EV Battery Longevity: How Different Brands Stack Up in 2025

If you’re considering an electric vehicle purchase, you’re probably wondering how long the battery will last. It’s a fair question – after all, the battery is the most expensive component in an EV. The good news? The latest research shows EV batteries are lasting much longer than many expected.

I’ve compiled the most recent data from Geotab, Recurrent, Which? magazine, and other reputable sources to give you a clear picture of how different EV brands perform when it comes to battery longevity.

The Big Picture: Battery Degradation Is Slowing Down

First, some encouraging news from Geotab’s 2025 research. After analyzing 5,000 electric vehicles (representing 1.5 million days of driving data), they found battery degradation has improved significantly – dropping from 2.3% annually in 2019 to just 1.8% annually in 2025.

What does this mean in practical terms? If you buy a new EV today, after 12 years of driving, your battery will likely still have more than 80% of its original capacity. That’s plenty for most daily driving needs.

Which? magazine recently surveyed 3,595 EV owners and discovered that even 7-year-old EVs (2017-2018 models) had lost only 7% of their original range. For a car with 180 miles of initial range, that’s still 167 miles after seven years – more than enough for most commutes.

How Different Brands Compare

Let’s look at how specific brands perform based on real-world data:

Tesla: The Current Battery Longevity Champion

Tesla continues to lead the pack when it comes to battery longevity:

• Model 3/Y: Lose about 15% capacity after 200,000 miles (roughly 1% per 13,333 miles)
• Model S/X: Even better at just 12% capacity loss after 200,000 miles (about 1% per 16,667 miles)

These aren’t just laboratory numbers. A 2013 Tesla Model S owner reported only 7% degradation after 175,000 miles of real-world driving. Another recent comparison tested two 3-year-old Model 3s – one with just 3,000 miles and another with a whopping 217,500 miles. The high-mileage car still maintained 88.5% of its original battery capacity!

Tesla’s secret? Advanced liquid cooling systems that maintain optimal battery temperature. When Geotab compared a 2015 Tesla Model S (with liquid cooling) to a 2015 Nissan Leaf (with air cooling), the Tesla degraded at 2.3% annually while the Leaf hit 4.2%.

Chevrolet: Surprisingly Strong Performance

Despite having to recall Bolt models for battery defects (a manufacturing issue unrelated to normal degradation), Chevy’s EV batteries show excellent longevity:

• The Chevrolet Bolt showed virtually zero degradation in the first year according to Select Car Leasing’s analysis
• This made it the best performer in their first-year degradation study

Hyundai and Kia: Impressive Results and Great Warranties

The Korean manufacturers are making a strong showing:

• A Kia Soul EV owner reported an impressive 99.2% capacity retention after 41,000 miles on their 2016 model
• Both brands now offer industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile battery warranties on models from 2020 onwards
• Newer models like the Ioniq 5/6 and EV6 use advanced liquid cooling systems similar to Tesla

Other Notable Performers

• BMW: Strong battery performance across their EV lineup, particularly in newer models
• Ford: The Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning use sophisticated liquid cooling systems
• Volkswagen: The ID.4 features a modular battery design, with replacement modules costing around $2,000 each
• Rivian: Early data suggests good performance, with replacements being rare and typically covered under warranty

Brands That Need Improvement

• Nissan Leaf (pre-2018): The lack of active cooling leads to faster degradation, especially in hot climates
• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: Showed a concerning 4.1% degradation in just the first year
• Kia Niro PHEV: The plug-in hybrid version degraded at 3.5% in year one, much worse than their full EVs

First-Year Degradation Rankings

Here’s how popular models ranked in first-year capacity loss according to Select Car Leasing data:

1. Chevrolet Bolt: 0.0% (best performer)
2. Audi A3 e-tron: 0.3%
3. Tesla Model 3: 0.6%
4. BMW i3: 0.8%
5. Nissan Leaf: 0.8% (performs well initially, but degradation accelerates in hot climates and later years) …
6. Ford Fusion Energi: 1.3%
7. Kia Niro PHEV: 3.5%
8. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: 4.1% (worst performer)

Battery Replacements Are Actually Quite Rare

One of the most reassuring findings comes from Recurrent’s monitoring of approximately 15,000 EVs. They discovered:

• Only 1.5% of all EVs have required battery replacements due to degradation (excluding recalls)
• For cars manufactured after 2016, the replacement rate drops to under 1%
• Even pre-2015 models have just a 13% replacement rate after many years on the road

What About Replacement Costs?

While replacements are rare, it’s good to know potential costs:

• Ford Mustang Mach-E: $18,000-$34,000
• Rivian: Approximately $18,000
• Hyundai Ioniq 5: $6,334-$36,000 (wide range based on different reports)
• VW ID.4: Thanks to its modular design, individual modules can be replaced for around $2,000

The good news? Battery costs continue to fall dramatically. From 2012 to late 2024, costs dropped from over $400/kWh to $111/kWh, and this trend is expected to continue.

Factory Warranty Protection

All major manufacturers offer substantial battery warranties:

What Makes the Biggest Difference in Battery Life?

Thermal Management System

The single biggest factor in battery longevity appears to be the thermal management system:

• Liquid cooling (used by Tesla, GM, Ford, Hyundai’s newer models): Maintains optimal temperature and significantly slows degradation
• Air cooling (used by Nissan Leaf): Less effective at temperature regulation, resulting in faster degradation, especially in hot climates

Charging Habits Matter

How you charge your EV has a substantial impact:

• Frequent DC fast charging (3+ times monthly) can significantly accelerate degradation
• For longest battery life, keep the charge level between 20-80% most of the time
• Occasional charging to 100% for long trips is fine, but don’t leave it at 100% for extended periods

Buying a Used EV? Here’s How to Check Battery Health

1. Check the vehicle’s displays for range estimates and battery health indicators
2. Use manufacturer apps that provide battery health data
3. Consider third-party services like Recurrent for battery health reports
4. For DIY assessment, use OBD-2 scanners with apps like Leaf Spy Pro (for Nissan), Batt-Scan, or FORSCAN
5. Have a dealer perform a professional battery diagnostic test before purchase

The Bottom Line

The data is clear: modern EV batteries are lasting much longer than many predicted. With average degradation rates now at just 1.8% annually (and the best performers at 1.0%), most EVs will provide useful range well beyond a decade of service.

Tesla, Chevrolet, and the Hyundai-Kia group currently lead in battery longevity, but improvements across all manufacturers are narrowing the gap. Perhaps most reassuring is Geotab’s finding that high-mileage EVs show similar degradation to low-mileage ones – meaning electric vehicles deliver excellent value when driven frequently.

If you’ve been hesitating to buy an EV due to battery concerns, these findings should provide substantial reassurance. The data shows that with proper thermal management and reasonable charging habits, your EV battery will likely outlast many other components of the vehicle.