What You Can Expect to Pay for Replacing Electric Vehicle Batteries

By Noddy Schutte

Electric and hybrid vehicles are picking up worldwide, and for some who can afford it, even here in South Africa. But, like all devices, batteries need replacing, so what do you do when your EV's battery time is up?

It's seemingly impossible to obtain a quotation for replacing EV's batteries in South Africa. Even the search engine Google couldn't help me. I discovered an article on Treehugger that presented facts about the price of changing out the batteries of an electric car in the US.

Replacing the batteries on an EV is likely a one-time event in its lifetime. To demonstrate their dedication, Hyundai offers warranty coverage for EV batteries for the entire lifetime of the vehicle.

According to Elon Musk, a Tesla car battery should last 22 to 37 years, or 480 000 km to 800 000 km. Tesla's haven't been around for long enough to find out for sure how long their batteries will last.

It hasn't been long enough for EV's to be on the road in large numbers and generate enough data on battery longevity. Since electric cars were first introduced to the United States in 2010, only 400 000 of the 1.4 million sold are over five years old.

Source: EDF

Battery efficiency and energy density also continue to improve regularly. But the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated in 2014 that EV batteries may last up to 12 - 15 years in moderate climates, and 8 - 12 years in extreme climates. Battery technology has been further improved since this report, with manufacturers producing bigger batteries with better range and a longer lifespan.

It costs more to replace an EV battery than a fuel car's engine in the USA. EV batteries, not including labour, can range between $5 500 (R98 103) and $13 500 (R240 797).

Yet, due to the fact that EV batteries are created out of a lot of sections, it may not be essential to replace the entire battery pack. According to the specialists at Current Automotive, they've only had to replace an entire Tesla battery once.

The life of your vehicle depends on maintenance and care. Be sure to adhere to the maker's directions for charging and typical maintenance.