Battery degradation by brand: how different EV makers compare
Not all EV batteries age the same way. Battery chemistry, thermal management design, and real-world usage patterns all differ significantly across brands — and those differences show up clearly in published fleet and endurance-testing data.
How to read this data
The figures below are drawn from multiple independent studies — fleet telematics analyses, owner-reported data, manufacturer endurance tests, and one peer-reviewed academic case study — cited in full at the bottom of this article. They represent published ranges and estimated midpoints, not a guarantee about any individual car. An individual vehicle's actual condition always depends more on its specific history — climate, charging habits, mileage — than on its badge. Use this as context alongside a measured SoH reading, never as a substitute for one.
Estimated battery health over time
Full comparison: all models and published ranges
| Brand / model | Cooling | Annual loss | 8-yr SoH (est.) | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3/Y (LFP) | Liquid | 1.0–1.5%/yr | 88–92% | Recurrent Auto; Tesla Impact Report |
| Tesla Model S/X | Liquid | 1.0–2.3%/yr | 85–92% | NimbleFins (624 vehicles); Geotab |
| Kia EV6 / Niro EV | Liquid | 1.0–1.5%/yr | 88–93% | Kvdbil (1,366 vehicles) |
| Hyundai Kona / IONIQ 5 | Liquid | 1.0–2.0%/yr | 85–92% | Recurrent Auto; Kvdbil |
| VW ID.3 / ID.4 | Liquid | 1.5–2.3%/yr | 85–91% | ADAC endurance test; owner data |
| Renault Zoe | Limited active | 1.8–2.5%/yr | 80–87% | EVS38 case study (peer-reviewed) |
| BMW i3 (120 Ah, 2019+) | Liquid | 2.0–3.0%/yr | 78–85% | Owner data; Recurrent Auto |
| BMW i3 (60/94 Ah, 2014–2018) | Liquid | 2.5–4.0%/yr | 68–80% | Owner data |
| Nissan Leaf (24 kWh) | Passive air | 3.0–4.2%/yr | 66–76% | Geotab (22,700 vehicles) |
| Nissan Leaf (30 kWh) | Passive air | 4.0–9.9%/yr | <65% | Green Car Reports |
Ranked: estimated 8-year State of Health
Why cooling design matters this much
Heat is one of the biggest accelerants of battery wear. Liquid-cooled packs actively regulate cell temperature during charging and driving, which meaningfully slows degradation compared to passively air-cooled designs — especially in hot climates or under frequent fast charging. Nissan Leaf's passive air-cooled design is the clearest example in the table above: both Leaf variants sit at the bottom of the ranking, with Green Car Reports finding the 30 kWh generation degraded roughly three times faster than its 24 kWh predecessor in its first two years.
Why chemistry matters too
LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells, used in Tesla's Standard Range Model 3/Y, generally tolerate being charged to 100% far better than NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) cells, which offer more range per kWh but benefit more from a moderate 20–80% daily charging habit. A brand's typical chemistry choice — and which specific trim a used car has — matters more than the badge alone.
The bottom line
Brand-level patterns are a useful starting point for setting expectations, but they explain general tendencies across published studies, not any specific car in front of you. Two cars from the same brand, same age, same mileage, can still land in very different SoH bands depending on individual history. A measured, independent report is what actually tells you where a specific car stands.
Sources
- Geotab, "EV Battery Health: Key Findings from 22,700 Vehicle Data Analysis" (2026)
- NimbleFins, "A Study on Real-Life Tesla Battery Deterioration" (624 vehicles, 26.7 million miles)
- Recurrent Auto, "How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?"
- Electrek, reporting on the Kvdbil study of 1,366 vehicles — "New study of 1,300 EVs busts battery degradation myths"
- Electrifying.com, reporting on an independent ADAC endurance test of a high-mileage VW ID.3
- Green Car Reports, "Nissan Leaf 30-kWh battery decline 3 times that of earlier electric cars"
- EVS38 (peer-reviewed), "Battery State of Health in Renault Zoe EV: An 11-Year Case Study"
- U.S. Department of Energy, "Plug-in Electric Vehicle Battery Replacements Due to Failure Have Been Very Rare Since Model Year 2015"
Related guides
What is State of Health (SoH)? Everything about your EV battery's condition
SoH measures how much usable capacity your EV battery retains compared to when it was new. Here's what the number actually tells you, how it's measured, and what counts as good.
Read moreExplanationHow EV batteries degrade over time
Age, mileage, and charge behaviour all play a role. Here's what the data actually shows about how — and why — EV batteries age.
Read more