- A research discovered the common EV battery degrades 1.8% per yr
- Which means EV batteries may final over 20 years, or longer than the EV itself
- New strategies are being discovered to scale back degradation even additional
Battery degradation could be a concern for potential electrical car house owners, however new knowledge signifies most batteries will outlast the EVs they’re put in in.
The information comes from the “Taking Cost” report launched earlier this yr by Geotab, an organization that sells telematics programs and companies, primarily to fleet firms. Geotab stated it based mostly its findings on knowledge from 10,000 EVs working in North America and Europe.
Evaluation of that knowledge confirmed common battery degradation of 1.8% per yr, in line with Geotab, which famous that batteries may final 20 years or extra at that fee. Some autos carried out even higher, with estimated battery degradation of lower than 1% per yr.
Noticed EV battery degradation (from 2024 Geotab
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Each numbers are enhancements from just some years in the past. In 2019, Geotab noticed common annual battery degradation fee of two.3% from its pattern, though that decreased to 1.6% beneath ideally suited local weather circumstances and charging patterns.
The report underscores that increased EV use doesn’t suggest increased degradation, however extra fast-charging would possibly. Geotab famous a correlation between better DC fast-charging use and faster-than-average battery degradation—particularly for autos in hotter climates. House owners are sometimes cautioned about frequent quick charging for that reason, though 2023 evaluation by battery-data agency Recurrent confirmed Teslas carried out higher on this regard.
Equally, earlier evaluation from Recurrent confirmed that EV batteries degrade quicker in sizzling climate, however house owners can take steps to forestall that, reminiscent of parking in a storage or within the shade, in addition to leaving the battery half charged in sizzling climate. Any degradation from sizzling climate can be unlikely to depart folks caught in EVs.
Chevrolet EVs at a Tesla Supercharger station
It is also potential that battery degradation may very well be diminished even additional with totally different practices. One research discovered that preliminary high-power charging on the manufacturing facility may considerably lengthen EV battery life.
The sluggish fee of battery degradation noticed in EVs already on the highway ought to give fleet managers extra confidence in electrification, Geotab says. In its report, the corporate estimates that 75% of sunshine business autos may very well be changed by comparable EVs right now, and an EV may present price financial savings of $15,900 per car over its life.
