New study of 1,300 EVs busts battery degradation myths

[davehu]

The study found that an impressive 8 out of 10 of the used EVs tested retained over 90% of their original battery capacity....BUT... Unfortunately, they didn’t share the average mileage required to retain this capacity, as they virtually tested all used EVs that came through. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic result that should give used EV buyers a ton of confidence.

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New study of 1,300 EVs busts battery degradation myths

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[frautumn]

Didnt read it, but having owned a Volt I can guarantee there were no Volts that retained 90%! Total bricks after 12 years.

 

[Mach Turtle]

I've known plug-in hybrid owners who said pretty much the same thing. It's probably because their typical usage cycle has been to charge to 100% every night, then commute on the battery until it's flat and switch to the ICE. All the evidence shows that such a cycle kills batteries quickly, while ABCing a full EV doesn't.

 

[MountainAlive]

Yeah unfortunately the article and the linked article in Swedish didn’t mention the age or mileage of the EVs. So this info seems kinda helpless without that. But in general, it’s age that degrades EV batteries more than miles.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

The study found that an impressive 8 out of 10 of the used EVs tested retained over 90% of their original battery capacity....BUT... Unfortunately, they didn’t share the average mileage required to retain this capacity, as they virtually tested all used EVs that came through. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic result that should give used EV buyers a ton of confidence.

still good news

New study of 1,300 EVs busts battery degradation myths

I’ve had several get down to 85%, but they’ve all seemed to level off around there. Either that, or I stopped caring….I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.

At some point in my EV ownership, all of this started becoming noise. I equate it to someone saying a 200,000 mile Honda still makes 90% of its original HP…that’s nice. And that’s actually a really good thing IMO.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

This is not a study. It didn't bust anything. And it provides no meaningful useful data. No age. No miles. And only 700 vehicles "tested virtually" whatever that even means. Worthless clickbait.

 

[chl]

Electrek articles have really gone down hill recently - seem like click-bait now.
No meaningful data to support the headline.

Is there still really a myth about EV batteries? I don't know, I suppose there are still a few idiots roaming the planet...

My low-mileage 2012 Nissan Leaf, bought in Dec 2011, still has around 85% capacity, most of the loss being due to normal aging seen in EV batteries of 1-2% per year.

As for "expensive" replacements, it depends and it is all relative to the cost of a new vehicle. If your EV is well maintained with no accidents etc., replacing the battery is like having a new vehicle.

Recently on the Leaf forum there have been posts about swapping out the old 24kWh battery for ones with much more capacity, 2 times the capacity, with nearly the same weight - plug and play replacements - for under $8,000 (for a 58kWh battery swap).

The guess-o-meter went up to 250 miles according to one post. My Leaf does better than that 4.3 mi/kWh guess, often average over 4.7mi/kWh, but I don't do highway driving with it.
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I'd read the Swedish study mentioned in the Electrek article if there was a link and a translation to the details, but I'd be surprised if there was anything unexpected in it, alas.

 

[fhteagle]

Didnt read it, but having owned a Volt I can guarantee there were no Volts that retained 90%! Total bricks after 12 years.

The Volt I just sold broke your guarantee. 13 years old and it had 90% of original usable capacity.

 

[mr.Magoo]

This is not a study. It didn't bust anything. And it provides no meaningful useful data. No age. No miles. And only 700 vehicles "tested virtually" whatever that even means. Worthless clickbait.

Exactly, it's a non-article.
Relying simply on the reported SoH which in turn is the result of whatever algorithm the car manufacturer implements is a useless metric.

If age < warranty period then Reported SoH = Actual SoH x factor to keep it above the warranty limit.

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