Buying any new car can be a stressful experience. It’s easy to get buried in math trying to compare the cost of ownership to find the best deal. Buying an EV can further complicate this experience. Saving money on gas is great, but many consumers are worried about battery degradation. Will your new electric car last as long as a gas-powered car would?
Yes, it will
If you’re concerned about battery degradation, your car’s warranty should put you at ease. The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y both carry an 8 year, 100,000-mile warranty. Other EV manufacturers offer similar warranties(be sure to check first, they’re not all as generous). If your battery’s total capacity drops below 70% during that time your dead battery cells will be replaced free of charge.
Your EV should have no problem making it to the end of that warranty. Reports of early model Nissan Leaf’s showed that battery degradation lined up with expectations. After 10 years the Nissan Leaf only lost roughly 20% of its range in most cases. Battery degradation was notably higher in hotter climates, though these cars lacked the modern thermal management systems we see in Tesla’s today.
Your car might last quite a bit longer than that warranty though. Elon Musk claims the batteries in the Tesla Model 3 should be able to run for 300k-500k miles.
A lifespan over twice as long as the average lifespan of ICE cars is almost too good to believe. But the data backs those numbers up. Tesla battery degradation is less than 10% after 160k miles. Do keep in mind that high heat and excessive use of fast charging can reduce your battery’s lifespan. We’ll talk soon about what you can do to maximize the life of your EV.
We’re starting to see the effects more modern battery technologies can have on battery degradation. After just a decade of developments, Tesla’s battery degradation is much better than what we saw on the early models of the Nissan Leaf.
EVs have been on the road long enough that we have solid data around them. And now we can confidently say that reports of EV battery degradation are greatly exaggerated. EVs don’t just last as long as ICE cars, they can stay on the road for far longer.
I hope we’ve helped alleviate some of your concerns about battery degradation. Let us know what you think in the comments down below and make sure to follow out social media up top to stay up to date on all the latest electric vehicle news!
