How long can EV batteries last? Study claims long enough to outlast ICE vehicles

How long can an EV battery last? It is a question in mind of all electric vehicle buyers especially due to the cost attached it. A new study analysed EV battery life and came up with certain conclusion that EV owners may not need to be too worried about the longevity of batteries provided proper cars is taken to make sure there is minimum degradation in its performance and range. The study was conducted with a sample size of 15,000 electric cars, mostly in United States with models from Tesla, Hyundai, Jaguar, Audi and Nissan.

EV batteries are made from lithium-ion cells which are also used to make cellphone batteries. They degrade over the years taking more time to charge and offer less as they grow old. It works similarly for electric cars too, degrading charging and range of the EV in the longer run. However, the study claims EV owners have less to worry about compared to ICE car owners about how long will they run.

The study says that analysing battery life of an electric car will largely depend on the make. Electric cars with older generation lithium-ion batteries may not last as longer as the new ones seen inside modern EVs. EV battery technology has been evolving to make them last longer and the results vary from model to model. It says older EV models like Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S batteries are more likely to be replaced than new generation EVs like Hyundai Ioniq 5.

According to the study, battery replacement of an EV which could cost about 70 per cent of the electric car's price, has been rare among all the models analysed by it. It says barely one per cent of the models, which include cars like Chevrolet Bolt EV, required to change battery.

In India, life cycle of ICE cars have been capped at 15 years for petrol models and 10 years for diesel ones. The study says batteries used in modern EVs are likely to outlast diesel cars. If taken proper care can last even longer. However, since it is still early days as far as EV segment is concerned, there is no tangible timeline how long can an EV last. The study says taking care of the EV battery can stretch its life to its maximum.

Some of the tips shared by the study to ensure longer life of EV batteries include protecting it from excessive heat, not overcharging them frequently, maintaining smaller depth of discharge or recharge batteries before they hit a minimum.