The myth of the short life expectancy of electric car batteries

According to research conducted by French company GEOTAB on data from 10,000 electric vehicles, we are no longer talking about a 10 years lifespan for electric vehicle batteries, but rather 20 years.

In 2019, the average degradation rate was 2.3%, while a new analysis in 2024 revealed a lower degradation rate of 1.8% per year under moderate conditions of use. This clearly demonstrates the advances made in battery technology (lithium-ion) and durability. We are not talking here about new types of batteries that use solids instead of liquids electrolytes.

Factors causing battery loss of autonomy

• Age: all batteries degrade over time, reducing their capacity.
• Temperature: extreme heat or cold accelerates wear and tear, making good thermal management all the more important.
• State of charge during operation: maintaining the charge between 20% and 80% reduces stress on the battery.
• AC or DC charging: frequent use of fast DC charging can degrade batteries more quickly than slower AC charging.
• Use (energy cycles): each charge/discharge cycle has a marginal impact on capacity.
• Battery chemistry: Lithium-ion batteries, such as NMC or LFP, do not offer the same durability.
• Battery system and thermal management: These features help maintain efficiency and prevent overheating.

Key factors to watch

But the most important key factors are the chemical composition of the battery and its thermal management system. The chemical variants of lithium-ion batteries each react differently to pressure, and cooling techniques, whether involving air or liquid, can have a significant impact on degradation rates.  Therefore, it is important to analyze the type of cooling used by the manufacturer in order to determine the battery’s degradation rate. 

Here are the types of cooling systems with the longest lifespansatch

Battery degradation and the role of temperature and usage watch

Obviously, EV batteries degrade over time, but not in a linear fashion. There is an initial drop, followed by a much more moderate decline, and finally a sharp drop towards the end of the battery’s life. Furthermore, it has been shown that an EV in Florida will have a shorter lifespan than the same model in Canada, for example. Hence the importance of the type of cooling system used in the model you are considering.  Research has also shown that intensive use of your EV does not cause greater battery degradation compared to EVs that are driven less.

Impact of charging mode and state of charge

• AC Level 1 (120 V): a standard household outlet in North America
• AC Level 2 (240 V): typical for home or fleet charging
• DC fast charging (DCFC): for faster charging

It should be noted that the use of DCFC equipment appears to have a significant impact on the rate at which batteries degrade. Fast charging a battery involves high currents that cause high temperatures, which damages the batteries. Battery degradation appears to be strongly correlated with the use of DCFCs for vehicles operating in hot climates or characterized by hot seasons.

Running a battery almost full or empty can reduce its lifespan, so car manufacturers equip them with buffers to avoid extreme charge levels. These buffers limit the charge capacity via factory settings to ensure that the battery does not regularly reach its maximum or minimum charge levels.

Many current EVs, such as Teslas, allow the size of this buffer to be adjusted via over-the-air software updates, which improves battery longevity. Some manufacturers also allow users to set a custom charge limit (e.g., stopping at 75% instead of 100%), which further helps to extend battery life.

Types of EV batteries

There is the main high-voltage battery that powers the vehicle and a 12V battery that supports secondary electrical functions such as powering the lights and the vehicle’s infotainment and control systems. The high-voltage battery generally requires less predictive maintenance due to its design, but the 12V battery still needs to be checked regularly, just like in gasoline-powered vehicles.

The new revolution in solid-state batteries.

These are solid-state batteries that convert chemical energy into electrical energy using a solid electrolyte that moves lithium ions from one electrode to another. Solid electrolytes are materials, usually composites, consisting of a solid matrix with relatively high ionic conductivity. Toyota plans to introduce a brand-new battery capable of delivering up to 1,200 km of range on a single charge. The current record holder is the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which traveled 917 km across England on a single charge, thanks to a British team.

The new solid-state batteries can recharge in less than 10 minutes

As impressive as the battery life is, he explains that these batteries have also been designed to address one of the main concerns of electric vehicle users: recharge time. Indeed, they claim that they can be recharged in 10 minutes or less, which will make EVs much more practical for everyday use. But China has a significant lead, with consortiums and companies such as CATL actively developing these technologies. China already has networks of electric battery replacement stations that can replace batteries in just a few minutes, thanks in particular to manufacturers such as NIO, which operates thousands of replacement stations in China and is expanding this model to Europe. It will undoubtedly have to adapt this technology to maintain its global dominance, seeking to integrate semiconductor batteries into existing replacement systems, even if the initial costs could be high.

The challenges for solid-state batteries mainly concern the optimization of ionic conductivity, production costs, and adaptation to existing production lines to enable large-scale commercialization by 2025-2027, although advanced prototypes already exist.

Improved solid electrolytes

Replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with solid materials (ceramics or polymers) is a major development, improving safety and energy density and allowing more energy to be stored in smaller batteries. Solid-state batteries can achieve energy densities of up to 500 Wh/kg, which is nearly double that of current lithium-ion batteries, offering greater range. The development of new chemistries, including the use of magnesium or sodium as alternatives to lithium, is an area of research aimed at improving sustainability and reducing costs. The use of solid electrolytes eliminates the risk of leaks and overheating, making batteries safer, particularly for electric vehicles.

Recycling electric vehicle batteries

The recycling of lithium-ion batteries is well established, with processes such as hydrometallurgy (chemical treatment in baths) and pyrometallurgy (heat treatment) enabling up to 95% of precious materials to be recovered. After unloading and dismantling, the cells are crushed to form a “black mass” containing precious metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and aluminum, which are then purified for use in manufacturing new batteries. Although technically 100% possible, efforts are needed to improve the cost and environmental impact of these processes, and Europe is implementing regulations to facilitate their management, according to Roole Média and EDF Particulier. Recycling helps to create an “urban mine” of metals, reducing the need to extract new minerals from the Earth, according to RPM.

While recycling semiconductor batteries is still an emerging challenge, it should be an integral part of any development process. On the other hand, these batteries use a solid electrolyte, which eliminates the risk of fire or explosion associated with the flammable liquid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries and promises higher energy density (more energy in a smaller volume), faster recharge times, and longer life.

The most advanced electric vehicle battery recycling companies include giants such as Li-Cycle (which builds the largest recycling plant in North America and is now owned by Glencore Canada), Lithion Technologies (a Quebec-based company with a patented hydrometallurgical process that is particularly efficient and safe), as well as major players in China such as CATL and BYD, which dominate the global market and benefit from strong government support.