A comprehensive analysis, which examined data from over half a million electric vehicles in operation, revealed that the batteries of these automobiles can preserve between 87% and 94% of their original capacity upon reaching the 150,000-kilometer mark.
This survey was conducted by Aviloo, an Austrian company specializing in battery diagnostics, and involved comparing 20 distinct models from various manufacturers, produced between 2022 and 2026.
Intermediate indicators show that the deterioration process occurs more slowly than common sense suggests. Specifically, at 50,000 kilometers, the average state of health of the batteries, measured by the SoH (state of health) indicator, was between 91% and 97%. Upon reaching 100,000 kilometers, this range narrowed to only 88% to 95%.
According to Aviloo, degradation follows a characteristic 'S' shaped pattern: there is moderate loss in the first years of use, followed by a long period of stability, and only a sharper drop near the end of the component's useful life.
When analyzing the results by specific model, the Mercedes EQA achieved the best ranking, presenting an average of 94% SoH. It was followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (with 93.8%) and the BMW i4 (with 93.6%). At the lower end of the ranking are the Tesla Model 3 (88.9%), the Mini Cooper SE (87.1%), and the Nissan Leaf (86.7%).
The responsible company emphasizes that the position in the table should not be interpreted as an indication of the overall quality of the vehicle. Vehicles equipped with lower capacity batteries need to perform more charging cycles to cover the same distance, which ends up accelerating wear. Furthermore, the variation between units of the same model is considerable: in the second-generation Leaf, the difference in SoH at 150,000 kilometers reached 13.5 percentage points, equivalent to approximately 29 km of actual range per charge.
The Tesla Model Y registered a dispersion of up to 11 points, the Volkswagen ID.4 showed a variation between 11 and 12 points, and the Ioniq 5 exceeded 12 points of dispersion.
Researchers identified three crucial elements that influence battery durability: ambient temperature, adopted charging patterns, and the charge level maintained when the vehicle remains stationary for long periods. It is important to note that batteries used in hotter climates suffer faster capacity loss, an aspect particularly relevant to the Brazilian climate.
As a recommendation from the study, it is suggested to keep the vehicle charged between 30% and 70% during extended periods of inactivity, avoiding leaving the car parked unnecessarily at 80%, 90%, or 100% levels.
In practical application, the observed capacity retention directly impacts the range of a used car. For example, a BMW iX3 certified for 698 km in the North American EPA cycle would deliver between 607 km and 656 km after traveling 150,000 kilometers.
Additionally, the study correlates early battery replacements with specific failures, not natural wear. In the Brazilian context, the battery often has its own and longer warranty than the rest of the automobile; BYD, for example, offers eight years or 200,000 km with an SoH guarantee above 70%, while Volvo guarantees for eight years or 160,000 km. Such data from Aviloo help mitigate the fear of having to replace the battery for an amount close to R$ 127,500 a few years after purchase.