(iSeeCars) — Electric cars have surged in popularity due to high gas prices and the emergence of new all-electric vehicles across all major vehicle types. Because electric cars are a relatively new technology, prospective buyers may be curious about how long they can expect these cars to last.

From battery life to expected length of ownership for popular electric cars, we answer the question of how long you can expect EVs to remain on the road.

How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?

Because replacing a car’s battery pack can cost upwards of $20,000, it’s likely the end of a car’s battery life is when drivers will choose to replace their vehicle. When it comes to the lifespan of an EV battery, many factors should be taken into account. While electric car battery life can vary, EV manufacturers are required to provide a warranty on their batteries for at least 8 years or 10,000 miles. Just like traditional gasoline vehicles, some manufacturers offer longer warranties. For example, Kia offers a battery pack warranty for 10 years or 100,000 miles, and Hyundai provides warranty coverage on EV batteries for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. It’s also worth noting that battery warranties vary not only by time but also the nature of the coverage. Some automakers will only replace the battery if it dies completely, while other brands like BMW, Tesla, and Volkswagen will cover a battery after battery capacity falls below a certain percentage.

Once met with skepticism, battery technology has continued to evolve as manufacturers create larger batteries with improved range. The advanced technology of these larger new batteries also reduces battery degradation. Even as they degrade, they will still maintain a large percentage of their range. For example, a Tesla Model S only loses an estimated five percent of battery capacity over its first 50,000 miles.

When properly maintained, modern electric car batteries likely won’t require a battery replacement. And as engineering evolves, batteries will be designed to last the entire lifespan of the vehicle. Therefore, the cost of replacing a battery should not be a deterrent for potential EV drivers.

How to Extend Electric Vehicle Battery Life

Although modern EV batteries are built to stand the test of time, that only remains true if they are properly maintained. Electric car battery life is also affected by the number of times the battery pack is charged and depleted. The more charging cycles, the faster the battery will degrade. Follow these important tips to optimize EV battery lifespan.

1. Avoid parking in extreme temperatures

Lithium-ion batteries have thermal management systems that will heat or cool themselves, which uses energy and drains EV battery packs. Think of the effect extreme temperatures have on your cell phone battery. Avoid extreme temperatures by parking in the shade on hot days and inside a parking structure or garage in extreme cold temperatures to assist battery longevity.

2. Don’t Overcharge or Undercharge Your Vehicle

Modern electric cars have management systems that avoid charging and discharging at the maximum and minimum charging levels. That means never reaching a full charge or falling to zero percent. This helps avoid charging your vehicle above 80 percent or below 20 percent, which will help prolong battery life.

3. Use Fast Charging Stations Sparingly

DC fast charging stations, also known as Level 3 EV charging stations, can bring your battery level from 1 to 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes. The added convenience of these chargers puts a strain on your EV battery, so drivers should only use these rapid charging stations when completely necessary, like road trips, and do most charging with at-home charging units or level 2 public chargers.

Can Electric Car Batteries be Recycled?

When an automotive EV battery’s performance falls below 70 percent, it can have a second life when it is no longer useful to power a vehicle. There are many applications to repurpose EV batteries for renewable energy sources, including home energy storage systems and manufacturing plants. In Japan, Toyota has repurposed its EV batteries to store excess power generated from solar panels to be discharged when necessary.

Longest-Lasting Electric Cars

Electric cars require less maintenance than their internal combustion engine counterparts, and their vehicle management systems can immediately notify owners if anything needs service. This greatly simplifies the process of keeping an electric car running, which suggests they should save owners time and money over the course of the car’s life. Because EVs are new to the market, they haven’t yet displayed their proven longevity like gas cars. However, the two electric vehicles that have been around for at least 10 of the past 20 years, both show potential for long-term durability.

Greatest Potential Lifespan EVs– iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle Potential Lifespan
1 Tesla Model S 133,998
2 Nissan LEAF 98,081
According to a recent iSeeCars analysis that looked at the vehicles with the highest potential lifespans, the Tesla Model S has a potential lifespan of 133,998 miles while a Nissan LEAF is expected to reach at least 98,081 miles. It’s worth noting that advancements in battery technology have allowed for EVs to remain on the road as long as their gasoline counterparts.

Bottom Line

If you’re interested in a new car with zero emissions, there are a number of electric cars to choose from. Whether it’s a sports car, a truck, or SUV, you can likely find an electric vehicle to suit your needs. While battery life used to be a concern for prospective EV owners, modern technology has allowed EVs to last as long if not longer than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. However, a vehicle’s lifespan is dependent on proper maintenance and care, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to charging and routine maintenance.

NOT ready for prime time in my opinion.

LINK; https://wgntv.com/news/how-lon...-electric-cars-last/

My buddy has a Tesla Y, 20K miles/24 months service. A few small glitches cheerfully fixed by the Company. He had home V.2 charger installed.

My county has 5 or 6 locations currently, the closest of which is 30 miles away. I'll be sticking with the horrors of gasoline power for now. My Sweet Bride continues satisfied with her 2015 PZEV Subaru.

Something to remember is that the numbers of electric cars on the road is relatively low, even in smug leftist enclaves. The more that get on the road, the more the support system will be strained. That means vehicle availability, parts (specifically batteries), charging infrastructure, etc. wait times for repairs and battery replacement will increase. Battery cost will definitely increase, both by shortages of raw materials to manufacture them, and demand for them. Then there is the environmental nightmare of recycling or disposing of them; I’m certain the costs will be passed on to the consumers that made the investment in them EC’s in the first place.

No thanks. I’ll stick to dinosaur juice as long as it’s available.

Most should easily go 300,000. I believe the next gen are supposed to go twice that distance.

My 2001 Honda CR-V has 400,000 on it.
My 2015 Rogue has 197,000 now.


Yeah, I don't see and electric car as an economical alternative to my long commutes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ScreamingCockatoo,

quote:

No thanks. I’ll stick to dinosaur juice as long as it’s available.

It's not that I'm anti-EV. It's just that I'm not convinced either. I don't BUY a lot of cars until they have almost 100K on the clock. My 4 cars range from 12 years old to 23 years old. They only cost me insurance and a little maintenance. Also, when I want to drive cross country or haul a trailer I don't have to worry how far the battery will take me.
Oh.. and next Friday the temp is supposed to dip below zero. I hear these batteries don't like the cold.

It depends when the spontaneous fire breaks out.

Some of them will catch fire early on, others will catch fire later, but they will all catch fire.

And it's always gonna be a surprise!!

If it were really about doing good for the environment, wouldn't they give us a tax rebate for driving the old one for another year?

The battery warranty on my Tesla Model 3 is 8/120k

twice that of my 20 4runner, but I also have a 7/125k extended on it

I don't care about the environmental aspects, Im using the model 3 as a profit center with the way my mileage reimbursement program is laid out, cost me about $2k charging at home for 40,000 miles. I put $200 a week gas in the 4runner. Yes the model 3 is paid off now in 18mths

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
It depends when the spontaneous fire breaks out.

Some of them will catch fire early on, others will catch fire later, but they will all catch fire.

And it's always gonna be a surprise!!

What!!?? You don't want to be roasted like a Christmas turkey? Where is your Christmas Spirit!

I'd love a quality EV as a second car. Running around town on short, 10-15 mile trips wouldn't require charging on the road, and that's a lot of our driving these days. The current offerings would not fit an only vehicle and as a second vehicle the cost would be prohibitive for me. I don't have a crystal ball, but I think hydrogen power will eclipse EV in 5-10 years. Cheaper, cleaner and more energy than electric without all of the after problems with electrics such as what the fuck do we do with these spent batteries. No doubt the government will fight this since they've invested so much in promoting EV. (dems)

1 million mi Tesla.

300-500k mi fleet vehicles.

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
The battery warranty on my Tesla Model 3 is 8/120k

twice that of my 20 4runner, but I also have a 7/125k extended on it

I don't care about the environmental aspects, Im using the model 3 as a profit center with the way my mileage reimbursement program is laid out, cost me about $2k charging at home for 40,000 miles. I put $200 a week gas in the 4runner. Yes the model 3 is paid off now in 18mths

Apples & Oranges there, and some missing (and misleading) info makes it difficult to make sense of your comparison. Based on the cost for 'fuel' you're indicating, I guessing somewhere around a $4500 net savings for 40K miles the Tesla, but...

How many miles a week do you drive?
What was the installed cost of the charger for your Tesla?
What were the Costs/Cost differences between the Tesla w/ Std. warranty vs the 4Runner w/ extended warranty?

Oh, and the Tesla Model 3 is one HIDEOUS car!

I suppose it does depend on where you live. I see lots of Tesla’s here, every day, several times a day. So often you don’t notice them anymore. Tesla dealership right up the road.



My newest car is 22 years old, so I don’t see me owning one unless it’s a gift. lol

Where's the recent thread with the burning lawnmower?

DEWALT PROTOTYPE ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER CATCHES FIRE AT EQUIP EXPO 2022



https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...0601935/m/1180017594

I don’t understand the fascination with battery powered cars with all the potential shortcomings. Expensive batteries, limited range, limited charging opportunities. I don’t know what the bottom line miles per gallon of oil, volume of natural gas, water over the dam or pounds of coal these thing really get. No one talks about it. Must be a secret.

What I do know is that my ‘21 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has gotten 37-38 miles per gallon of regular gas with the last few tank fulls. But, not much is said about these. I’m not smart enough or informed enough to decide which is really the most climate friendly - nor do I give a shit. I like my hybrid.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Where's the recent thread with the burning lawnmower?

I don't care if it catches on fire or not. Hell I don't care about the harm to the environment from RE minerals, Congolese child workers, Chinese work camps, lack of ability for the electrical grid to support EVs. That shit is all trivial. I bought my current car on smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon. The first EV I will buy will be based on smiles per kWhr not cost or greenness. I just want a fun car to drive, instant TQ is fun.

Plus, I'm sure they'll work that fire thing out soon. Again not really a concern to me, I don't have a garage.

One of my colleagues recently sold her Subaru and got an EV. Her husband has a Tesla. I asked them how their recent trip to Vegas went. It's almost 400 miles one way so I was interested in how the charging went. It went great (sarcasm). They rented a car so they didn't have to worry about the charging equation.

As a commuter car, an EV might make sense but traveling any distance they are still not ready for prime time IMO.

Hydrogen is not the be-all-and-end-all, either. The very small molecule size (smallest of all) makes it very hard to contain the gas -- leaks are very common. And hydrogen burns with an invisible flame -- if you've got a fire you probably won't know about it until it's too late. The very high pressures required to make hydrogen viable as a fuel are also a problem, because they are hard to maintain safely.

Gasoline is safely stored as a liquid under ordinary ambient pressure and temperature, which makes it safe if handled properly. Convenience of refueling is also good, and the supply network is fully developed right now.

The rush to abandon fossil fuels is ridiculous and fraught with failure and danger. The "Climate Crisis" is a hoax and there is no need to plunge ahead with "fixes" implemented before they have aged to reliable and safe conditions. We have lots of fossil fuel and there is no need to precipitously abandon using them, so the rush to get off them is uncalled for. The only reason for going to EVs is a political one -- Biden and his followers (or leaders?) want to get rid of fossil fuels because they believe "saving the planet" requires it. They're wrong, and it is asinine to create a panic about it.

flashguy