Whether adding distilled water to electric vehicle batteries is useful depends on the type and specific situation of the battery. The following is a detailed answer to this question:
1. For lead-acid batteries: Useful: Lead acid batteries contain an electrolyte inside, usually a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. During the use of batteries, due to factors such as electrolysis and battery heating, some moisture may evaporate, leading to an increase in electrolyte concentration and ultimately affecting battery performance. At this point, adding an appropriate amount of distilled water can replenish the evaporated water, adjust the electrolyte concentration, help restore battery performance, and extend battery life. However, excessive addition of distilled water should be avoided, and a professional electrolyte density meter should be used to monitor the electrolyte concentration to ensure that it is in the optimal state. Limitation: The method of adding distilled water is mainly applicable to open lead-acid batteries or maintainable lead-acid batteries. For valve regulated sealed maintenance free lead-acid batteries, due to their unique structure, it is generally not recommended for users to add water themselves.
2. For lithium-ion batteries: useless: lithium-ion batteries use solid electrolyte or gel electrolyte, without liquid electrolyte, so distilled water is not required. If there is a performance decline in lithium-ion batteries, it is usually caused by battery aging, internal short circuits, overcharging and discharging, and is not related to the evaporation of electrolyte moisture. At this point, adding water not only cannot solve the problem, but may also cause damage to the battery.
3. Precautions: Before deciding to add distilled water to electric vehicle batteries, it is necessary to confirm the type of battery and whether water needs to be added. Different maintenance measures should be taken for different types of batteries. When adding distilled water, follow the recommendations and instructions of the battery manufacturer to avoid excessive or insufficient amounts. If the battery experiences serious performance degradation or malfunction, professional maintenance personnel should be contacted in a timely manner for inspection and repair to avoid self handling and causing greater losses.
Whether adding distilled water to electric vehicle batteries is useful depends on the type and specific situation of the battery. For lead-acid batteries that require water addition, adding distilled water in moderation can help restore battery performance; For lithium-ion batteries and other batteries that do not require liquid electrolytes, adding water is of no use.