8 in 10 electric vehicles used maintain more than 90% of battery capacity

Real loss of autonomy is much lower than previously assumed, reveals a Swedish study. South Korean Kia is the big winner in second-hand electric vehicles.

The fear that electric car batteries will quickly lose effectiveness is losing traction. A study conducted by Swedish company Kvdbil analyzed 1,366 used electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, concluding that the vast majority maintain a notable income even after several years of use and hundreds of thousands of kilometers traveled.

The report assessed the battery health of more than 1,300 vehicles (723 electric cars and 643 plug-in hybrids) and the results don’t lie: eight out of ten cars preserve more than 90% of their initial capacitywhich refutes the perception that tram batteries degrade quickly.

According to Martin Reinholdsson, responsible for testing at Kvdbil cited by , battery wear depends less on the manufacturer and more on usage habits.

Factors such as vehicle age, climate, driving style and charging patterns influence long-term performance. A car that has been charged correctly and driven moderately can retain much of its range for many years.

The study also reinforces that vehicles that avoid frequent rapid charging and do not let the battery drop below 10% can substantially extend their useful life.

Among the brands analyzed, the Come on stood out for the reliability of its batteries — namely the EV6 and e-Niro models, which showed remarkable resistance to degradation, while the South Korean Sportage and Optima plug-in hybrids also demonstrated excellent capacity conservation. The second best ranked was Tesla, more specifically the Model Y.

These results are corroborated by a study by the British Arvalwhich analyzed more than 8,000 battery health certificates and found an average of 93% capacity — even in vehicles with more than 200,000 kilometers.

Here are the Top-10 used vehicles with the best battery life:

1. Let’s EV6
2. Be e-Niro
3. Tesla Model Y
4. Opel Mokka-e
5. Mazda MX-30
6. Audi Q4 and-tron
7. Fiat 500e
8. Volvo XC40 Recharge
9. Citroën e-C4
10. Volkswagen ID 4