How long do electric vehicle batteries last?

Thursday 30th November 2023

Batteries are the single most important component of any electric vehicle. But what exactly are they and how long do they last? Take a look at our guide to learn all you need to know.

What is an electric vehicle battery?

An EV battery is not a single unit as it consists of hundreds of cells. Generally, the larger number of cells means a larger battery capacity, meaning a longer range of miles that the vehicle can travel.

What are EV batteries made of?

Most electric vehicles use batteries made of lithium-ion. These are similar to the batteries used for consumer gadgets such as smartphones and laptops, that charges up using electricity. This then is used as power.

However, as consumer gadgets define battery life by time, EV batteries use a ‘range’. The range is how long of a distance an electric vehicle can travel before the battery runs out of charge and will need recharging again.

Lithium-ion battery technology has a high energy density that is suited to quick charging cycles. This makes it ideal for electric vehicles as it also keeps the same energy density over many charge cycles.

How long do EV batteries last?

EV manufacturers provide warranty on batteries to last for 8 years or 100,000 miles. This guarantees a minimum of 70% battery capacity and range.

Current predictions based on advancement in technology see this increasing to 10 – 20 years before they would need to be replaced.

Tips for preserving your EV battery

There are some best practices to follow to ensure you get the best out of preserving your EV battery life. This includes:

The quickest method to recharge an EV battery is by rapid charging.
Allowing your EV to fully charge or fully deplete will speed up the degrading process of a battery. It is recommended to keep the charge level between 20% and 80% as optimum, to ensure your battery lasts longer.
When charging an EV more slowly via a home charging point, it is best to charge overnight when the surrounding temperature is lower to help preserve battery health.

Avoid extreme temperatures and aggressive acceleration as this can speed up battery wear, reduce the range between charges and reduce the vehicles battery performance.