How long do electric car batteries last?
What's the true cost of owning an EV? That would depend on the lifespan of its battery.
While electric car battery life varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, you can expect it to compete with (or even exceed) the lifespan of an Internal Combustion Engines' (ICE) components
How do electric car batteries work?
Electric cars are powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries, while ICE vehicles have lead acid batteries.
Lithium ion battery packs have higher energy density than lead acid batteries, and therefore, can produce more power than its size, which is perfect for electric cars.
In theory, an electric car with a lithium ion battery pack performs similarly to a regular ICE car with a full tank of gasoline.
This is possible with the right combination of battery capacity, curb weight, and aerodynamic efficiency.
Treat these batteries as a scaled up version of the lithium ion batteries found in mobile phones.
EVs use battery packs consisting of thousands of individual Li-ion cells, powerful enough to move a 3,000-pound car.
While charging, electricity causes chemical changes inside these EV battery packs. These changes are then reversed to produce electricity when your car is on the road.
The battery is connected to one or more electric motors, which drive the wheels.
By pressing the accelerator, the car will feed power to the motor, which gradually consumes the energy stored in the battery pack.
How long do electric car batteries last?
Generally speaking, the best way to gauge the battery lifespan of your electric vehicle is through the manufacturer's warranty.
Replacing a battery pack can be costly, so automakers would want to set your expectations right to avoid overestimating its resiliency and longevity and end up shouldering replacement costs.
So, the battery's limited warranty is a pretty good estimate of how long a typical EV battery pack can last.
The law mandates at least eight years or 100,000 miles of battery warranty for all EVs sold today.
This warranty doesn't only cover battery failures, it also serves as a guarantee against battery degradation.
Tesla's battery warranty says that an EV such as the Tesla Model 3 should maintain at least 70% of its charging capacity while it's still under warranty.
If the charge capacity falls below that range within the warranty period, Tesla will cover all the costs of replacement.
See, for each completed charging cycle (0ne charge cycle is when you’ve used an amount equals 100% of your electric car's battery capacity), you lose a fraction of its battery capacity.
This could take a toll on your electric vehicle's battery pack and affect your car's driving range in the long run.
On average, EVs lose an average of 2.3% of their battery capacity per year.
To put that into perspective, if you buy an EV with a 200-mile range, you'll only lose about 23 miles of range after 5 years.
Will EV batteries be recycled at the end of their working life?
For potential electric car buyers out there who are worried about the environmental effects of replacing an EV's battery pack, don't fret.
Many manufacturers are researching how EV batteries can be recycled once they're past their prime.
While they may no longer be fit for electric cars, your car's battery pack can be repurposed to power homes and buildings.
However, researchers are yet to find a solution for when they're no longer recyclable.
Once EV batteries are removed, they'll still be suitable for other demanding jobs like serving as energy storage devices in the electricity network or in the home.
When an EV battery reaches the end of its working life, it'll be recycled by taking out valuable materials such as lithium salts, cobalt, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and plastic.
How do EV batteries degrade?
EV car batteries don't just stop working unless there's a serious defect. A battery's ability to charge declines over time because of several factors.
Some of these factors include overcharging, frequent rapid charging, extreme temperatures, and lack of regular maintenance.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries found in your cell phone or laptop, electric cars sold these days have battery thermal management systems which prevent battery degradation.
The BMS regulates charging and discharging, ensuring both are done in a way that's least damaging to the battery cells.
It can allocate energy to ensure cells are being used evenly or set aside a certain capacity in order to not strain the battery.
How to extend EV battery life
Follow EV manufacturer guidelines
It's important that you follow your manufacturer's guidelines on how to care for your specific battery electric vehicle model and always use quality EV Chargers.
Each automaker utilizes different battery types and technologies, so each will have its own set of charging instructions.
Maintain moderate temperatures
Extreme temperatures can affect battery life retention.
Lithium ion batteries find it difficult to transfer any charge in freezing temperatures, while extreme heat can trigger exothermic reactions in the battery, causing it to catch fire.
Minimize rapid charging
While you can treat your EV to occasional trips to a fast charger, frequent rapid charging can cause battery degradation.
Fast charging produces a lot of heat that could wear out your battery in the long run.
Can you replace an EV battery?
Just like the battery in internal combustion engine cars, the battery in your EV will eventually have to be replaced.
Generally, EV manufacturers cover the first eight years or 100,000 miles, which means you'll get new batteries for free if it's still within that time period.
Otherwise, you'll have to spend around $10,000 to $12,000 for an EV battery pack.
This high cost is largely due to the fact that materials needed to make EV batteries are still rare and hard to source.
FAQs
How does EV battery longevity compare to ICE vehicles?
EV batteries have a mandated warranty of 8 years, 100,000 miles, far exceeding the 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty for the drivetrain of conventional cars. Many electric cars can last up to 200,000 miles.
What happens to EV batteries when they no longer power cars reliably and quickly?
While they may no longer be fit for electric cars, your car's battery pack can be repurposed to power homes and buildings.
Once EV batteries are removed, they'll still be suitable for other demanding jobs like serving as energy storage devices in the electricity network or in the home.
When an EV battery reaches the end of its working life, it'll be recycled by taking out valuable materials such as lithium salts, cobalt, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and plastic.
Is it worth it to replace the battery in electric car?
Depending on the vehicle make and model, replacing your EV's battery is expensive and not always possible. So, check with your car manufacturer first.
How much does it cost to replace a battery in an electric car?
You'll have to spend around $10,000 to $12,000 to replace an EV battery pack.
How many miles do electric car batteries last?
Most EV manufacturers peg their batteries to last at least 100,00 miles. But newer models are estimated to last up to 200,000 miles.