A cost of ownership analysis of batteries in all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles

The ever-faster transformation of road vehicles from traditional fuel engines to electric motors, is leading to increasingly widespread research on and development of electric vehicles and related infrastructures. In this context, this article addresses the cost aspect of batteries from the owner’s perspective. Specifically, it proposes an analysis of the optimal usage cost of batteries in order to maximize the benefit-cost ratio and battery replacement intervals. In order to analyze battery degradation, various tests were utilized for both a full-battery electric vehicle (BEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The results demonstrate greater wear of the PHEV battery when the vehicle is under charge-sustaining mode, that is, when using the combustion engine, while driving with frequent starts and stops. On the other hand, the degradation costs of the BEV battery are generally close to optimal in every scenario, in which the main parameter affecting battery wear is average daily mileage.