Electric car battery ‘addictive’ by about 10% after 100,000 km, study of 500,000 vehicles concludes

An analysis that gathered data from more than 500 thousand electric vehicles in circulation indicates that their batteries reach 150 thousand km preserving between 87% and 94% of the original capacity. The survey is from Aviloo, an Austrian company specializing in battery diagnostics, and compared 20 used models from different manufacturers produced between 2022 and 2026.

The intermediate milestones show slower wear than common sense suggests. At 50,000 km, the median state of health of the batteries, measured by the SoH (state of health) indicator, was between 91% and 97%. At 100,000 km, the range dropped only to 88% to 95%.

S-curve and differences between models

According to Aviloo, degradation follows an S-shaped curve: moderate loss in the first years, a long plateau of stability and steeper drop only near the end of life.

In the breakdown by model, the Mercedes EQA occupied the first position, with an average of 94% SoH, followed by Hyundai Ioniq 5 (93.8%) and BMW i4 (93.6%). At the other end are Tesla Model 3 (88.9%), Mini Cooper SE (87.1%) and Nissan Leaf (86.7%).

The company considers that the position in the table does not attest to the quality of the set. Cars with smaller batteries need to complete more recharge cycles to travel the same distance, which accelerates wear. The variation between units of the same model, by the way, is significant: in the second-generation Leaf, the difference in SoH at 150 thousand km reached 13.5 percentage points, equivalent to about 29 km of real autonomy per recharge. The Tesla Model Y recorded up to 11 points of dispersion, the Volkswagen ID.4 was between 11 and 12 points and the Ioniq 5 exceeded 12 points.

Temperature and recharging routine weigh as much as the model

The researchers point to three determining factors: ambient temperature, recharging habits, and the level of charge maintained when the car is stationary for long periods. Batteries used in warmer regions lose capacity more quickly, a relevant point for the Brazilian climate. The study’s recommendation is to keep the car between 30% and 70% charge during prolonged periods of inactivity, avoiding leaving it parked at 80%, 90%, or 100% unnecessarily.

In practice, the observed retention has a direct effect on the autonomy of a used car. A BMW iX3 homologated at 698 km in the North American EPA cycle would deliver between about 607 km and 656 km after 150 thousand km driven.

The study also associates premature replacements with punctual defects, not natural wear and tear. In Brazil, the battery usually has its own coverage and longer than the rest of the vehicle: BYD offers eight years or 200 thousand km, with a SoH warranty above 70%, while Volvo covers eight years or 160 thousand km. Aviloo’s numbers weaken the fear of a battery change in the region of R$ 127.500 a few years after purchase.