These electric vehicles need to replace their batteries more often

These electric vehicles need to replace their batteries more often.

It is frequently found that the Nissan Leaf has one of the highest battery replacement ratios.

A major concern for potential EV buyers is whether the battery must be replaced.

EV battery replacements can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, according to Recurrent.

Recurrent has studied how common it was to replace batteries of early EV models.

One of the biggest concerns of potential EV buyers is whether they will ever have to have a costly battery replacement. And while it was rare among early electric cars, some models needed it more than others.

Excluding major recalls of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, EUV, and Hyundai Kona Electric, of the EVs studied by Recurrent for battery health reporting, only 1.5% received battery replacements. About 15,000 EV drivers in the US use Recurrent or just 225 vehicles.

Including two popular EV battery recalls brings that battery replacement percentage to 6.5%, according to Recurrent, or 975 out of 15,000.

Unsurprisingly, beyond the recalled vehicles, Recurrent found the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S to have the highest battery replacement percentage—with the Leaf at 4.92% and the Model S at 3.75%—because they're among the oldest electric vehicles.

The 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leaf saw 8.3% and 3.5% replacement rates, respectively. 2013, 2014, and 2015 Model S saw 8.5%, 7.3%, and 3.5% replacement rates, respectively.

However, Recurrent found the relatively low numbers promising and said they indicate that EV batteries generally keep a lot of life.

EV drivers who decide to keep their car for a long time will want to avoid getting stuck with what could be a major and expensive repair, running them anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. Batteries degrade at varying rates depending on several factors, such as how the EV is charged, the type of environment it is operating in, and more.

Battery condition is also important information once an EV enters the used market. An electric vehicle's second or third owner may want to know if the battery has already been replaced or if something needs to be done. If the battery were replaced before the second or third owner, that would help, as the EV would be back to new.

Automakers have a variety of electric vehicle battery warranties to assuage concerns about potential replacements. BMW and Volkswagen, for example, guarantee 70% of the original battery capacity for eight years or 100,000 miles. Recurrent said the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range battery has the same terms, but other Model 3 and Model Y trim levels have a 70% warranty at 120,000 miles or eight years.

Audi E-Tron

Here is the full list of Recurrent:

Tesla Model Y

0.29%

Tesla Model 3

0.34%

Audi e-tron

0.41%

Tesla Model X

0.79%

Chevy Volt

0.95%

Jaguar I-PACE

1.32%

Tesla Model S

3.75%

* Chevy Bolt EUV

4.78%

Nissan Leaf

4.92%

* Hyundai Kona

25.15%

* Chevrolet Bolt EV

33.97%

*High Kona and Bolt percentages are primarily due to vehicle battery recalls.