New Data: Only 1.5% Of EVs Have Had Non-Recall Battery Replacements

The highest percentage of replacements apply to the Chevy Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona EV, which were part of a battery recall.

Mar 27, 2023 at 3:17pm ET

Aside from the high upfront cost, range anxiety, and a lack of public charging infrastructure in some areas, one of the primary concerns of potential EV owners is battery life. However, according to new data released by Recurrent Auto, most EVs still have their original battery packs.

Recurrent Auto studied 15,000 various EVs and learned that – outside of battery replacement recalls – only 1.5% of them have had their battery packs replaced. Not surprisingly, many of the vehicles that had their battery packs replaced were either the Chevrolet Bolt EV or the Hyundai Kona Electric, though both were recalled for complete battery replacements.

Recurrent did note that it saw a higher number of non-recall battery replacements in 2013 to 2015 Tesla Model S sedans and 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leaf hatchbacks than in other models.

At the other end of the chart, EVs including the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Audi e-tron, and Tesla Model X have seen the fewest replacements. However, it's important to note that the Model Y just came to market in 2020, and some rivals have been available for many years.

Recurrent Auto provides more details about specific cars in the study, including the battery replacement costs for each model. It notes that battery replacements for popular EVs can cost $5,000 to $20,000, so it makes sense that buyers are concerned.

That said, electric cars also come with lengthy battery warranties, running at least eight years and 100,000 miles. Moreover, if there's a known problem with an EV's battery, it may end up getting recalled.

Even if your EV's battery lasts well beyond 100,000 miles, keep in mind that it will slowly degrade, which means it will lose driving range over time. However, lead researcher at Recurrent Liz Najman shares:

"Used EV shoppers worry that the car battery will degrade quickly like a mobile phone battery, and not be able to hold a charge within a few years. That is not a good comparison because EV packs are complex technology with battery management systems that carefully regulate things like charging and temperature. This research shows that batteries are holding up better than expected and replacements are not an automatic surprise expense for owners at 101,000 miles."

Recurrent provides charts showing how much you can expect each EV's battery to degrade over time. We've included a few examples below: