Why your EV’s battery will outlive your phone’s battery – and by how much

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

• A firm specializing in EV batteries studied the health of 8,000 vehicles.
• The vehicles ranged in age from 0–12 years and had mileage up to 160,000.
• The study found that EV batteries routinely last 8 years/100,000 miles.

One of the main concerns I hear about electric cars is battery longevity. It's a valid worry, given that we're accustomed to the battery in our smartphones and tablets wearing out after a few years of use. And if you think it's an expensive hassle to get your iPhone battery replaced, these costs pale in comparison to fitting a new battery in an EV (Electric Vehicle). The battery itself can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000, with labor costs adding another $1,000 to $3,000 to the bill. 

Also: The best cheap portable power stations: Expert tested and reviewed

But a study carried out by Generational, a UK firm specializing in EV battery diagnostics, shows that EV batteries are surprisingly robust. The study looked at 8,000 cars and vans (from 36 different vehicle makes), ranging from brand-new to 12 years old, with mileages from 0 to more than 160,000. 

EV battery technology is surprisingly reliable 

The report's key findings show that battery technology is surprisingly reliable. The average battery health — which is a percentage worked out as the current usable capacity divided by the original capacity, multiplied by 100 — was a very strong 95.15%. An EV battery is considered unfit for use when the health drops below 70%, a lower bar than the consumer electronics limit of around 80%. And it seems that the typical warranty EV makers offer — usually around 100,000 miles/eight years — is very generous. 

The study shows that the median battery capacity of vehicles aged 8 to 9 years old was still greater than 85%, and mileage is an even worse indicator of battery wear, as vehicles with 100,000+ miles on the clock would routinely enjoy 88–95% battery health.

OK, so why are EV batteries lasting so much longer than the battery in your smartphone?

The main difference is construction. 

Also: I ignored Apple's battery tips and charged my iPhone in all the wrong ways – here's how it's fared

A typical smartphone battery has to be small and, as such, consists of one (or sometimes two, for fast charging) battery cells, while an EV battery pack is a huge thing and can have anywhere from 2,000 to more than 7,000 cells. The more cells there are, the less heat and wear each cell experiences, resulting in a longer lifespan.

 Also, while smartphones use high-energy-density lithium chemistry batteries, EVs use NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt), NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminum), and, more recently, LiFePO4 (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) cells, which are safer and have longer lifespans.  

You might be familiar with LiFePO4 batteries, as they are used in many portable power stations. Here, the manufacturers claim they can last for several thousand recharge cycles before being classed as worn out. 

One of the things that wears out a battery the most is charging it. While you need to recharge your iPhone every day or so, that's not the case with an EV. Let's consider some conservative figures: a typical EV range of 250 miles, a battery recharge cycle life of 1,000 cycles before dropping to 70% health, and the average American driving about 15,000 miles a year. Using these figures, an EV battery pack could theoretically last over 15 years. 

Also: I thought replacing my AirTag battery with a rechargeable one was a good idea – it wasn't

All batteries degrade, but the chemistry, construction, and how EV batteries are used mean that wear isn't as big a problem.

Eventually, all rechargeable batteries wear out. But unlike a gasoline vehicle, where every bit of refined petroleum that's been used to propel it over the miles has been burned and sent into the atmosphere, all the lithium that a battery starts out with is still locked away in the old cells. EV cells that are still serviceable find a “second life” in less demanding applications, such as stationary energy storage units, while unserviceable cells join the old batteries in consumer electronics for recycling and the recovery of minerals. 

Bottom line: EVs and smartphones are different devices with different power needs. The battery in a smartphone needs to be small and light, recharge fast, and last a day or so. For EVs, size and weight are less of an issue, and there is more emphasis on power capacity and longevity, especially given the cost of replacing the battery.