Hybrid and Electric
The battery is one of the main components of an electric car and it is its capacity that determines theautonomy of the vehicle, an essential parameter for being able to judge the quality and convenience of a zero-emission car. When we talk about batteries for electric cars, we often need to address the issue of degradation, a fundamental aspect to understand how long the battery of an electric car lasts and which one can be reduction over the years of effective autonomy.
In the future, when batteries have a higher capacity and charging electric cars is faster and easier, the issue of battery degradation could fade into the background. For now, however, the question is a central aspect of the world of zero-emission cars. The battery is an essential component and it is, therefore, necessary to ask how much does it cost to change an electric car battery.
In addition to possible malfunctions, in fact, changing the battery could be the necessary solution to counteract degradation and, therefore, keep the autonomy of a zero-emission car high over time. The warranty offered by the manufacturer covers replacement costs for a few years. In the long run, however, the motorist could be forced to face the expense of changing the battery of his electric car. This operation, at least for now, is certainly not cheap.
Decline in the range of electric cars
The need to have change the battery of an electric car could be related to a decrease in the vehicle's range. Over time, recharging cycle after recharging cycle, the batteries can lose efficiency, reducing the vehicle's range and forcing more frequent recharging (for the same number of kilometers travelled).
Lithium-ion cells have to deal with a progressive degradation of performance which is influenced by various parameters such as i continuous charge-discharge cycles, related to frequent use of the messenger, and the quick charging, which involves an increase in the temperature of the battery pack causing, over time, a drop in efficiency.
The life of the battery of an electric car, understood as the period of use that elapses between the purchase and the moment in which an appreciable drop in the charge capacity of the battery itself begins to be recorded, therefore depends on various factors and , in particular, on the type of use of the vehicle. In principle, modern electric car batteries currently on the market should cover the life cycle of the vehicle without a noticeable loss of capacity.
However, the issue of degradation remains in the foreground. Many motorists, out of necessity or out of passion, tend to use the same vehicle for several years, many more than what is considered by the automotive industry to be a normal updating cycle (6-8 years) at the end of which to buy a new car. Anyone buying an electric car today could choose to continue using it for 10 or even 20 years.
In these cases, the decrease in vehicle range, linked to battery degradation, it could become revealing. To counteract this decline and restore the optimal operating conditions of the car, it will therefore be necessary to consider changing the battery of the electric car, thus taking into account an extra cost for maintaining the car over the years. This cost may depend on various factors, starting from the effective capacity of the battery pack mounted on the car.
Changing the battery of an electric car
The cost to be faced to change the battery of an electric car is linked to various factors. Of course, we are faced with an operation that is certainly not cheap as the battery pack of an electric car is one of the most expensive components for the manufacturer. Changing the battery of an electric car is therefore not an operation for everyone.
To meet the needs of motorists who have chosen a zero-emission car there is the manufacturer's warranty. Usually, a long-lasting warranty is applied to the battery by the manufacturing companies which guarantee customers a coverage of 5 years or 120 kilometers of use. The data in question is purely indicative and the cases in which a greater guarantee is offered on the batteries are different.
The Tesla case
Tesla, a real reference in the electric car market on an international scale, offers a of 8 years warranty (or 160/240 thousand kilometers depending on the model) for the batteries of its cars. In the event of problems, therefore, for customers who have chosen Tesla there will be the possibility of benefiting from a long-term guarantee, capable of protecting against possible economic damage linked to the need to replace, due to a defect or an unexpected decrease in autonomy, the battery.
In situations where a complete out-of-warranty battery pack replacement is required for a Tesla home model, a substantial expense will be incurred. On the web there are various testimonials related to interventions of this type and, as expected, the amount to be paid is significant. On average, in fact, to complete the complete replacement of the battery pack out of warranty of a Tesla an expense must be taken into account between 15 thousand and 25 thousand euros.
The actual amount depends on various factors. The model for which the intervention is carried out and the effective capacity of the battery pack to be replaced represent parameters capable of significantly reducing or increasing the expense to be incurred to complete the replacement and be able to fully use the battery again. own Tesla.
What other manufacturers do
The cost to be faced to change the battery is far from negligible even if we consider models from other manufacturers. Let's take the case of Nissan Leaf, a model which for several years has been the reference for zero-emission mobility in Europe. The previous generation Leaf cars had high sales in several European markets and have been on the road for several years.
The testimonials available on the net confirm that replacing the battery pack in a Nissan Leaf requires a considerable investment. In fact, as with Tesla models, the amount to be paid depends on various factors but for an update of this type, with the complete replacement of the battery pack, it is necessary to take into account an expense that goes between 10 and 20 euros. To change a battery Electric Smart ForTwo, however, we must consider an expense of approx 10-12 thousand euros.
There is also the case of prima generator at Renault Zoe and of the battery upgrade proposed by Renault to its customers. It is a case that once again clarifies the costs to be faced to replace the battery of an electric car. Indeed, with the second generation, Renault doubled the range of its Zoe.
At the same time, the manufacturer offers old customers the possibility of installing a new battery pack, the same as the new generation Zoe, on the first generation Zoe. This change could only be made by customers who bought the Renault Zoe with a rental battery. For the replacement and related upgrade, one had to be considered expense of 3.500 euros in addition to the rental fee.
Even for the full hybrid an out-of-warranty battery replacement may be required. In this case, the expense will be even lower (since the battery capacity is significantly lower than in plug-in hybrids). For a Toyota Yaris Hybrid, the absolute reference in Europe for hybrid city cars, it is necessary to consider an expense of about 2000 euros for battery replacement.
What changes with the replacement of the battery of an electric car
The battery of an electric car is a key component of the entire vehicle and determines its real range. Carry out the battery change for a zero emission vehicle can represent a real panacea, capable of significantly improving performance under conditions of real use of the car.
Indeed, with a brand new battery, an electric car can achieve a noticeable boost in terms of autonomy. In fact, replacement makes it possible to cancel the effects of the degradation of the previous battery on the vehicle's range of use. It is, therefore, an operation that, in the future, could become a habit for electric cars, making it possible to extend their career and, at the same time, to eliminate the problem of the decline in real autonomy over time.
The question of the cost of changing the battery inevitably remains a delicate subject and, in the future, could become increasingly relevant. The idea of spending 10-20 thousand euros for an out-of-warranty replacement could, in fact, push more than one motorist to give up this opportunity and its positive effects on the car, learning to live with autonomy problems or even evaluating the buying a new car.
