Electric car batteries lasting longer than expected, according to new study

Yesterday at 10:25 PM

Real-world Australian data on the performance of second-hand electric vehicles (EVs) has revealed high capability of older batteries even after considerable mileage and years.

Believed to be the first data of its kind in Australia, the study by Pickles – an auction house trading thousands of vehicles annually – found an average 90.1 per cent battery retention in electric cars having travelled 120,000 kilometres.

Australians travel an average of 12,100km annually, according to the most recent (2020) figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The result means an electric car battery on average – of those sold in Australia – would retain 90.1 per cent of its range after almost a decade of driving the typical annual distance.

The study – admittedly from a small sample size of 250 vehicles – also looked at age, with a four-year old electric vehicle maintaining 93.7 per cent of its range on average.

It means buyers of second-hand electric vehicles do not necessarily need to replace the battery pack – usually at a significant proportion of the cars' value, sometimes more – eliminating a perceived obstacle to going electric when buying used.

"We're giving buyers the confidence they need to embrace electrification without hesitation," Pickles General Manager, Automotive Solutions, Brendon Green, said in a statement.

"This underlines that Pickles is selling used EVs with very healthy batteries, as early data suggests battery health is in line with manufacturer expectations."

Of the vehicles in the study, Hyundai electric cars fared best, with 99.30 per cent of range maintained across 64 vehicles tested, at an average age of 39 months and 29,237km mileage. Its most popular electric model is the Hyundai Kona EV SUV.

Hyundai was closely followed by BYD – although only 13 cars were tested – with 98.60 per cent capability on vehicles with a 17-month average age and 15,619km on the odometer.

The best-selling electric car brand in Australia in 2024 – despite its first global sales fall – Tesla was third, maintaining 93.30 per cent of capability.

The Tesla sample of 42 electric vehicles was the largest surveyed, at an average of 27 months old having travelled 42,263km.

Pickles is currently developing an electric vehicle 'battery assurance process' as more new battery-electric cars are sold and, subsequently, enter the second-hand vehicle market.

The auction house said in its latest Quarterly Annual Report – covering October-December 2024 – used electric vehicle sales in Australia increased 190.2 per cent over the final three months of last year.

Pickles itself sold 120 electric vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 35 per cent year-on-year increase, with the 334 cleared during the 2024 calendar year almost triple the number it recorded in 2023.

It says 51 per cent of sales were to private buyers, compared to more than three-quarters of its petrol/diesel-powered vehicles being sold to non-private customers.

Sales look set to grow further after record sales of new electric vehicles in Australia in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year.

Sales increased 4.7 per cent – outpacing the overall market's 1.7 per cent – with 91,292 electric vehicles sold.

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling new electric car, followed by the Tesla Model 3 and MG 4, while the BYD Seal and BYD Atto 3 rounded out the top five.

The BMW i4 electric liftback posted one of the biggest gains, with a 484 per cent rise – outselling the Mercedes-Benz C-Class – helped by a new model eligible for Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption.

A cooling of new electric vehicle sales in January 2025 is not expected to impact the used vehicle market, according to the Pickles report, which also says greater supply will see second-hand electric vehicle prices fall further.

The post Electric car batteries lasting longer than expected, according to new study appeared first on Drive.