When do you plan to replace your high voltage battery?

[Texas Dan]

I recently read an article article about a Tesla that had over a million miles on it and the had replaced the high voltage battery about every 200k miles. If my battery lasts for 200k miles, the battery will probably outlive me but the question begs; what criteria do you use to decide when it’s time to replace the battery? Of course we will replace the battery if it just dies but what about if it just fades away?

I’m on my fifth EV so I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. I have decided to follow the warranty rules that many manufacturers use; if the SOH of battery drops more than 30% it’s time to replace the battery. Replacing the high voltage battery after 200k miles would be a minor cost compared to buying a new EV pickup.

What criteria do you plan to use to decide when to replace the high voltage battery? Do you plan to just keep pushing your Lightning regardless of what the battery SOH is? Or do you have another target threshold in mind?

Sponsored

 

[mattskr]

I usually replace a vehicle every 4-6 years and my goal for this one is 4-ish, that'll be about 60k, maybe 70k miles and I'm hoping the battery is around 90%. I won't even get close to 100k miles, so I'm not planning on ever replacing the battery.

If it's much less than 90% then I wouldn't be comfortable to make it to and from where I typically go (rural TX, no chargers in between) so I'd be forced to replace it and probably just buy whatever I think is the best EV truck on the market at that point. The tech, pricing, and range will all undoubtedly be better then the current Lightning.

 

[theblunden]

Like the AA's in my TV remote..... When it's dead

 

[lightspeed]

Probably/hopefully never. The ER battery should be good for 375K+ miles. That's 250 miles times 1500 charge cycles. So, only in the (hopefully) unlikely chance that the battery fails prematurely.

If it does die early in 10 years or more, then hopefully larger replacement batteries will be available at a fraction of today's price.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I recently read an article article about a Tesla that had over a million miles on it and the had replaced the high voltage battery about every 200k miles. If my battery lasts for 200k miles, the battery will probably outlive me but the question begs; what criteria do you use to decide when it’s time to replace the battery? Of course we will replace the battery if it just dies but what about if it just fades away?

I’m on my fifth EV so I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. I have decided to follow the warranty rules that many manufacturers use; if the SOH of battery drops more than 30% it’s time to replace the battery. Replacing the high voltage battery after 200k miles would be a minor cost compared to buying a new EV pickup.

What criteria do you plan to use to decide when to replace the high voltage battery? Do you plan to just keep pushing your Lightning regardless of what the battery SOH is? Or do you have another target threshold in mind?

I have 3 Teslas, the lowest mileage one has just over 120,000 miles. My criteria for replacing the HV is one of two scenarios:

1) Car throws an error on the pack, rendering it undriveable.

2) Pack replacements become cheap enough that an upgrade from my 75kWh is $10,000 or less to a 100kWh pack. (Currently $19-22k)

I should note than my cars started leveling out around 10% degradation. Even the one that lives fully on DCFC has less than 15% degradation.

The biggest concern about pack replacement for me is the insurance. If I spend $20k for a new pack it’s cheaper than new. But if I crash it tomorrow I only get $25k and it only needs $13k of damage to get totaled…

 

[Nomoregas]

Like the AA's in my TV remote..... When it's dead

can you use AA's in the lightning?

 

[AZT9]

I have 3 Teslas, the lowest mileage one has just over 120,000 miles. My criteria for replacing the HV is one of two scenarios:

1) Car throws an error on the pack, rendering it undriveable.

2) Pack replacements become cheap enough that an upgrade from my 75kWh is $10,000 or less to a 100kWh pack. (Currently $19-22k)

I should note than my cars started leveling out around 10% degradation. Even the one that lives fully on DCFC has less than 15% degradation.

Love hearing real world “torture tests”. There will always be outliers but with modern packs regardless of the form factor/manufacture seem to “level out” at the 10-15% degradation point. I drive mostly highway for work. Am currently @ 42k miles and if I haves to guess, lost less than 5% at this point.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Love hearing real world “torture tests”.

You see a torture test, I see an idiot who’s hell bent on getting full “value” out of “free” supercharging..

 

[PreservedSwine]

Simple- when it no longer meets my needs.
Why would anyone replace it sooner?

 

[MickeyAO]

In Japan, the original Leaf's batteries are out living the vehicles. Nissan is now repurposing the used modules into power banks.

 

[The Weatherman]

can you use AA's in the lightning?

Sure you can. It just takes a lot of em.

 

[USA EV]

I’ve thought about this a lot over the years

Same! Clearly for a fading battery don't replace until it no longer meets your needs. I figure even a 100 mile electric truck would be quite useful as a farm truck for farm chores and running into the city (but alas, I no longer live on a farm). Still, at 100 miles (>50% degradation), it will have more range than my current Fiat 500e.

However, the real question is, for the Model S and Lightning that both have aluminum body panels that won't rust, how often will you replace the interiors! These things could be like private airplanes where they just replace everything (over time) and keep them flying.

 

[PreservedSwine]

I think even when it no longer meets your needs, you could repurpose it as a storage unit for a rather powerful solar array.

 

[Calvin H-C]

I think even when it no longer meets your needs, you could repurpose it as a storage unit for a rather powerful solar array.

Apparently, that is the long term plan for EV batteries.

Critics use the 10-year life expectancy on EV batteries as an argument they are very bad for the environment, but that 10 years is the useful life as an EV battery. Many batteries can go on being used for another 20 years for a stationary storage system. GM is using former Volt batteries to help power a data centre.

Stationary storage will play an important role in the solution to our "grid problem" that critics also tout will fall apart as more EVs are purchased.

 

[KevinC]

Warranty:
8YR/100,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPONENTS

I Think alot of people are going to watch that like a hawk as they near the limit. If the battery isn't within the specs near end of warranty people are going to file claims. In 8 years they wont have any original 23 SK batteries on the shelf so here's to hoping they're will be a bonus upgrade for those batteries not holding up at 8 yrs.

Sponsored