When shopping around for an electric car, one natural concern is its warranty – especially the EV’s battery. The electric car warranty will be determined by the car manufacturer itself. With long warranties in place, you can be rest assured that is anything goes wrong with the car or battery, it will be fixed free of charge.

Given that EV’s now have longer battery life spans than ever before, there’s never been a better time to buy or lease and EV in confidence.

What is an electric car battery warranty like?

Although most EV batteries are built to last up to around 20 years at peak performance, they do have a shelf life and therefore EV manufacturers tend to offer separate warranties for the cars themselves and their batteries.

Typically, EV warranties range from between three and eight years. Under the electric car warranty, you can expect things like manufacturer defects, paintwork, and certain car components to be covered.

It is important to check with your manufacturer what is included in your warranty before purchasing.

As an example, a Nissan Leaf’s general warranty is five years and unlimited kilometres. Its Nissan LEAF Lithium-Ion battery State of Health guarantee protects against battery capacity loss (less than 9 bars out of 12) for a period of eight years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first.

According to the Electric Vehicle Council of Australia, you can generally expect your EV battery warranty to cover capacity loss of the battery to 70%. This means up to a 30% loss in capacity across the warranty terms period is considered normal and not eligible for a warranty claim.

What is a Tesla battery warranty?

In Australia, each Tesla model’s battery is covered by an eight-year Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty with a set mileage limit (between 160,000 km and 240,000 km) depending on what comes first. 

With a minimum of 70% retention of the battery capacity over the warranty period, you can expect the car to retain 70% of its original capacity. According to Tesla’s 2020 Impact Report, their Model S battery retained 90% of its range, after driving over 200,000 miles so the generous warranty will give confidence to buyers.

With regards to the rest of the car, Tesla’s Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty covers your vehicle for 4 years or 80,000 km, whichever comes first.

Summary

  • EV manufacturers generally offer separate warranties for the cars themselves and their batteries.
  • Most EV warranties are between three to eight years.
  • Tesla’s warranty on battery is eight years, with a set mileage limit (between 160,000 km and 240,000 km), depending on what comes first. 

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Sources

https://www.drive.com.au/news/which-electric-car-has-the-best-battery-warranty/

https://www.tesla.com/en_AU/support/vehicle-warranty

https://www.nissan.com.au/owners/warranty/new-vehicle-warranty-terms.html