Battery life is a big question as people shop for a used Tesla or other electric car brand. A battery is a lithium ion black box that can make up 50-70% of an electric car’s value. The reality is that if the battery dies, so does the car.

Study takeaways by Recurrent’s team of battery scientists:

• Battery replacements are quite rare. In our community of 15,000 cars, only 1.5% have been replaced (outside of big recalls like Chevy Bolt).
• Degradation is not linear. We’re including battery degradation curves that illustrate how well these batteries hold up over time. There’s some drop in the beginning then it levels out for a long period.
• Most replacements occur under warranty. For example, a new Rivian has battery coverage for 175,000 miles or 10 years. The federal minimum warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles.
• This is why Recurrent Reports are essential. Recurrent can give you insights into an EV battery without costly or invasive tests.

(Many thanks to Caleb T. for sharing.)