More efficient manufacturing, falling battery costs and intense competition are lowering sticker prices for battery-powered models to within striking distance of gasoline cars.

  • Eheran@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Why do you think the cyclic life of current or 10 year old batteries is not already good enough? Do you know how often they fail? How much they degrade after 10 years?

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      The US DoE puts EV battery half-life at 8-12 years for most current vehicles. That’s insanely short compared to ICE.

      • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Do you have the link for that? Many old Model S’ are still getting well over 50% of their range; closer to 85-90%. The only way I could see that being is if a large portion of the batteries in the sample were Nissan Leafs which were air cooled and degraded horribly in extreme heat or extreme cold.

      • shalafi@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Yeah, I can’t do that. As little as I drive, they would last longer, but still. I’ll be retired or close enough in 12-years, won’t be able to afford a fresh battery. My ICE convertible and truck are 02 and 04 models and run fine.

        Knowing there’s a hard limit on usage, with a wildly expensive repair at the end, that’s tough to swallow. I can keep my 04 F150 running forever. (For certain values of forever.)

        • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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          4 months ago

          It’s not a hard limit, it’s a variable capacity reduction over a decade that estimates a maximum 50% reduction in range, similar to the lost efficiency of an ICE engine as the tubes , pipes and cases erode.

          You add in the far lower fuel/repair/ maintenance costs and that optional new battery is costing you less than you’re paying in gasoline, oil changes or other basic and common maintenance.