Will A Battery Need Replacing During The Life Of The Car
To answer this question, one needs to explore two issues:
- When will the battery no longer be fit for purpose? and
- How long is the life of a car?
First of all, a good proportion of manufacturers guarantee their batteries for at least 70% capacity remaining after 8 years. For a Hyundai Kona with 450- 500km range around town, that equates to a minimum range of 315-350km at 8 years of age.
For many, if not most people that means charging perhaps twice a week instead of once every week. The same for longer distance travel maybe an extra couple of recharge stops on the way between Sydney and Brisbane for instance.
It is also important to realise that the battery will not be dead at that 8 year mark, merely reduced in the driving range it can offer.
Mind-you, the smaller the battery pack, then that loss can be more of an issue. For instance, early Nissan Leafs only had a 120km real-world range. This means in the 8 year warranty period it could drop to 84km and not qualify for a warranty replacement.
On the other hand, whilst many early Leafs did decline at those rates, modern EV batteries do not seem to decline anywhere near as quickly so these range decreases are worst-case scenarios.
In fact, a 2019 study by Geotab of around 6,000 EV owners found that EVs lose on average 2.3% capacity annually and maintained high levels of sustained health over long periods of time.
How Long Do Traction Batteries Last
All batteries, regardless of design, will eventually experience diminished capacity and require replacement. This is not unique to EVs anything with rechargeable batteries will suffer the same fate after multiple charging cycles. How a device is charged and how quickly that energy is depleted also determines how long a battery will last.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how long a traction battery can last. There are anecdotal stories of Tesla batteries lasting well over 300,000 miles and Prius owners pushing their hybrids to well over 500,000 miles, but the data at this time is limited. Since widespread use of EVs has occurred just the last few years, theres no definitive way to tell what the average battery life span will be quite yet.
What we can tell you is that electric vehicles sold in America comes with a very generous warranty usually eight years or 100,000 miles . Some warranties only cover the EV battery if it no longer holds a charge at all, while others will cover the replacement of any EV battery that has dropped below 60% or 70% of its maximum capacity.
Popular models like the Toyota Prius have batteries that generally last eight to 15 years, while pure electric models like the Nissan Leaf have batteries that last around eight to 10 years.
Can You Replace A Tesla Battery At Home
If you’re considering repairing your Tesla yourself, you might run into problems unless you’ve invested time and money in equipment and training. That’s because you must know how to work with the car’s operating system to diagnose issues reliably.
Furthermore, specialized parts, plans, and schematics are hard to come by. So, unless you’re knowledgeable in servicing electric cars or willing to risk damaging your Tesla, you shouldn’t do it. There are also many more queries that plague electric car ownership. If you’re still looking for answers, check out the explanations we’ve listed for some of the most common questions about EVs.
Nevertheless, if you’re interested in working on your Tesla, there are several groups you can join and YouTube channels you can follow to discover how to go about it. But know that if you’re working with these things, you must be careful as these batteries are dangerous high-voltage devices. In short, significant health risks are associated with changing a Tesla battery at home.
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Electric Car Battery Lithium
A Lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery used in electric vehicles and a number of portable electronics. They have a higher energy density than typical lead-acid or nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. This means that battery manufacturers can save space, reducing the overall size of the battery pack.
Lithium is also the lightest of all metals. However, lithium-ion batteries contain no lithium metal, they contain ions. For those wondering what an ion is, an ion is a an atom or molecule with an electric charge caused by the loss or gain of one or more electrons.
Lithium-ion batteries are also safer than many alternatives and battery manufacturers have to ensure that safety measures are in place to protect consumers in the unlikely event of a battery failure. For instance, manufacturers equip electric vehicles with charging safeguards to protect the batteries during repeated rapid charging sessions in a short period of time.
Are Electric Car Batteries Covered By Warranty
Yes, all new electric car batteries are covered, usually by a battery warranty that is separate to the cars regular warranty.
Manufacturers cover EV batteries for a set period of time or distance – whichever comes first.
Typically, battery warranties promise that should a batterys SOH fall below a set level the manufacturer will replace or repair the battery for you.
Its worth noting that not all manufacturers specify the acceptable SOH before it is eligible for a repair or replacement within the warranty period, so you may want to make sure youre satisfied with the level of cover offered by the manufacturer before you buy.
In addition, if the battery does degrade to below the threshold SOH within the warranty period, you are not always entitled to a replacement. Many manufacturers simply repair the battery so that its capacity is back within the permissible SOH or range.
For instance, if you drive an Audi e-Tron and it falls below the the 70% allowable SOH within the warranty, you will be entitled to a restoration to:
- 78% SOH, if the car has been driven less than 40,000 miles and no more than three years after first registration.
- 74% SOH, if the car has been driven less than 60,000 miles and no more than five years after first registration.
- 70% SOH, if the car has been driven less than 100,000 miles and no more than eight years after registration.
Interestingly, the warranty also states that:
| Make and Model | |
|---|---|
| 8 years, 100,000 miles | 70% |
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What It Costs To Replace An Ev Battery
Electric car battery replacement costs vary. If the battery is still under warranty, you could get it replaced for free. If not, the average cost as of 2020 was around $137 per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity, according to a Bloomberg report.
So a vehicle like the Chevy Bolt, which has a 65 kWh battery pack, would cost around $8905 for a new one at the average price. The price also depends on a number of other factors, including:
- What vehicle youre driving
- What the battery that EV uses is made of
- How large the battery pack is
- Whether the battery is under warranty
Some EV batteries cost as little as $2,500 to replace, while others can be upwards of $20,000, according to an analysis by Recurrent Auto. Even at the low end, thats still about as much as replacing a gasoline vehicles transmission. The good news is, well probably see those costs decline in the next few years.
Electric car batteries are already cheaper to replace than they were when EVs first got popular. According to the Bloomberg report, the average cost of a new EV battery pack in 2010 was over $1,000/kwh. With advances in battery technology, we could see prices around $100/kWh by 2023, with further decreases as technology improves.
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Electric Car Battery Replacement Cost
When it comes to replacing an electric vehicle battery, you need not be too concerned as many manufacturers provide a warranty of up to 8 years or 100,000 miles. Meaning that even if you did need to replace it in an unfortunate event that something did go wrong, then it could well be covered under this warranty. Remember to always check the type of warranty offered by your chosen electric car manufacturer.
Also, the cost of batteries fell about 80% between 2010 and 2016 according to McKinsey, from $1000 to $227/kWh. Therefore, a new 40kWh battery in 2016 would have cost just shy of £10,000. Some predictions estimate that prices are set to fall below $100/kWh by 2030, around the same time as the government are aiming for 50% of all new vehicles sold in the UK will be electric.
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Are Electric Vehicles Reliable
Electric vehicles are relatively new to the automotive industry, but many modern examples have proven to be reliable across the board. With fewer moving parts compared to a traditional gasoline-powered car, there are fewer things that can go wrong. Theres no oil to change, no gears to shift, and no fuel to combust. According to Consumer Reports, entry-level EVs like the
Maintenance costs for electric vehicles are also much lower, with batteries being the most expensive component to replace when the time comes. Youll still have to replace normal wear items like tires, brake pads and windshield wipers, but those are relatively simple and straightforward. Overall, you should expect fewer visits to the dealership service center or your local mechanic.
Think its time to swap your gasoline powered car for an EV? Weve rounded up lists of the best electric cars and best electric SUVs, outlining all the pros and cons you need to know. For a deeper dive into the world of electric vehicles, be sure to check out our EV buying guide. And when youre ready to buy, you can use TrueCar to shop and get an upfront, personalized offer from a Certified Dealer.
That Flat And Empty Feeling
We all know the problem with batteries they dont last forever.
Yknow, like when your mobile phone wont hold enough charge to last for a full day, or when a presentation drains your laptop and shuts down in the middle of a meeting.
Battery degradation is a frustrating counterpoint to the convenience of mobility and can virtually render portable devices useless. At which point, we either hand them down to the kids or donate them for recycling. And buy a new one.
That same disposable perception is one of the log jams in holding back a wider audience from adopting electric vehicles. Many potential EV buyers are afraid that the battery pack will be dead within a few years and the car will be completely worthless.
Indeed, the latest tranche of carsales EV buyer data shows a populace increasingly concerned about rising petrol prices and who will happily trade brands to get into an electric vehicle, but the fear of battery replacement costs in EVs remains a barrier to entry for many.
The fourth in a series of carsales research pieces that surveys current and prospective EV owners reveals that while the cost of buying a new EV is still a significant barrier, that level of concern has decreased since the last round of research six months ago.
However, its the issue of high-voltage batteries that still has people most concerned, with 72 per cent of respondents concerned about the cost of replacement.
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Can You Replace Electric Car Batteries
If repair is not an option, electric car batteries can often be replaced.
As weve already suggested, EV batteries tend to last a long time – between 10 and 20 years by current estimates – so theres no point worrying about this before youve even purchased a new car.
If you plan on leasing your new car, this is something youll likely never have to worry about!
What Is An Ev Battery
Both hybrid vehicles and EVs use high-voltage batteries known as traction batteries, but they use them in different ways:
- Hybrid vehicles have traction batteries that work in conjunction with a small internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle forward and recharge the battery.
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles take this concept a bit further by providing a slightly larger EV battery that can provide 15 to 42 miles of total range before the internal combustion engine kicks in to charge the traction batteries and provide forward motion.
- Electric vehicles dont have any internal combustion engines. Instead, they use huge traction batteries to power the multiple electric motors in each vehicle.
Most EVs and hybrid vehicles also have auxiliary, 12-volt batteries to power low-voltage systems throughout the vehicle, but dont confuse these small batteries with the traction batteries that make these cars go.
Traction batteries are typically assembled in a series of battery modules that are connected to make a battery pack. Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery module found in these battery packs.
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How Much Does A Replacement Phev Battery Cost
The average replacement battery for any electric vehicle costs $137/kWh. That said, the price of a very small battery could be more per kWh. This price estimate does not include the labor required to actually swap out your old battery.
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Building batteries costs money, and building bigger batteries costs more money. Automakers use kilowatt hours to measure battery size. The higher the kWh, the more lithium and other materials are required, so the more expensive a battery will be.
The batteries used in larger EVs, such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, must have a higher kWh because these vehicles draw more power. Likewise, the batteries in ultra long-range EVs often have a higher kWh rating.
What About Used Electric Cars
Although the generous battery warranties listed above should help to reassure customers over the longevity of electric car batteries, the fact that an EV battery could lose up to 30% of its range after just 100,000 miles may be off-putting for those hoping to bag a second-hand EV.
Should you avoid used EVs entirely? Although you could try to assess the batterys state of health during a test drive or explore your extended car warranty options, its much safer to get a new one.
With an electric car lease, youll barely notice battery degradation. Better still, youll be able to upgrade to a new car with an longer range battery at the end of your lease.
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Be Ready To Lay Out Some Cash
Whether you’re planning to replace your Tesla’s battery at the Tesla Shop, at a third-party repair shop, or at home, you should be ready to spend some money. Tesla repairs are still the best option since they replace your battery with a factory remanufactured or brand-new pack. This ensures that the battery they install has 100% health and is free from any issues in the years to come.
But if you can’t afford the $15,000 or more asking price, your next best option is to go to a reputable third-party Tesla repair shop. You will definitely save money with these service centers if you pick the right one. Or you could do it yourself, provided you know what you’re doing or are willing to learn.
Despite the cost of replacing an out-of-warranty battery, you still get to save money compared to the gasoline and maintenance expenses of an internal combustion engine car. Plus, you help reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. For most people, that’s a win-win situation.
Tesla Model 3 Battery Replacement Cost
Current Automotive posted the 2020 receipt of one customerâs replacement of a remanufactured 75kWh battery in a Tesla Model 3:
- Battery: $13,500
- Labor $2,299.27
- Total: $15,799.27
This equates to $180/kWh which is about 31% higher than the Bloomberg cited average of $137/kWh. Since Tesla Model 3s are so new, there is likely very little data on repair costs in the public domain.
However, there is the occasional accident that requires a battery replacement in a Model 3. Based on data we’ve seen for more recent, accident-related replacements, the total amount has come down to $10 – $12,000, with 80-90% of that going for the battery itself. However, it is encouraging that the total price has dropped, landing the cost between $133/kWh – $161/kWh. This is more in line with the Bloomberg estimate.
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How To Care For An Electric Vehicle Battery
You generally dont need to change your lifestyle to keep your electric vehicles battery in excellent repair, but there are a few things you should be aware of.
To begin with, it may be tempting to leave the house every morning with a large 100% indicator on the dashboard. Dont do this unless youre certain youll be extending the batterys range. Its preferable to keep the battery charged to around 80%. The battery gets taxed when the last 20% of the charge is added, hence charging follows a non-linear curve.
The good news is that newer EVs allow you to manually set a charging maximum to help extend the life of your battery. With a range of 300 miles, youll still have 240 miles between charges. Youre unlikely to put many miles on the odometer in a day, let alone a week.
How To Prevent Battery Degradation
Until then, there are ways to ensure the long-term health of your EV that could prevent ever needing to swap out the battery.
Firstly, the more often you charge a battery the more likely it is to degrade. So, unless youre commuting from Bendigo to Burwood and back each day, you dont need to plug it in every night.
Fewer charge cycles will reduce the likelihood of damage, so if possible only replenish the battery when it has less than 10 per cent capacity. Also, batteries will create heat when they are full, so limit its capacity when recharging to around 80 per cent.
They dont like holding onto a lot of electricity when stationary either, so if youre planning on leaving the EV in the garage for more than a few days then make sure the battery is around half full.
Also, monitor your charging methods and only use high-voltage DC public chargers when necessary. The high flow of electricity from these chargers naturally creates a lot of heat and can accelerate degradation.
Its best to use an AC home charging station and utilise the cars on-board settings to schedule overnight charging. This not only takes advantage of cheaper off-peak energy prices but allows the battery management system to properly pre-condition the battery and switch off the power flow when full.
Failing to do so can lead to the same result: leaving you with an expensive choice to make replace or recycle, or hand it down to the next generation.
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