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How fast does EV battery really degrade in real life?

I'm thinking long-term about my EV purchase and keep seeing conflicting info online—some say batteries barely degrade, others warn about significant loss over time. I know there are probably lots of factors at play (charging habits, mileage, temperature, etc.), but I'm curious what real owners are actually seeing after several years of ownership. Has anyone been tracking their battery capacity over time and willing to share what it looks like?
Filed under: Battery Health & Degradation
07 answers
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7 ANSWERS
keith_armold
@keith_armoldOctober 14, 2026
Our Ioniq 5 is at 131k miles and the SOH reader shows roughly 5% loss. Out of warranty now and it's never needed a repair. The degradation fear is mostly left over from the early Leafs.
tim_okonkwo
@tim_okonkwoOctober 12, 2026
Job 1 Mach-E here. I have not put a reader on it, so all I have is the GOM. In the summer it still breaks 290 at times, the same as when it was new. If you go off the winter number you will think it lost a quarter of the pack. It did not. It is just cold.
ron_ellison
@ron_ellisonOctober 11, 2026
131k with 5% is way better than I expected. Which reader do you use for that?
bhollister
@bhollisterOctober 16, 2026
Winter is what makes people think their battery is dying. 133 miles at 80% on my ID.4 right now. That's the cold, not the pack.
rmacdougall
@rmacdougallOctober 15, 2026
Mine is a 2018 Model 3 as well and the battery and drive unit warranty is up next month. Honestly the pack is the last thing I'm worried about. It's the small stuff now. The headlight DRL already went and none of that is covered once you're out. Agree with the winter thing but I'd push back a little on it being all in people's heads. In Ontario on short trips in January my efficiency is genuinely terrible and you do lose usable range for a few months. It's not degradation and it comes back, but if you're buying used up here, budget for the winter number and not the summer one.
cdunbar_29
@cdunbar_29October 15, 2026
Leaf Plus, two years in, no range loss I can see. Mostly L2 at home and I don't leave it sitting at 100.
ron_ellison
@ron_ellisonOctober 11, 2026
@keith_armold still curious what reader that was if you get a chance.