Hi everyone, we found an offer for an electric Fiat 500, but it has been kept for 2 years in transport mode. I know that batteries are not great when they stay unused for a long time, but does this situation apply too?
Storing the car the right way for 2 years can keep the battery in better shape than using it for those years. If the battery was stored incorrectly, it might be ruined.
I would take the car to an EV mechanic to check the battery’s condition.
Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. We decided not to buy it and went for one with moderate usage instead
If it was stored at a good state of charge, it will be like a time capsule. If it was charged to 100% and left that way, it might have some issues. It’s not a total deal breaker, but I would expect a good discount or something.
Check the battery health. It could be in great shape if it kept a charge, but it could be ruined if it was drained.
Stevie said:
Hi everyone, we found an offer for an electric Fiat 500, but it has been kept for 2 years in transport mode. I know that batteries are not great when they stay unused for a long time, but does this situation apply too?
If the charge is very high or very low, that’s not good for the battery. Also, any seals or rubber on a vehicle can suffer from just sitting still for two years.
Good points, thanks!
Amari said:
Check the battery health. It could be in great shape if it kept a charge, but it could be ruined if it was drained.
If it was kept at a proper charge. If it was stored at 50%, you should be fine. If it was stored at 100%, I would stay away from it.
I agree. Just be aware that it can be really hard to get more than just what you want to hear.
Stevie said:
Hi everyone, we found an offer for an electric Fiat 500, but it has been kept for 2 years in transport mode. I know that batteries are not great when they stay unused for a long time, but does this situation apply too?
If the charge is very high or very low, that’s not good for the battery. Also, any seals or rubber on a vehicle can suffer from just sitting still for two years.
Stevie said:
Hi everyone, we found an offer for an electric Fiat 500, but it has been kept for 2 years in transport mode. I know that batteries are not great when they stay unused for a long time, but does this situation apply too?
If the charge is very high or very low, that’s not good for the battery. Also, any seals or rubber on a vehicle can suffer from just sitting still for two years.
People often say that storing at a low state of charge isn’t good, but research shows that it’s actually the best as long as you don’t let it discharge. For cells with a usable voltage range of 2.5 V to 4.2 V, the least aging happens when stored at 2.5 V. Keeping it below 3.6 V per cell is better than anything above that, but the degradation is less as the voltage decreases, as long as it stays within the battery’s limits. Keeping it above 3.6 V makes aging happen faster.