GoKawiil
Tech News
Fleet-data firm Geotab analyzed EV charging patterns and found that vehicles using DC fast charging for 12 percent or more of sessions degraded at 2.5% annually versus 1.5% for infrequent fast-chargers. Combining frequent fast charging with high power (over 100 kW) pushed degradation to about 3%, and cars in hotter climates degraded roughly 0.4% faster than those in milder regions.
A new report details common EV charging behaviors that can accelerate battery wear, including habits like routinely charging to 100 percent, charging in extreme heat, and frequent use of DC fast chargers. Instead, the report recommends keeping charge levels between 20 and 80 percent for most driving, varying ideal caps by battery chemistry (LFP vs NMC), and favoring Level 2 charging over Level 3 when possible.
Apple's battery diagnostics, found under Settings > Battery > Battery Health, show whether a battery is 'Normal' or 'Significantly Degraded' along with cycle count and maximum capacity relative to when new. Apple considers a battery worn out once capacity falls below 80%, recommending replacement at that point. Additional warning signs include rapid percentage drops, unexpected shutdowns, sluggish performance under heavy use, overheating when idle, and physical battery bulging, the last of which warrants immediate contact with Apple Support.
EV batteries naturally lose some usable capacity over time, with the Department of Energy estimating a 12-to-15-year lifespan in moderate climates and 8-to-12 years in harsher ones. A 2026 Geotab study of more than 22,700 vehicles across 21 models found average yearly degradation of about 2.3 percent, though results vary widely by car and driving conditions.
A study by Austrian battery-analysis firm Aviloo, based on over 500,000 tests across 20 popular EV models including Tesla's Model Y and Volkswagen's ID.4, found median battery health ranging from 87 to 94 percent after 150,000 kilometers of use. The research found degradation levels between 91-97 percent at 50,000km and 88-95 percent at 100,000km, though rates varied widely depending on climate, battery size and driving habits.