Why does an electric car have a 12 volt battery? It's more important than you think [tutorial]

It might seem that since an electric car has a battery that draws energy to move, the classic 12-volt battery is not needed. Nothing more confusing, because it performs almost all the same functions as in a conventional internal combustion vehicle. 

In an electric vehicle, the main battery that provides power to the engine(s) is called traction battery. It must be properly named high voltage battery. Its main role is precisely in the transmission of electricity to the drive. Many other devices support the classic 12V lead-acid battery.

The role of the 12-volt battery in an electric car

The 12 V battery is charged from the high voltage battery via an inverter. It is a backup energy storage in case the traction battery cannot provide it to the vehicle devices. It also powers systems and devices that are constantly consuming power, even when the car is turned off. This is exactly the same as in a car with an internal combustion engine, but in an electric car, the traction battery takes the place of the alternator.

Moreover, it is the 12V battery that provides the energy to open the contactors and thus start the vehicle. To the surprise of users of electric vehicles, sometimes it is possible not to start them even with a charged traction battery. It may be interesting that The most common fault in electric vehicles is a dead 12 volt battery..

The 12 V battery is responsible for powering:

• Interior lighting
• Head unit, multimedia and navigation
• Mats
• Driver assistance systems
• Alarm and central locking
• Power steering and brakes
• Contactors for high voltage battery starting

What should I do if the 12V battery is dead?

The devil is not as scary as he is painted. Contrary to appearance when the battery is low low voltage, it can be used normally charge with chargerlike any 12V battery in an internal combustion vehicle. It's also possible start an electric car using the so-called amplifier or cablesby borrowing electricity from another vehicle.

Electric vehicles also tend to freeze the electronics responsible for starting the traction battery and thus starting the vehicle. In this case, despite the inclusion of the so-called. ignition, the car will not start. Moreover, sometimes such a machine is difficult to move even by force. Helps something trite and completely safe disconnecting the 12-volt battery for a few minutes (photo of the clamp from the negative pole). Then everything resets and often returns to normal.

 Find out what accelerates battery aging