Tesla Vehicles Lose 10% Of Battery Capacity After 200,000 Miles: How That Compares To Cell Phones

Some of the big questions for electric vehicles are how long the battery lasts and if it experiences the same degradation that cell phone batteries do. 

Tesla Inc TSLA has shared some details to answer both these questions.

What Happened: A report from Tesla shows its Model S and Model X electric vehicles experience a loss of 10% capacity after the 200,000-mile mark.

The degradation is steeper in the first 100,000 miles and then levels out in the next 100,000 miles.

The 200,000-mile mark was used as a benchmark as Tesla said it is the average mileage that sees a vehicle get scrapped in the U.S.

Tesla claims the Model 3 battery pack can last 500,000 miles for users. A next-generation battery pack from Tesla is eyeing the one million mile mark.

Related Link: Tesla To Launch Low-Cost Million Mile Battery That Drastically Reduces Cost Of EVs: Report 

Why It’s Important: Battery degradation is a concern for users looking to buy an electric vehicle. When purchasing an electric vehicle, one of the key features is how many miles the vehicle can go on a single charge.

Consumers know that over time the battery pack will lessen and the car will get fewer miles per full charge, which is something important to know.

The 10% loss from Tesla could be a smaller amount than many had figured. This low amount could keep the longevity of a Tesla vehicle for a user and prevent needing to purchase a new vehicle as often as a traditional ICE vehicle.

Cell phone batteries experience degradation the more they are charged. On average, a cell phone battery loses 20% of its charging capacity after 500 charge cycles. After 2,500 charge cycles, a phone battery could become obsolete, according to data from Powerbankexpert.

Apple Inc AAPL has said its iPhone batteries are expected to last 500 full recharging cycles before the loss of 20% capacity.

To put this into a time perspective, the phone’s 100% battery capacity will last eight months if you charge your phone twice a day, 16 months if you charge your phone once a day and 32 months if you charge your phone every two days.

Photo: Courtesy of Tesla