EV battery longevity concerns unfounded, study finds

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Australia's growing interest in electric vehicles (EVs) has led to a steady increase in sales each year, despite concerns over the cost of buying EVs, the availability of charging stations, worries about running out of power while driving, and the value of EVs when it comes time to sell them.

However, advancements in EV technology have made battery-powered cars more affordable and longer-lasting, and new research into battery degradation could also help reduce the depreciation of EVs.

Pickles has dropped its Quarterly Automotive Report for the fourth quarter of 2024, and it reveals that EV batteries might be more durable than many sceptics claim.

Data collected by Datium Insights and published by the auctioneer, which specialises in selling second-hand EVs, is said to be "some of the first insights available in the Australian market... in relation to used EV battery health," according to Pickles' chief commercial officer, Fraser Ronald.

Pickles is currently developing an "EV battery health assurance process", which will enable the relevant models it sells to be supported by battery performance results that buyers can rely on – potentially leading to increased EV sales on the used market.

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On average, the 250-plus EVs it tested with more than 120,000 kilometres on their odometers still retained over 90 per cent of their battery capacity.

The data also showed that the EVs tested retained more than 98 per cent of their capacity within 20,000km, dropped to just over 96 per cent between 20,000-40,000km, and then decreased to 94.5 per cent from 40,000-80,000km.

Similar results were found when it came to the age of electric vehicles, with tested vehicles older than four years still retaining 93.7 per cent of their battery health on average.

In addition to this, Pickles detailed the results of 159 tests it conducted across EVs made by Tesla, Hyundai and BYD, showing strong results for all three brands despite their varying ages and kilometres travelled.

“Upcoming EV battery health checks at Pickles confirm we're selling pre-owned EVs with well-maintained batteries, with early results showing battery health aligning with manufacturer projections,” said Brendon Green, Pickles’ general manager for automotive solutions.

Car manufacturers usually anticipate some level of battery wear and tear with their electric vehicles, with many offering a separate warranty for the battery (commonly for eight years) and guaranteeing a certain level of battery health at the end of this period.

The announcement of Pickles' battery health guarantee program comes after a record quarter for the company, where it sold 120 used electric vehicles during the last three months of 2024.

To put it in perspective, the company only sold 115 electric vehicles last year and 334 this year. Out of those 334, 51% went to private buyers, whereas only 24% of petrol and diesel vehicles were bought by private owners.

Compared to the same period last year, Pickles saw a 190.2 per cent lift in electric vehicle sales, whereas overall vehicle sales rose by 15.4 per cent. Hybrid vehicle sales surged by 112.8 per cent, whereas sales of petrol-powered used vehicles dropped by 4.4 per cent.

Last year was a record-breaker for new electric vehicle sales in Australia, with a total of 91,292 vehicles delivered, a 4.7 per cent increase from the previous year. However, this was a significant drop compared to the triple-digit growth experienced in 2023, mainly due to a slump in Tesla sales affecting overall EV sales growth.