July 24, 2022

EV TUNE-UP & BATTERY MANAGEMENT

EV Automotive Mobility Electric Vehicle 12 point Inspection Tune-up for personal vehicles & fleet management services. An electric vehicle testing tune-up, often referred to simply as an EV tune-up, is a service performed on an electric vehicle (EV) to ensure its optimal performance, efficiency, and safety. While traditional tune-ups for internal combustion engine vehicles involve inspecting and adjusting components like spark plugs, filters, and ignition systems, EV tune-ups focus on checking and maintaining the various electric components and systems of the vehicle.. EV fleet management considers the big issues of fleet routine maintenance requirements.

Here are the tasks involved in the electric vehicle Battery Testing & Tune-Up:

  1. Battery Health Check: Inspection of the battery pack, including individual cells, to assess their condition, capacity, and overall health. This may involve diagnostic tests to measure state of charge, state of health, and internal resistance.
  2. Charging System Inspection: Testing of the onboard charging system, including the charging port, cables, and connectors, to ensure proper functioning and compatibility with charging infrastructure.
  3. Powertrain Performance Evaluation: Assessment of the electric motor(s), inverter(s), and transmission (if applicable) to verify their operation within manufacturer specifications and identify any signs of wear or malfunction.
  4. Software Updates: Updating the vehicle’s software/firmware to the latest version provided by the manufacturer to address any known issues, improve performance, and enhance features.
  5. Brake System Inspection: Checking the regenerative braking system and traditional hydraulic brakes (if present) for proper operation, wear, and fluid levels.
  6. Suspension and Steering Inspection: Examination of the suspension components, steering system, and alignment to ensure proper handling, stability, and comfort.
  7. Safety Systems Check: Testing of safety features such as airbags, traction control, stability control, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to verify functionality and calibration.
  8. Tire Inspection: Inspection of tire condition, tread depth, and tire pressure to ensure proper traction, fuel efficiency, and safety.
  9. Component Inspection: Inspecting other critical components such as brakes, tires, suspension, and cooling systems to ensure they are functioning correctly and are in good condition.
  10. Diagnostic Scan: Conducting a diagnostic scan of the vehicle’s electronic control systems to identify any error codes, faults, or malfunctions that may affect performance or safety.
  11. Drive System Analysis: Assessing the performance and condition of the electric motor, motor controller, and power electronics to ensure proper operation and efficiency.
  12. Road Test: Conducting a road test to evaluate the vehicle’s overall drivability, handling, and performance under real-world conditions.

The goal of an electric vehicle battery testing & tune-up is to identify and address any potential issues or areas for improvement, ensuring that the vehicle operates reliably, efficiently, and safely. Regular tune-ups are recommended as part of routine maintenance to keep EVs in optimal condition and extend their lifespan. Overall, an electric vehicle testing tune-up aims to keep the EV running smoothly, efficiently, and safely while maximizing its lifespan and performance. It is typically recommended by manufacturers at regular intervals or in response to specific issues or maintenance requirements.

However, the transport industry may change beyond recognition in the near future. Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming the game-changer, as they’re moving from the category of consumer vehicles to the commercial sphere at an increasing pace. Workload distribution will become a critical business process for any company with a fleet of vehicles. To ensure the fleet’s full functioning, it’s necessary to constantly collect and analyze data on the battery charge status of all of the EVs in the fleet to make the optimal charging schedule. 

A New Approach To EV Maintenance

EVs will make the engine oil change procedure a thing of the past. That’s not all; they have fewer moving units and rubbing parts (pumps, valves) than cars with an internal combustion engine. This means that there should be much fewer various breakdowns. Idle hours of EVs should be much shorter, and their maintenance should be cheaper. However, this doesn’t mean that electric cars have no drawbacks. Their weakest point is the battery. The battery is the most expensive element to maintain. The price for its replacement can go up to thousands of dollars. When choosing an electric car for a fleet, it’s worth paying attention not only to the cost and brand but also to learning in advance about the dealer’s battery replacement policy, its cost, delivery and replacement time as well as disposal.

New Monitoring Parameters

1. Battery charge status. EV fleet owners should monitor battery levels online to plan the order of charging vehicles. A complete battery charging history will show when and where cars were charged, for how long and how much charge they received.

2. Battery health. Any battery wears out and degrades over time. Monitoring the battery condition will allow you to:

  • Be ready for its prompt replacement without long downtimes.
  • Understand the maximum possible mileage, taking into account the degree of the battery’s deterioration.
  • Avoid a situation when the traditional route can’t be completed due to the battery capacity loss.

3. Charging process. It’s essential to understand how exactly the battery is being charged and track any errors. For example, technicians may overuse the fast charge mode, which degrades battery health. Another case is the use of uncertified chargers or accessories from unknown manufacturers. Such equipment leads to overheating and potential early degradation of batteries, short circuits and even fire.

4. Mileage. This parameter is monitored in cars with ICEs, but it’s more important for EVs. It not only shows the energy consumption per kilometer or how efficiently the car is used but also helps understand how external factors affect the vehicle — for example, how much the driving range decreases in cold weather or how altitude above sea level affects mileage.

5. Energy recovery. It’s crucial to understand how much energy an EV receives while driving. Monitoring this parameter and further data analysis can help manage the fleet more efficiently, plan the charging schedule and make other data-based decisions.

Electric cars have already significantly changed the landscape of private fleets and the segment of light commercial vehicles. In many countries, refueling infrastructure is undergoing significant changes, preparing for the transition of freight transport from traditional fuels to electricity. EVs can dramatically change fleet management in the coming years. At the current level of technology development, collecting and analyzing data generated by cars will be extremely important for business. In many respects, effective fleet management will be based on this data.