- Used car broker analyzed battery health of over 1,000 used EVs
- Most vehicles retained a 90% or more of the original battery capacity
- The Kia EV6 showed the least degradation of all models tested
A Swedish used car broker has analyzed the battery performance of more than 1,300 used EVs and plug-in hybrids to determine whether the age and mileage of used electric models should really deter buyers tempted by the cheap prices of the second-hand market.
After all, electric vehicles need very little in the way of maintenance, with the reduction of mechanical parts reducing the risk of wear and tear, meaning battery health – or how much usable capacity the pack has lost over time – is the key concern for buyers.
Used car broker Kvdbil ran a study (via Inside EVs) that essentially analyzed readily-available battery State of Health (SoH) reports on an array of used electric vehicles. It found that eight out of ten cars in its 1,366-vehicle sample (723 pure electric and 643 plug-in hybrids) retained 90% or more of their originally-claimed battery capacity.
Despite Kia’s EV6 statistically coming out on top, consistently returning a 90% or more battery SoH result, the study’s authors claimed that battery SoH is more down to the climate and overall use, rather than a manufacturer’s individual battery technology.
"It is not really tied to a typical car or typical car manufacturer. It is more to the wear, that is our analysis of it," Martin Reinholdsson, the test manager at Kvdbil, said.
"Age, climate, driving style and charging habits: They play in as fairly large factors on the wear,” he added.
Although Kvdbil makes a good point that these 'lifestyle' factors are important, it is also worth noting that Kia was the overall brand with the highest battery State of Health scores, the Kia EV6 and Kia e-Niro were the models with the highest SoH and the Kia Sportage and Optima were the plug-in hybrid vehicles with the best battery health.
Kia is clearly doing something right.
A healthy used market
A number of studies have now confirmed that EV batteries degrade much slower than previously feared.
In fact, research of 8,300 battery health certificates by UK leasing company Arval found an average battery health level of 93%.
Even after 124,000 miles of driving, which would be considered high mileage by any used car dealer, the average remained close to 90%.
Not relying on the fastest charging outlets, not letting the battery run lower than 10% and only charging to 80% can drastically increase the lifespan of an electric vehicle’s battery, points that many prospective owners need educating about.
However, these battery SoH studies could help improve the poor residual values that are being suffered by some electric vehicle models – particularly those from more premium brands.
If consumer confidence is bolstered by the fact that an EV can still deliver a great drive, a useable range and peak charging performance even with thousands of miles on the clock, it could help shore up used values.
While that’s not great news for those hunting down a used EV bargain, it will increase adoption with new car buyers that are currently sat on the fence and reduce the general anxiety currently being felt in the automotive industry as a whole.
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