Most lithium-ion batteries in electric cars are warrantied for at least 8 years or 100,000 miles, but they can last even longer, as much as 10-15 years or more, depending on driving and charging habits. In fact, some electric car batteries on the road today can already last up to 200,000 and even 500,000 miles, according to Coltura.
A 2023 study of 15,000 EVs by Recurrent Auto found that with the exception of a couple of manufacturer recalls, only about 1.5% of the EVs in their sample underwent battery replacements, most of which were covered under warranty. The study also found that most EVs driven around 100,000 miles still had 90% of their original range.
Battery degradation is a natural process in any battery, including those that power vehicles. Degradation permanently reduces the amount of energy a battery can store, or the amount of power it can deliver. The batteries in EVs can generally deliver more power than the powertrain components can handle, so degradation is rarely observable in the driving performance of EVs, but it can impact how much energy can be stored, which directly affects range.
When the time does come to replace an EV battery, they will be much cheaper than they are today. Battery costs dropped 80% from 2010-2019, and are expected to continue to get cheaper.
Further reading:
- InsideEVs: “Just How Long Will an EV Battery Last?”
- EDF Energy: “All About Electric Car Batteries”
