EV batteries can last 20 years or more, outlasting the ICE vehicles’ lifespan.
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Check OffersElectric vehicles in the passenger vehicle market are relatively new, and the idea about the average lifespan of these vehicles is still not clear. While people can easily confirm the average lifespan of an internal combustion engine-powered car, it is hard to assess the lifespan of an EV for many. However, a study claims that electric vehicles can actually outlast the lifespan of a fossil fuel-powered vehicle.
Geotab, a UK-based company providing vehicle telematics, has claimed that most electric vehicle batteries can last 20 years with minimal annual degradation. This means the overall lifespan of an EV battery is five to six years more than the average car age in many countries. For example, in India, petrol cars older than 15 years and diesel cars older than 10 years are considered old and reaching the end of their lives. However, many car owners drive older vehicles by getting fitness certificates and registering them.
The study claims that EV battery degradation is almost a non-issue. It also stated that on average, a modern electric vehicle’s battery degrades by 1.8 per cent every year, which results in most of the EV batteries lasting 20 years or more. These findings defy the concept of the majority of people who believe that EV batteries don’t last more than a couple of years.
The study has revealed that an EV battery loses 1.8 per cent of the original range every year, which is something not a dealbreaker for anyone buying an electric car. It further stated that, after 20 years, if nothing goes extremely wrong, the EV owner can still enjoy 64 per cent of an electric vehicle’s original range. Geotab claims to have arrived at this conclusion after analysing more than 10,000 electric vehicles. According to another study, electric vehicles made in the last decade have a battery failure rate of less than 0.5 per cent.
EV battery degradation is not linear
Electric vehicles’ battery degradation is not a linear process. It depends on multiple factors. Temperature, location, driving pattern, charging technology, and charging frequency impact on the lifespan of the battery. The biggest hit for the battery pack comes in the first few years of its lifespan, but it tapers out after that, before another major impact towards the last legs of the lifespan.
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First Published Date: 22 Jun 2025, 11:52 AM IST