Quick Facts About How Long Electric Car Batteries Last
- Manufacturers say electric car batteries will last 15-20 years.
- EV battery degradation is unavoidable over time, but some studies find it’s not as bad as some might fear.
- If warranty coverage indicates an electric car battery lifespan, expect at least eight years or 100,000 miles.
Even as the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, one question remains: How long does an electric car battery last?
Potential owners and current EV drivers understandably wonder about electric car battery lifespan. After all, replacing the power source for an electric car is expensive — sometimes costing more than 50% of the EV’s value. The good news is that EV battery pack replacement is uncommon. Continue reading to learn about how long EV batteries last and more.
- How Long Does Electric Car Battery Last?
- EV Battery Basics
- Electric Car Battery Charging Cycles
- How to Preserve Electric Car Battery Longevity
How Long EV Batteries Last
In a survey of consumers, Cox Automotive (the parent company of Autotrader) found that potential EV buyers have reservations over battery life and the costs associated with battery replacement. Of those considering an electric car purchase, 50% view the average battery life as 100,000 miles or more, and 46% believe the average battery life lasts 65,000 miles or less.
So, what’s the real answer? How long do electric car batteries last? Automakers often say EV battery lifespan is 15 to 20 years. And we know many examples of EVs with hundreds of thousands of miles using the original battery.
The amount of data on EV battery longevity is limited because most electric cars on the road are less than 6 years old. Meanwhile, according to some studies, EV battery degradation is unavoidable but not as bad as some might fear.
Recurrent is a company that tracks EV battery life and battery pack replacement. It gets a lot of information from electric cars that are nearly a decade old, including the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S. Study findings indicate EV batteries have a lot of life in them.
Electric Car Battery Warranties
To provide some assurance over electric car battery lifespan and concern with replacement cost, the federal government mandates that manufacturers offer a minimum of an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty. Some manufacturers offer even more protection. A new Rivian R1S or Rivian R1T has warranty coverage for 175,000 miles or eight years. Tesla’s longest battery warranty covers 150,000 miles on the Model S and Model X over the same span.
Always follow the owner’s manual guidance and carefully read warranty details to protect your EV purchase. Some automakers will only cover the battery pack in cases of total failure. Others will offer a replacement battery pack if the unit falls to a certain percentage — often 70% — of its original capacity.
Electric Car Battery Basics
Lithium-ion batteries power electric cars. This type of rechargeable battery cell is well-suited for electric vehicles due to its higher energy density than lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries. A higher energy density means the power source takes up less space.
Your cell phone and other portable electronics use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. But an electric car battery isn’t just one big battery. Several modules make up an EV battery pack, and each of those modules may contain hundreds of individual cells.
An electric car battery’s capacity gets measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. In general, a higher kilowatt-hour rating for an electric car indicates that it can travel farther, like a gasoline-powered car with a larger fuel tank.
Electric Car Battery Charging Cycles
Electric car batteries connect to the vehicle’s motor, which turns the wheels. When you accelerate, power gets delivered to the motor, and the energy stored in the battery gets consumed.
EV batteries charge when they’re plugged in and discharge when in use. Repeating this cycle of charging and discharging degrades the battery over time. It decreases the amount of charge the battery can hold. It increases the amount of time needed to recharge the battery.
Most importantly, the charging cycles take a toll on the lifespan of an electric car battery.
Other factors can impact how long electric car batteries last. Heat and lithium-ion batteries are not a good combination, so most EVs have liquid-cooled battery packs. Even so, electric cars in hotter regions will degrade faster.
While they offer the convenience of speed, regularly using Level 3 fast charging stations can shorten the expected battery life in electric vehicles. In some newer models, these high-voltage DC stations can charge an EV’s battery up to 80% in about 18 minutes in some cases. Still, the process can generate heat in the battery and therefore affect its long-term performance.
Industry watchers interested in battery health will pay attention to EVs that have relied primarily on DC charging, especially models sold with free, fast charging incentives.
How to Preserve Battery Longevity
There are things EV owners can do to help prevent diminished battery capacity in their cars.
Regularly depleting all or most of a battery’s charge will reduce its capacity more quickly over time. Onboard battery management systems prevent an electric car’s power source from becoming discharged completely to keep it working efficiently. However, some experts say avoiding letting the charge routinely drop below 45% is best.
On the other side of the gauge, owners can help keep EV batteries healthy by not consistently charging to 100% capacity.
Electric car batteries have improved considerably in recent years. Advancements in battery technology and manufacturing will continue. These improvements may help ease the battery anxiety some buyers of new EVs feel.
Meanwhile, those in the market for a used electric car should be mindful of electric car battery life expectancy and pay attention to the terms of any remaining warranty coverage for the battery pack.
Greed
I have a 2011 Nissan Leaf on its second battery. The car has 120000 miles and the current battery gives the car a range it 30 miles. I’m sure there are improved battery systems but the facts are the current technology will only give you a short range car and it’s ridiculous to state that the battery can last 15 years and provide a reliable driving range.
Why don’t they make the car with a solar roof so they can trickle charge constantly, while maintaining the battery and extending the life and range?
What is the expected percentage reduction in an new EV battery charge capacity over a 15 year life span? And, what are the causes of the reduction in the EV battery charge capacity? I have been told that excessive vibration to the EV is a major contributor to a drop in the EV battery charge capacity and life. Is this true and which EV make and model is more prone to transmitting vibration to the battery?