Battery life in electric cars is a key consideration for potential users. Most manufacturers state that traction batteries are designed to last 8 to 10 years or at least 150 000-300 000 kilometres. However, in practice, under favourable conditions of use, their lifespan can be much longer.

Studies show that after 300 000 kilometres, batteries lose around 20 per cent of their original capacity, meaning that they can still be used effectively in daily use. Some car models, such as the Tesla and Nissan Leaf, have shown even better endurance in practice, further increasing confidence in these technologies. With a maximum mileage per charge of around 500 km, there is still 400 km of range after 10 years, which is in most cases enough range to comfortably use the car in urban/suburban conditions. This means that the lifespan of an electric car goes well beyond the statistics of two owners.

• International Energy Agency (IEA) report on the durability of lithium-ion batteries and their automotive applications. (e.g. IEA Global EV Outlook 2023)
• Data from manufacturers such as Tesla and Nissan, who report battery life of 150,000-300,000 km. (e.g. Tesla Battery Impact Report, 2022)
• Scientific publications analysing battery performance, e.g. articles in the Journal of Power Sources or Nature Energy.

The service life of traction batteries is affected by many factors, including:

Operating conditions

• Temperature: Extremely high or low temperatures can adversely affect the batteries. For this reason, modern electric cars are equipped with battery cooling and heating systems to enable them to operate under constant thermal conditions.
• Driving style: Dynamic driving with frequent acceleration and braking can lead to faster battery consumption. The most economical driving of an electric vehicle is achieved during gentle acceleration and braking - this is when we achieve maximum system efficiency and recover the most energy.

Charging

• Frequency and method of charging: The use of high-speed direct current (DC) chargers significantly shortens the charging process, but their frequent use can accelerate battery degradation due to the high power of DC devices. For everyday use, charging with standard alternating current (AC) chargers is recommended, which is slower but does not exploit the battery as much.
• Charge level: Keeping the battery at 20-80% charge is preferable to regularly discharging it to 0% and charging it to full. Charging the vehicle in this range has the added advantage of achieving the maximum rate of charge.

• Technical information from manufacturers, e.g. Tesla, BMW or Hyundai, on battery temperature management systems.
• Industry articles, such as publications from Electrek or CleanTechnica, describing the impact of charging style on battery degradation.
• Academic publications on battery chemistry, such as Advances in Lithium-Ion Battery Technology (Elsevier, 2021).

Although batteries lose some of their capacity as they are used, this does not mean that they become useless. There are many opportunities to reuse them:

Recycling

Batteries can be recycled, where valuable raw materials such as lithium, cobalt or nickel are recovered. This minimises the negative impact on the environment and reduces the need to extract new materials.

Stationary applications

End-of-life batteries in cars can be used as energy storage in homes or in photovoltaic systems. This makes it possible to store solar energy for a later time, which significantly increases the efficiency (atucon) of such installations.

Industrial applications

In industry, batteries can be used as energy storage for large facilities such as factories or shopping centres. This helps to stabilise the power grid and reduce the load during peak hours.

Are electric cars disposable?

Batteries in electric cars are durable and technologically advanced devices that can last for many years. Their lifespan depends on the style of use, environmental conditions and how they are charged. At the end of their life in cars, batteries find new uses in energy storage or are recycled, making them greener and more sustainable.

Developments in battery technology, including improvements in battery durability and recyclability, are making electric cars an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional internal combustion vehicles, particularly for use in urban or urban-suburban operations.

• Data from reports from recycling companies such as Umicore and Redwood Materials.
• Information from energy storage manufacturers such as Tesla (Powerwall) and LG Chem.
• Examples of practical implementations in battery recycling in Europe and the USA, e.g. projects described by the European Battery Alliance.