Lifespan

Demonstrating the impact of charging pattern on battery lifespan, Hyundai published numbers on their website showing huge variability in lifespan of their Soul Booster EV (64kWh, max range 386kms).  

If the battery is exhausted and recharged to 100%, the battery can be used for 1,000 charges. If it is used to 50% and recharged, the battery can be used for 5,000 charges. If it is 20% used and recharged, it can be used for 8,000 charges. 

In summary, Hyundai claim if their Soul Booster EV is driven for 77 kms/day (equivalent to the 20% of the maximum driving distance) and recharged every night, the battery can last for 8,000 days (22 years). 

In 2020 GeoTab, a telematics solution provider, published real world battery data of 6,000 EVs (BEV & PHEV) over millions of days to produce 2 free to use tools that provide invaluable insight into the impact of temperature and SoH of EV batteries in the long term.  

This real-world data showed the average EV battery lost around 2.3% capacity per year. In other words, a 300km range EV today will have lost 34km in 5yrs. Data also showed that heat & fast-charging (DC charging) is responsible for more battery degradation than age or mileage7, so high levels of use i.e. driving or mileage does not appear to be a concern. 

GeoTab’s real world data along with other reports of EVs far surpassing their warranty by multiples of distance, cases of high level of use are plentiful. For example a 2017 Renault Zoe 52kWh, that’s in use as a taxi in (hot) Turkey with 345,000Kms on the clock and a near perfect 96% SoH after driving further than an average Irish car’s life expectancy.

Now that we have explained battery technology and how it degrades over 300,000+km, how do you think it compares to an ICE?  What state would a diesel or petrol engine be in after 300,000km – would you buy it with confidence of maintenance- free motoring? 

EVs keep going,  – their range may reduce slightly over time, but they are more reliable than ICEs, where if a single component fails the engine and car stop altogether. 

A final point is that it is early days yet for EV and batteries -, recycling centres are only being piloted now because there are so few EV batteries around to be recycled with the vast majority (from written off vehicles) going into second life as backup to the electricity grid.