These Plug-In Hybrid EV Batteries Hold Up Best After 100,000 Miles

"Just like in a fully electric vehicle, the battery in a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) loses its capacity to hold a charge over time. A new study shows which PHEV batteries stay healthy the longestand which degrade more quickly. This matters a whole lot, because EV batteries are expensive. If a PHEV's pack is defective, it may be uneconomical to repair and could potentially even render the vehicle a write-off."

"Germany's ADAC, its largest car club, analyzed battery health data from around 28,000 PHEVs. It found that while driving in electric mode and frequent charging will accelerate capacity loss in all vehicles, there's a huge difference between how models from different brands perform over time. Mercedes-Benz PHEVs performed the best. According to the analysis, they lose capacity very gradually over time. However, whether they are driven a lot or a little in electric mode had only a tiny impact on battery health."

"Across the board, Mercedes PHEVs retained an average of nearly 90% battery capacity at 200,000 kilometers. (You can see charts detailing how each automaker's PHEVs fared here.) BMWs also show a gradual, predictable degradation curve, albeit a steeper one. And driving habits mattered more. At 200,000 kilometers, vehicles driven rarely in electric mode retained over 90% capacity, while those driven mostly in electric mode still had around 77% health. Cars driven in electric mode the average amount had a little over 85% capacity remaining."

ADAC analyzed battery health data from about 28,000 PHEVs and identified significant brand differences in battery aging rates. Battery capacity decreases with time and with driving in electric mode and frequent charging accelerate capacity loss for all models. Mercedes‑Benz PHEVs retain capacity very gradually, averaging nearly 90% at 200,000 km, with little effect from electric-mode use. BMW PHEVs show steeper but predictable degradation; electric-mode use influences capacity more. Volvo and Volkswagen experience normal degradation even with higher electric-mode proportions. ADAC recommends a battery health check before purchasing a used PHEV because replacement costs can be uneconomical.

Read at insideevs.com