FEARS about EV battery longevity, stoked by misinformation about EVs – quite the flavour among some newspaper titles at the moment – are clearly being put to rest by a Tesla Model S that is running close to 400,000 miles.
It’s not alone, in case you were thinking that. More than 720 Teslas have covered more than 100,000 miles on UK roads, and almost 40 have more than 200,000 miles on the clock.
That’s according to analysis by car leasing comparison site LeaseLoco, which has looked at odometer data provided by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
Three Tesla Model S vehicles have covered more than 300,000 miles, with the highest mileage model having driven 375,000 miles – that’s the equivalent of being driven 15 times around the equator of the earth.
In the nine years since the Model S first went on sale in the UK, the Model S has been improved repeatedly. New battery technology, motor designs, and software have extended driving range from more than 250 miles for the longest range version at launch, to almost 400 miles now. Presuming the highest-mileage Model S is one of the older models, it means that the Tesla has been charged well over 1,000 times.
Elon Musk made a bold statement a few years ago that Tesla batteries should last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles. As more Teslas approach and pass the 300k mark in the UK, we’ll find out just how accurate that statement was. For most electric car owners though, the lifespan of their car batteries is a problem way into the future. In the here and now, the issue of charging EV batteries while on the road is more of a concern.
In 2019, Tesla’s Elon Musk said that a Tesla battery should last for between 300,000 to 500,000 miles, so we could be approaching the stage where the first battery swap is required in the UK for the Model S. That said, there has been no information available on battery degradation, so the near-400,000 mile model may have plenty of life left in the battery. After all, there’s a Model S in Germany that reached more than 1.5 million km (over 932,000 miles).
According to the data, there were more than 130,000 Tesla owners in the UK at the end of 2022, with more than 700 of them having covered over 100,000 miles. This table shows the breakdown of Tesla models to have reached the 100,000 milestone.
Tesla model variant | No. of 100,000+ mile vehicles |
Model S | 620 |
Model X | 59 |
Model 3 | 44 |
Roadster | 1 |
John Wilmot continued: “EV owners aren’t just facing range anxiety, the fear of driving an electric car and running out of power without being able to find a charging point on time to replenish the battery.
“They are also suffering from charge anxiety, the negative feeling of uncertainty whether they will be able to charge at a charge station, when they find one. If we are going to see mass switching to EVs in the next five years, which is needed with the petrol and diesel car ban only seven years away, then range and charge anxiety fears have to be allayed.
“Electric car owners need to be reassured that there will be enough charging points to ensure they never run out of battery while on the road, and that charging points are actually working or available to use when they need them.”
Some tips to prolong the life of an electric car battery include:
Drive smoothly – by avoiding harsh acceleration and braking, energy consumption is improved and the EV will cover more miles on a charge. It is the repeated charging and discharging of a battery that caused degradation.
Rapid charge sparingly – high-power charging is a necessity for long distance trips, but regular rapid charges can add to a reduced battery life in some cases.
Charge in a window – it’s best to not charge your EV battery to 100% regularly, instead leaving a little left as a buffer. Not only will this allow the EV to use brake energy recuperation straight from the start of a journey, but it will also protect battery life. There same is true for the bottom of the spectrum, with recommendations to keep the battery charged to between 10-20% most of the time – and not just for peace of mind in driving range.
Top-up slowly where possible – most EV drivers will be able to charge at home, usually overnight, which is not only more convenient but also the best way to charge an EV. By charging at a slower rate, the battery is put under less strain and will last longer over time.
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