Electric vehicle batteries are lasting longer than previously feared by drivers, with most used EVs able to retain about 90 per cent of their original usable battery capacity after 150,000 kilometres, a new study has shown. Despite a surge in global EV sales on the back of rising fuel prices, long-term battery durability continues to be one of the key concerns for drivers when they consider switching from a petrol model to an electric car.

According to the latest study published by Aviloo, an Austria-based group that analyses battery health, the median state of health (SoH) for 20 popular EV models stood between 87 per cent and 94 per cent after 150,000km. The study was based on more than 500,000 tests Aviloo carried out globally on the 20 EV models including Tesla's Model Y and Volkswagen's ID.4 between 2022 and 2026.

The study also showed that the speed of battery degradation varied significantly even within the same EV model depending on climate conditions, battery size and driver habits. "In contrast to a combustion engine car, where age and mileage would more or less carry the value of the car and technical condition, that's not the case for an EV," said Marcus Berger, chief executive of Aviloo. "What very few consumers know is: don't park your cars with 100, 90 or 80 per cent state of charge. It's just harming the battery," he said, adding that the ideal level was between 30 and 70 per cent.