Overview

• SLAC-Stanford Battery Center tested 92 commercial lithium-ion cells over two years using 47 distinct load profiles and found dynamic cycling can extend equivalent full cycles by up to 38 percent.
• Mixed driving conditions—stop-and-go traffic, highway speeds and occasional strong accelerations—distribute stress more evenly across battery cells than constant-speed driving.
• Regenerative braking creates short charge-discharge cycles that promote chemical equilibrium within the cell and slow degradation.
• Maintaining a state of charge between 20 percent and 80 percent minimizes thermal and mechanical stress to boost battery stability over time.
• Researchers recommend automakers update lab test protocols and battery-management systems to reflect real-world driving patterns and optimize battery longevity.