These days, more and more people are driving EVs and hybrids around Hamilton, we see a steady stream of Nissan Leafs, Toyota Aquas, and even a few BYDs and MGs come through the workshop. And while they’re great for zipping around town and keeping fuel costs low, the battery side of things can be a bit of a mystery for most drivers.
Had a fella in last week with his Honda Fit Hybrid, said it felt sluggish on the hills out in Rototuna and the range was dropping fast. Turns out the hybrid battery was on its way out, but he’d been putting it down to “just needing a service.” Happens all the time.
Signs your EV battery might be struggling
First thing you’ll probably notice is a drop in range. If your Leaf used to get 120km on a full charge but now it’s barely managing 90km , that’s a red flag. Especially if your driving hasn’t changed much. Could be battery degradation or a dodgy cell inside.
Next one is charging time. If it’s taking way longer to charge than it used to, whether that’s at home or the fast charger near The Base, there’s a chance the battery’s not accepting charge properly.
Acceleration’s another one. If the car used to be nippy pulling out onto Ulster St or getting up the ramp at Dinsdale and now it feels a bit gutless — could be the high-voltage battery not delivering full power.
What causes battery issues in Hamilton driving conditions?
Honestly, the stop-start nature of Hamilton traffic doesn’t help, lots of short trips, especially doing the school run or popping into Chartwell. That doesn’t give the battery much time to balance itself out or stay at healthy charge levels.
Then there’s the weather. Batteries hate extremes, in winter, you’ve got cold mornings, wet roads, and heaters blasting. In summer, we get those stinkin’ hot days where the battery’s working harder to stay cool. Both can speed up wear.
And don’t get me started on the speed bumps down in Melville or the potholes out near Gordonton — all that jarring and bumping can mess with battery mounts or cabling over time.
How we check for EV battery issues
At Grimmer Motors, we’ve got the right scan tools to test high-voltage systems properly. We can run a health check on your EV or hybrid battery, look at individual cell voltages, and give you a heads-up on where things are at. Sometimes it’s just a balance issue, other times, it might be worth looking into reconditioning or replacing the battery.
We’ve worked on plenty of older import EVs, especially early-gen Leafs and Aqua hybrids. Often the owners have no idea the battery’s struggling until they come in for a car service or fail a WOF in Hamilton because of a warning light.
Don’t wait for the dash lights
Honestly, heaps of EV owners don’t realise anything’s wrong until a big orange light shows up on the dash, by then it can be a pricey fix. If you’ve noticed range drop, slow charging, weird noises, or just reckon the car isn’t driving quite right, bring it in.
We’re always happy to take a look, even if it’s just to give you peace of mind.