The very nature of Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) means that they have a lifespan and will eventually no longer hold charge. The question has been levelled around how long that time frame is. The results are rather surprising.
South Africa is a little different to the rest of the world in many ways. One of the most prevalent differences when it comes to the age of the vehicles on our roads. We tend to utilize vehicles a lot longer than most European, American and many Asian countries. Once a new car has done service for its first owner for about 3 years, most are sold on, several times in fact. It’s not uncommon to see 80s and 90s models on our roads. Which begs the question; how long will an electric car battery last?
With electric vehicles (EV) starting to become more commonplace, it’s understandable that potential consumers are having doubts around the longevity and lifespan of the battery systems. If cell phones have thought us anything, it’s that batteries have a finite lifespan and after a while, they can’t survive without life support. Surely the same bodes for EVs then, no?
EV battery life expectancy
While EV batteries may be marketed as being very similar to cell phone or laptop batteries, they have been developed with extended use in mind. Naturally, this does mean that they’re more expensive but the current-day technology means that there is less to worry about when it comes to lifespan.
So good is the technology that most manufacturers are able to offer an 8-year warranty on the batteries, being able to guarantee that the battery will still have 80% life by this point in its life. EVs may be fairly new in South Africa but internationally, we’re already seeing EV battery systems that are over 10 years old. Even with this dated, 10-year-old technology, the batteries are lasting longer than expected.
It is estimated that you can get up to 20 years from a modern EV battery system, depending on the application and maintenance (charging habits). They estimate that you will enjoy 10-20 years of usable duty from an EV battery pack.
It’s also estimated that you will be able to get over 320 000 km from the original battery and many suspect that the battery will outlast the car it’s fitted to. This bodes well for South African consumers who generally keep vehicles in rotation for several hundred thousand kilometres.
Chad LückhoffWith over 18 years of motorsport commentary and a passion for 90s Japanese Sports Cars, Chad Lückhoff is happiest when surrounded by drift cars and smoking tyres. His experience as the Technical Editor of the country’s top tuning magazine means that it’s the nuts and bolts of motoring that tickles his fancy. As comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it, he’ll take you behind the wheel with his video reviews, written recounts, and invoking photography. One of the first to join the AutoTrader fray, Chad has been living his passion at AutoTrader for over 7-years.View News & Reviews
Keyword: What is the life expectancy of an electric vehicle battery?