Extend the life of your used EV’s battery with these tips

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Like many parts of an automobile, the battery packs that power an Electric Vehicle (EV) will eventually wear out and require servicing or replacement. Some owners of electric vehicles have needed to replace battery packs out of warranty, and at great expense; the vast majority have not.

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Whether you’re buying your first EV new or used, you’ve likely got some questions. Below, let’s look at EV battery degradation, and what you can do about it.

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Extend the life of your used EV’s battery with these tips Back to video

Degradation and your warranty

All batteries degrade over time. In a healthy EV, a driver can generally expect at least 5 years of use before a ten per cent reduction in battery capacity. To put that another way, the capacity loss of an EV battery is typically expected to be less than two per cent per year. 

In Canada, eight years of warranty coverage is the standard when it comes to EV batteries. Volkswagen’s eight-year, 160,000 kilometre EV battery warranty protects owners from defects and workmanship that result in capacity degrading below 70 per cent in an eight-year period. Tesla’s battery coverage is similar, though some models offer an even higher kilometre limit. 

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Still, according to some reports, replacing a battery pack in a Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, or other EV could cost $7,000-$10,000 or even more. This is why it’s important to have any EV you’re considering assessed by a professional technician before you buy, and to check the owner’s manual and warranty literature for the scoop on the specific EV you’re considering. 

EV battery replacement costs vary widely from vehicle to vehicle, though Geotab.com notes that the cost of lithium ion batteries has fallen by 80 per cent in the past few years.

Inbuilt protection

Automakers build EV’s with various means of protecting their batteries from degradation. These include a temperature control system for the battery pack to protect it from dangerous overheating, as well as on-board programming that monitors, adjusts and controls the charging rate to keep the battery safe. 

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Though drivers see a charge display with a range between 0-100 per cent, the ‘actual’ upper and lower limits of battery charge are off levels to drivers. The displayed charge meter reflects the portion of the battery capacity available to the driver, while built-in controls prevent undesirable use of the outer limits of the battery charge level. 

By preventing the battery from ever being totally filled or emptied of charge, its lifespan can be improved.

These are some of the steps that automakers take to help maximize EV battery’s lifespan. 

EV battery health tips

To help slow battery degradation, many EV models come with the recommendation that drivers aim to maintain a charge level of about 30 to 80 per cent, only filling to 100 per cent when required for longer trips. 

Frequent fast charging, excessive charge and discharge cycles, and frequent use at high temperatures may also cause battery packs to degrade more quickly, though many experts say that use in extreme heat is the real enemy. 

You’ll also want to avoid storing your EV with a battery that’s either full or empty. If you’re heading out for a 2-week beach vacation, it’s best to leave your EV parked with its battery charged closer to 50 per cent than either 0 or 100.