Depending on whether you own a conventional or electric car, you may have to deal with two types of batteries.

• A conventional battery provides power for starting your car or for short-term use of lights, stereo, or wipers when the engine is off.
• An electric vehicle battery for powering battery electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles.

Each has a different lifespan.

Conventional Battery

According to the AAA, conventional batteries last from three to five years, with shorter periods for those living in hot areas, such as Orange County, CA, and longer if you live in the northern states. Other factors that affect battery life include a malfunctioning charging system, too much vibration, many short trips instead of long trips, and lack of maintenance.

Keeping your battery well-maintained is the key to extending its lifespan. Clean the battery and test the voltage regularly, and don’t let your car sit for long periods. Take your vehicle out at least once a week for a 30-to-45-minute drive on the freeway, or you may end up with a dead battery.

Eventually, you will have to replace the battery with a new one after the period recommended in your owner’s manual.

Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB)

Are you one of the many drivers who are switching to an electric vehicle (EV) because of its pollution-free and home-charging convenience? Then your car will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that requires less maintenance than a conventional car battery and will have a minimum lifespan of eight years or up to 100,000 miles. Some EVBs may last up to 20 years.

Several factors affect not so much the lifespan but the range and performance of EVBs, which are designed to work optimally at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat, for example, drains the battery faster, not only because of how the chemical reactions in the battery are affected but also because you use the air conditioning more. You want to avoid parking your EV in direct sunlight or heat or charging it on a hot day.

Extreme cold also affects the battery, but that’s not an issue in sunny SoCal unless you frequently drive your EV to the mountains in the winter for skiing.

A bigger drain is powering up, which slowly degrades the EVB every time you charge it. Slower charging at home isn’t generally an issue, but those quick chargers at the shopping mall parking lot affect performance and range more. Avoid using those fast chargers unless it’s necessary.

Be aware that different brands have different warranties for EVs, but they generally guarantee that your EVB will not degrade to less than 70 percent during the warranty period. For instance, the warranty for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 promises that it will lose no more than 30 percent of its original charge for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Where to Service Your Batteries

If you have any issues with your conventional or electric battery, take it in for servicing to the dealers at the Beach Boulevard of Cars in Huntington Beach. You can count on brand-certified automotive technicians to diagnose and fix any problems.