Modern electric-vehicle batteries are lasting considerably longer than early forecasts suggested, helping to ease one of buyers’ main concerns: the prospect of an expensive battery replacement. Real-world evidence indicates that newer battery packs retain most of their capacity after years of use, which could improve confidence in EV ownership and resale values.

The article says an average EV can retain up to 95 per cent of its original range after five years, while Geotab’s analysis of more than 22,700 vehicles found average degradation of 2.3 per cent annually, implying lifespans of 20 years or more. Recurrent reported that only 0.3 per cent of EVs built from 2022 onwards required replacement batteries, compared with 8.5 per cent of EVs from 2011–16; improved chemistry, battery-management systems and thermal controls are cited as key reasons.