Electric car battery life – the truth unravelled
I’ve had a few customers in recently who’ve been looking at electric cars - loads more options on the market these days after all…
But there’s always one big concern: Range.
How far can one charge get me? How long will the battery last? How long before that brilliant range that was promised starts dwindling and I’m having to charge more and more frequently?
You and I both know about the benefits of switching to electric, from carbon savings to fuel cost savings, but those range concerns? They’re something I’d wondered about too.
Which is why I was very interested to read an article by Which? recently, shedding light on the longevity of electric car batteries.
According to a survey conducted between April and June 2024, which included over 3,500 EV owners, the data reveals that electric car batteries actually do maintain their capacity impressively well over the years.
In fact, the average remaining range of cars manufactured since 2021 was 97%, and EVs as old as seven years still retained 93%.
(So say your EV started with a range of 180 miles, worst case scenario it’d be down to 167, best case 174.)
It’s also worth noting that a few things can affect the longevity of your battery:
• Driving habits: Doing lots of miles every year? You’ll see slightly more degradation.
• Charging practices: Frequent use of fast chargers can accelerate battery wear.
• Cold weather: Can’t get round that one! But it only temporarily reduces efficiency, and some EVs actually come with battery pre-heating features to mitigate the effect!
Even better news is that most EV manufacturers offer substantial warranties on their batteries (typically 7/8 years or around 100,000 miles). So even if you’re buying an EV used, you’ll have the battery’s original capacity covered to a certain percentage.
Things have certainly moved on in the EV sphere, and investing in a used electric car is definitely becoming a more and more attractive proposition.
So, if you’ve explored the idea previously but given up on account of range, don’t hesitate to get in touch and put more questions to me.
Hit reply, pop in or give us a call to have a chat – we’re here to help you navigate the journey towards electric, driving with confidence.
Stay safe out there,
Ian
P.S. You might be surprised how low the monthly repayments on nearly-new electric vehicles can be.
Check out what we’ve got on the forecourt right now HERE, or let me know if there’s a particular electric model you’re looking for and we’ll put our feelers out for you, free of charge.