What happens to an EV after 8 years?
As EVs get older, the batteries progressively degrade. It is expected that at around 75% of the battery’s original capacity, it has reached the end of its life in an EV. In reality what this means is that if the car was sold with 400 km driving range, at the end of its useful life it could be down to around 300 km. You’re likely to pay more up front and lose more on resale with a new EV in 2026, but you also spend far less to power and maintain it. For many drivers, those savings still outweigh the higher purchase price over a normal ownership period.