Wednesday 19 October 2022
What’s the lifecycle of an electric vehicle battery?
But while EVs reduce carbon emissions, there are still debates around the sustainability credentials of EV batteries. Contrary to what sceptics might say, EV batteries don’t need to end up in landfill after their use in a vehicle. In fact, they have multiple lives beyond that.
What’s the lifecycle of an electric vehicle battery?
Today, most EV batteries have a life expectancy of 15-20 years within a car – far longer than the average 3-5 years for an ICE vehicle. Manufacturers are so confident of the battery’s road use that most electric cars come with an extended warranty of eight years, or 100,000 miles.
The lithium-ion battery used in electric cars are like those used in mobile phones and laptops, only much larger. And like all batteries, the battery in your EV will lose some capacity over time.
Lost capacity is a result of hundreds of charging and discharging cycles, and battery degradation is a very gradual process. Battery cells should still be providing at least 70% of their capacity, even after 200,000 miles. And advances in technology is improving this all the time.
