In recent years, the global automotive industry has pivoted away from combustion engines, shifting towards battery electric vehicles (BEVs). But – as is with every major technological advancement in history – there exists a myriad of misconceptions regarding the implementation of the technology.
Reliability and Lifespan
One of the largest barriers to entry for consumers looking to purchase BEVs is the public perception that they are less reliable and have shorter lifespans, compared to combustion vehicles, a view that is inherently false.
A recently released study by Recurrent Motors Inc[1] aims to address these misconceptions, by focusing on BEV battery replacements and battery degradation rates over the last decade in the North American vehicle market. Among the 15,000 cars in the study, 1.5 per cent – approximately 225 cars – had battery replacements outside of official recalls.
Concurrently, the study also found that most batteries will annually lose roughly 2.3 per cent of their original capacity and roughly one per cent of capacity lost every 30,000km (18,750 miles). Furthermore, the majority of electric vehicles driven more than 160,000km still have 90 per cent of their original battery life, compared to combustion vehicle engines that have an expected total life span of 241,000km (150,000 miles).[2]
Another checkmark in favour of electric vehicles is their reliability. For example, the combustion vehicles drivetrain typically contains 2,000+ moving parts. In comparison, the drivetrain in an EV contains approximately 20. A quick scan of the names included in 2020’s Top 10 Car Repairs List provides further evidence as to the reliability of EV engines – only one of the listed repairs is applicable to EVs[3].
Maintenance Cost Comparison
A second major misconception regarding BEVs pertains to maintenance costs. Replacing an EV battery can cost anywhere from $6,500 to $25,000, an amount sure to give most consumers some “sticker shock”. However, the standard EV battery warranty is eight years or 160,000km[4], negating the out of pocket costs for most EV owners.
Combustion vehicle owners must also budget for two to three oil change services a year – an additional cost that on average can add up to of roughly $190 a year on oil alone – an extra cost to vehicle ownership that doesn’t even take into consideration the skyrocketing price of fuel.
With average gas prices rising exponentially, EV owners are saving more than ever at the pumps, shelling out an average of $430 per 20,000km driven. Conversely, combustion vehicle owners are forced to fork over roughly $2,572 per the same mileage – a difference of $2,142. Over a 5-year period, BEV owners are projected to save $10,710, that’s $2,142 annually on fuel costs alone.
Long Term Value Retention Comparison
For most, purchasing a vehicle is one of the biggest decisions – and investments – they’ll ever have to make. Since vehicles depreciate over time, when the vehicle in question needs to be replaced, this investment is worth practically nothing.
While battery cells in an electric car could degrade enough to impede its performance over the span of 10 years, the battery in an old Tesla Model S85 would still hold roughly $20,000 in worth. Comparatively, the book value of the batteries held by a BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes-Bens-S-Class – both with the same number of kilometers – would be worth only 40-75% that of a Tesla.
Final Thoughts
It is evident that misinformation is the biggest barrier to mass BEV adoption. When taking a step back to look at the whole picture, the only two advantages vehicles with a combustion engine have over BEVs is the lower upfront costs for the buyer – and the gas stations located on every city block. As more investments flood into the clean energy sector – including commitments by many municipal governments to install battery charging infrastructure in accessible spaces – these advantages will begin to fade into the background. In a world where perception often obscures reality, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) quietly challenge our assumptions, offering a glimpse of a future where reliability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness converge, prompting us to question the status quo.
[1] New Study: How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last? Recurrent. https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/how-long-do-ev-batteries-last
[2] Seven Reasons Why The Internal Combustion Engine Is A Dead Man Walking. Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2018/09/06/seven-reasons-why-the-internal-combustion-engine-is-a-dead-man-walking-updated/?sh=4004d91a603f
[3] The Top 10 Most Common Car Repairs in America. Strut Daddy’s. https://strutdaddys.com/the-top-10-most-common-car-repairs-in-america/
[4] Worried about EV battery life? Research shows they could outlive the cars they power. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/article-worried-about-ev-battery-life-research-shows-they-could-outlive-the/
