Fleet telemetry from over 22,000 electric vehicles analysed by Geotab shows the average EV battery retains approximately 82 percent of its original capacity after eight years.
Only 2.5 percent of all EVs tracked have ever needed a battery replacement. The numbers are better than early predictions suggested, but degradation rates vary depending on the vehicle, climate, and charging habits…
The current average annual capacity loss across all EV models is approximately 2.3 percent per year. On a vehicle with a 250-mile rated range, that translates to a loss of roughly 6 miles of range per year.
After five years, the same vehicle would show approximately 220 to 230 miles of usable range. After ten years, it would be in the 190 to 210 mile range depending on the specific vehicle and usage pattern.
This average masks a wide spread between different vehicles. EVs with active liquid thermal management systems, which includes every Tesla, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6, the BMW iX, and most modern EVs, show degradation rates between 1.5 and 2.5 percent per year.
The original Nissan Leaf, which used passive air cooling for its battery, showed rates of 3 to 4 percent per year, with some hot-climate examples losing capacity even faster. The Leaf’s experience coloured early perceptions of EV battery longevity, but it is not representative of current battery technology.
Degradation also follows a non-linear curve. Most batteries lose capacity faster in their first year or two of use, then settle into a slower, steadier decline. A new EV that drops from 100 to 97 percent capacity in its first year is not on track to reach zero in 33 years.
It is far more likely to hold between 80 and 85 percent capacity at the ten-year mark, then continue declining gradually from there. Geotab’s data across all models shows that the battery degradation curve flattens noticeably after the first 50,000 miles.
Full story How long does an EV battery actually last? (Real-world numbers)
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