How much does an EV battery degrade per year? (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-11-01 · General information. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

About 2.3% a year on average, according to Geotab's study of more than 22,700 electric vehicles. Cars that rarely use fast chargers averaged 1.5% a year. Cars that often use high-power chargers averaged 3.0%. These are fleet averages: your car will differ, and most electric cars on the road are still too young to show how the wear develops in later years.

What the largest fleet study found

Geotab looked at more than 22,700 vehicles across 21 make-models. Its yearly loss by factor:

Fast charging is the biggest factor Geotab lists. It does not make fast charging harmful in itself: even the highest group lost 3% a year. Heat comes up in our hot weather guide.

What this study leaves out

Geotab says it did not look at chemistry or battery management systems. We did not see the 21 models listed by brand in what we read. We also found no independent fleet study that separates Chinese brands outside China.

What the rules and warranties say

UN Global Technical Regulation No. 22 sets a battery durability floor that countries can adopt:

These figures come from HORIBA's summary, a test equipment maker. The UNECE publishes the regulation itself. It does not apply automatically in every country, so don't treat it as cover for your car.

Warranties are a separate matter:

• In the US, many makers offer 8 years or 100,000 miles on the battery.
• BYD extended its battery warranty in Europe in January 2026 to 8 years or 250,000 km, with at least 70% capacity, according to Global Fleet.
• Terms for a China-market car abroad can be very different. See our warranty guide.

Do batteries fail outright?

Rarely, so far. Recurrent's November 2025 study of more than 30,000 cars found:

Two limits apply. Recurrent says its group is not representative of all EVs, and that about 75% of EVs on the road were sold in 2023 or later. Asked how long a modern pack lasts, its answer is that "we don't know".

Lab research on real driving

Stanford and SLAC researchers cycled 92 commercial cells over two years, comparing steady laboratory discharge with realistic driving patterns. Realistic use extended the projected life by as much as 38% in press reports, and Stanford's headline says up to 40%. This covers cells of one commercial type in a lab, not whole cars.

How to slow the wear

1. Use slower charging for daily top-ups. Kia recommends AC charging and fast charging only when needed. BYD says low-power charging contributes to battery life (printed p. 93).
2. Follow your maker's charge limit. It depends on chemistry. See our 100% charge guide.
3. Don't leave it at a high or very low charge for long. Geotab links more time at extreme levels with faster loss. See our storage guide.
4. Park out of the heat when you can. Kia warns about storage at high temperatures.
5. Don't stop using fast chargers on trips. The difference is about 1.5 points a year between the extremes. Convenience on a long trip can be worth that.