Most Lithium-Ion batteries in electric cars are warranted for at least 8 years and 100,000 miles, but they can last even longer depending on driving and charging habits, as much as 10-15 years or more. 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.
Battery degradation is a natural process in any batteries, 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”
