Apparently, I’m the type of person who drives cars until they need to be towed away. I’ve seen a number of things kill a car: transmission, carburetor, crankshaft, etc. Those are all ICE specific, though. What failures kill an EV, in the end?
Don’t know if this counts, but my 2015 Leaf with 125k miles was still running, but the range had dropped to 40-45 miles. After a small fender bender, someone offered $4k to buy it and remove the battery for use as a backup power source.
@jeff
A 40-mile range is kind of hilarious.
Ronald said:
@jeff
A 40-mile range is kind of hilarious.
It could still work for someone with a short commute. I had a 2012 Volt that got about 30 miles on a charge, but I averaged 100mpg by using it for regular commuting. It could be perfect for someone who only needs a cheap EV for short trips.
1st gen 2011 Leaf — it didn’t die, but the battery became so degraded that it wasn’t worth keeping anymore. It ended up becoming stationary battery storage instead.
Not sure you’ll get many answers that aren’t a Leaf. With EVs that have thermal management, they last longer, and in many places, rust will likely kill them before the battery does.
I think folks are coming to realize that EVs really don’t die. I have a first-generation Tesla Model S with 215,000 miles on it. The range has only dropped about 15% since 2013, and it’s still great to drive.
From what I’ve seen in junkyards, rust and neglect are the main things that kill EVs, just like ICE vehicles.
8 years and 165k miles on my Model S, and it’s still going strong with 94% battery capacity remaining. No brake or rotor changes either, just a few minor repairs.
Check out the story of a Model S with 430,000 miles! Here’s the last episode on YouTube: Link