When it comes to the speed and longevity of electric vehicles, battery-powered cars may last longer than we think. Potential owners are hesitant about making their next purchase an EV partly because of the initial cost of the batteries, but EV battery life span may make for a good return on investment.
As explained by Teslarati, a recent study from Recurrent's team of battery scientists assessed 20,000 electric vehicles to find that only 2.5% of EV battery packs had to be replaced between 2011 to 2024. That signaled that EV battery replacements are rare.
While electric vehicle batteries have typically cost as much as 50% of the vehicle's value, according to Teslarati, their efficiency has extended over the years.
"Across all years and models, outside of big recalls, only 2.5% have been replaced. This increase from last year is entirely due to older cars. For cars older than 2015, replacement rates are 13% but under 1% for cars from 2016 and newer," Recurrent shared in its findings.
EV batteries are a fascinating and rapidly evolving technology. For example, a company called Phinergy is working on a version of metal-air battery technology that dates back to the 1800s, potentially being a game changer for consumers. The development would offer a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries with greater energy storage and recyclability.
The premium electric car brand ZEEKR has developed another EV battery that uses lithium-iron phosphate technology. This battery offers impressive performance with its nearly 311-mile range on a 15-minute charge, according to the company. It also performs well in winter weather. Plus, it's designed to be more cost-effective by using common metals.
Despite battery recalls for cars such as GM's Chevy Bolt or Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and 6, many EVs have retained their batteries, with Tesla cars leading the way. In Tesla's 2023 Impact Report, the company highlighted the average battery-capacity retention per distance after 200,000 miles is 85%. This applied to the Models 3 and Y with Long Range battery packs.
EV battery technology has seen much investment in recent years. EVs produce much less harmful gases than combustion-engine vehicles, even accounting for manufacturing. In addition, clean energy growth has made EVs more cost-effective for today's consumers.
"Replacing a battery price may not be very expensive within a couple of years," commented one reader on the Teslarati article.
"I have a 2015 myself with 210,000 miles and 89% battery ... still looks and works as new," said another.
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