EV Battery Life Calculator
EV batteries lose usable capacity — and therefore driving range — every year they age, and that fade is the single biggest long-term ownership concern most EV buyers have. This calculator applies a simplified linear degradation model to convert your EV's original range, an annual degradation rate, a projection period, and a warranty capacity threshold into remaining battery capacity and remaining range at a fixed mid-point (year 5) and at the end of the projection, plus the year the battery would actually cross its warranty floor. This calculator uses the same degradation modeling approach as the site's Battery Degradation Calculator for utility-scale storage, adapted for EV-specific benchmarks and range-based output. For the per-mile and per-charge economics of running an EV, see our EV vs. ICE Total Cost Calculator and Cost to Charge an EV at Home Calculator.
Your EV's original EPA-rated driving range on a full charge, in miles.
Geotab's 2026 real-world study of 22,700+ EVs found an average annual degradation rate of 2.3%.
8 years matches the industry-standard EV battery warranty period.
Most EV manufacturers guarantee at least 70% capacity retention through the 8-year/100,000-mile warranty period.
221 miles remaining range — fixed mid-point reference (year 5)
204 miles remaining range — 100% − (degradation rate × 8 years)
Comfortably beyond the 8-year projection — battery stays above the 70% warranty floor
Results update live as you type. For planning and field-check estimates — always verify against applicable standards and equipment ratings.
This uses a simplified linear degradation model for planning purposes. Real-world EV battery degradation is often front-loaded (a faster ~4-5% drop in year one as the battery "breaks in," then slowing to roughly 1-2%/year) rather than perfectly linear — treat these figures as reasonable estimates, not a precise forecast for any specific vehicle.
How we calculate this →Geotab's 2026 analysis of over 22,700 real-world EVs found an average annual degradation rate of 2.3%, projecting to about 81.6% battery health after 8 years -- comfortably above the 70% threshold most manufacturers guarantee under warranty. At that rate, a typical 250-mile EV would need roughly 13 years to actually cross the warranty floor, well beyond the standard 8-year/100,000-mile coverage window. For most drivers, EV battery degradation is a much smaller practical concern than warranty terms alone might suggest.
How EV battery life is calculated
This calculator uses a simplified linear degradation model — the same approach most EV manufacturer warranties use for planning purposes — where usable battery capacity fades by a fixed percentage of original capacity each year, and driving range fades proportionally with it. Four quantities tie the calculation together.
Remaining Battery Capacity at Year N (%) = 100% − (annual degradation rate (%) × N). At a 2.3%/year rate, the battery retains 88.5% of original capacity at year 5 and 81.6% at year 8. Remaining Range at Year N (miles) = Original EV Range (miles) × (remaining battery capacity at Year N (%) ÷ 100), since usable range tracks usable capacity directly. At 250 miles original range, that is about 221 miles at year 5 and 204 miles at year 8.
The year-5 figure is always computed as a fixed mid-point reference regardless of the projection period length, so you can compare vehicles on a common benchmark. Remaining Battery Capacity at End of Projection Period (%) applies the same formula at the projection period you enter, with its corresponding remaining range in miles.
Years to Reach Warranty Capacity Threshold (years) = (100% − warranty capacity threshold (%)) ÷ annual degradation rate (%). With a 70% threshold and 2.3%/year degradation, that is (100 − 70) ÷ 2.3 ≈ 13.04 years — the point at which the battery would actually fall below the capacity most manufacturers guarantee under warranty. Real-world EV battery degradation is rarely perfectly linear: it is often front-loaded, with a faster ~4-5% drop in year one as the battery "breaks in," then slowing to roughly 1-2%/year afterward. The linear model is used here because it matches how most manufacturer warranties frame capacity guarantees and because it is transparent and easy to audit. Treat the output as a reasonable planning estimate, not a precise forecast. Data sources: Geotab 2026 EV battery degradation study (22,700+ vehicles, 2.3% average annual rate); EV manufacturer warranty specifications (Tesla, Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, others — 70% capacity / 8-year / 100,000-mile); NREL battery aging research; real-world EV fleet data from commercial operators.