On average, electric cars can last around 200,000 miles or 12 years, which is longer than the lifespan of an average gas car (150,000 miles or 8 years).
Life Expectancy
Generally, electric vehicle batteries last 10-20 years, but some factors may reduce their lifespan.
Electric car battery technology
This decreases the range and time needed between each journey to charge. Most manufacturers have a five to eight-year warranty on their battery. However, the current prediction is that an electric car battery will last from 10 – 20 years before they need to be replaced.
Electric car battery life expectancy
Similar to other battery-powered items, the cells degrade over time. However, with extensive and powerful lithium-ion units powering EV technology, you can expect your vehicle to last just as long as a petrol or diesel model.
Charging Speed and Time
The most common problem that electric vehicle owners complain about is the time it takes to charge the vehicle.
These disadvantages include finding charging stations, charging times, higher initial costs, limited driving range, and battery packs can be expensive to replace.
Negative Impacts
EV battery production can adversely impact the environment, such as a loss of biodiversity, air pollution and decreased freshwater supply.
On average, you can expect the replacement cost of an electric car's battery to run from $5,000 to upward of $15,000, according to an article from Consumer Reports. As a general rule, the larger the battery is, the more expensive it is to replace.
An EV conversion is a potentially cheaper way to go electric and 'future-proof' your existing combustion-engined car. The reduced running costs of an electric car could also save you money in the longer term. There is also an environmental issue to consider.
Average Battery Replacement Costs
If an EV is no longer under warranty or if its battery is damaged in an accident and isn't covered by insurance, Recurrent estimates the out-of-pocket cost for a replacement ranges from $5,000 to $20,000. The total cost largely depends on the pack, size and manufacturer of the battery.
Electric cars have cooling systems in place to prevent fire or explosion. However, high temperatures, crashes, or overcharging can cause electric car batteries to ignite. The batteries, if damaged, can get wet and explode or catch fire, and if they do, the vapours can be extremely hazardous.
Even when your electric car is parked, it is often still powering several electric systems in your vehicle. Due to these systems, electric vehicles will lose very small quantities of charge when parked.
Electric cars can sit for months at a time without charging. But of course, it depends on the battery size, charge level, temperature and more. Your best bet is to leave your car between 50%-80% rather than charging to 100%.
Under current estimates, most EV batteries will last between 15-20 years or 100,000 to 200,000 miles before they need to be replaced, it is more likely that the battery will outlast the car. And contrary to popular belief, EV batteries don't simply stop working.
Modern electric cars have management systems that avoid charging and discharging at the maximum and minimum charging levels. That means never reaching a full charge or falling to zero percent. This helps avoid charging your vehicle above 80 percent or below 20 percent, which will help prolong battery life.
Benefits of petrol cars
Faster - In general, combustion-powered cars can reach higher speeds. Longer range - Unlike some EVs that have a limited range, petrol cars can cover more miles. Convenient to top-up - As there are gas stations almost everywhere, topping up en-route is easy and convenient.
Electric cars are also more efficient than gas-powered vehicles. Gas-powered engines are designed for efficiency, while electric motors provide 100% torque from the get-go, allowing for faster acceleration and better mileage. Electric motors can also be used in various ways to improve efficiency.
EVs are cheaper to run
Battery electric vehicles (BEVS) have a lot less moving parts than a petrol or diesel car. There is relatively little servicing and no expensive exhaust systems, starter motors, fuel injection systems, radiators and many other parts are not needed in an EV.
Electric vehicles generally experience depreciation from the moment of purchase, with the most significant impact occurring within the first three years of ownership. There have been reports that EVs lose up to 52% of their value just after three years as compared to ICE vehicles' 39.1%.
The battery pack is by far the most expensive component, so price increases of other components are only critical for vendors of those components, not for vendors of entire powertrains or vehicles. The pie-chart below illustrates how the value of a battery pack dominates over other components.
Tesla battery replacement cost varies depending on the labor and parts needed. Typically, depending on the car, the most basic battery replacement in Tesla costs between $5,000 and $20,000. For the Model S premium sedan, replacing a Tesla battery costs around $13,000-$20,000.
By 2025, electric vehicle sales could comprise up to 20% of new car sales. By 2030, electric vehicle sales could reach 40% of new car sales. By 2040, electric vehicle sales could account for nearly all new car sales.
In city driving, hybrids reduce idling by turning the engine off when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarting it when the accelerator is pressed. In highway driving, there is little to no idling. Hybrids use regenerative braking to recover energy typically wasted in braking.