A Tesla Model X car that has driven more than 200,000 miles in five years gives hope to those who fear batteries degrade quickly in electric cars. The vehicle has lost less than 10% of its battery capacity.
The SUV’s owner told the Out of Spec Reviews YouTube channel that 60 to 80 percent of the time he uses Tesla Supercharger chargers. Many worry that these systems, which offer high charging speeds, degrade batteries faster than home-mounted ones that cars are plugged into overnight.
When the owner bought the Model X car new in 2017, it had a 93.7 kWh battery pack. Today, its capacity is 9.8% less (84 kWh).
The case described here is not an isolated one. One study, which looked at battery packs in Model S and Model X cars, found a similar rate of degradation. After 200,000 miles the batteries had retained an average of 90% of their capacity.
Also read: Electric cars: What will happen to all the ‘dead’ batteries removed from them?
Good news for electric car owners. Replacing these components is very expensive.
Different approach than Tesla: Some manufacturers allow frequent battery changes
With other electric car models, such as those produced by some Chinese brands, owners don’t have to worry about the health of the batteries in the medium to long term. Nio or Geely, for example, allow you to completely change the battery pack with a ready-charged one in just a few minutes in robotic stations, as you can see in the video below.
Western companies refuse, for now, to use removable battery packs. According to Tesla, integrating these components into the body allows the company to offer cars with less weight and longer range.