybertruck, with a 48-volt system. The shift allowed the company to decrease the size of the truck’s wiring and better accommodate its increased power needs.
“Forty-eight volts is the future for low voltage design at Tesla and likely the rest of the industry in due course,” Pete Bannon, a director at Tesla, said during its investor day in 2023.
Comments