Battery Degradation: Will Your Car Last as Long as a Gas Car?

I remember the first time I heard someone say, “EV batteries don’t last—after a few years, you’ll have to replace the whole thing.” That worried me. Was I really investing in a car that would lose its power after 100,000 miles?

So I did some research, and what I found completely changed my perspective. EV batteries do degrade over time, but much more slowly than most people think. Most modern EVs retain 80-90% of their battery capacity after 10 years, and manufacturers are designing them to last the lifetime of the car—just like an engine in a gas vehicle.

Battery management systems (BMS) are one of the biggest reasons EVs last longer now. They control charging speed, temperature, and power output to prevent excessive wear. Plus, new battery chemistries like lithium iron phosphate (LFP) have even longer lifespans and are much more resistant to degradation.

But what if your battery does degrade over time? Unlike replacing an engine, EV battery packs are modular, meaning individual cells can be replaced instead of the entire battery. And many old EV batteries are being repurposed for energy storage, so they’re still useful even when they’re no longer efficient for driving.

The reality is, EVs last as long—if not longer—than gas cars. And with automakers now offering 8 to 10-year battery warranties, you’re not going to be stuck with a failing battery anytime soon.