February 23, 2024
EV Warranties
This article delves into electric vehicle (EV) warranties outlining how warranties differ between a vehicle and its battery, one of the key components in an EV. Recognising these differences is essential for making informed purchasing decisions. The discussion is aimed at demystifying warranty terms and conditions, equipping buyers with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of electric mobility confidently.
The UK has been experiencing a surge in electric car adoption, with 380,000 new EVs expected to hit the roads in 2024. However, despite the growing popularity of EVs, misconceptions and concerns still linger in the minds of many. Range anxiety and fears about rapid battery degradation continue to influence public perceptions, even prompting government initiatives to debunk myths around ‘batteries needing replacement after 5 years’.
The electric car industry has come up with many innovations and technologies to reduce the effects of battery degradation. However, the rate of degradation is directly linked to the treatment of the car throughout its lifetime, meaning that outliers do exist. To help you identify these bad apples, we’ve developed a self-service mobile app that provides an EV Battery Health Check. It efficiently detects electric cars with atypical battery performance, ensuring swift resolution.
Recently, we found out that one of our customer’s electric car’s batteries had degraded faster than expected due to regular rapid charging and high speed driving. The customer was left confused about the options available to them for repairing the battery, believing their vehicle’s warranty had expired. Upon further investigation, we found that while the manufacturer’s warranty for the EV had lapsed, the battery warrant was, in fact, still valid.
Inspired by the long pages of documents and contracts that we all sign without paying attention to the small print, we wanted to delve into the differences between manufacturer and battery warranties to ensure customers understand the fine print for both. In the meantime, join our growing community to test the battery performance of your car.
Manufacturer/Factory/Vehicle warranty
The factory warranty, also referred to as the manufacturer or vehicle warranty, is the most comprehensive coverage of protection during the initial period of your purchase. Designed to ensure that the car meets quality standards, the producer guarantees to replace or repair almost any component where you face a defect in your electric car. These issues mostly arise from issues with craftsmanship or the material itself.
Duration:
Generally, the manufacturer warranty will last between 3 years/36,000 miles and 5 years/60,000 miles. This means that, for example, the warranty would be valid for either 3 years or up to 36,000 miles, whichever is exceeded first. The exact duration and transferability of this warranty will depend on the car manufacturer’s policy. Some manufacturers also extend the warranty to their certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles, so make sure to check before buying.
Coverage:
Manufacturer warranties cover almost all components, providing the most extensive shielding during the initial period of your vehicle ownership. Both mechanical and electrical parts are covered including the motor, battery pack, charging system, suspension, and air conditioning and heating systems.
Battery warranty
Separate to the vehicle’s warranty, manufacturers often warrant the performance of the battery. This is because the performance of the battery naturally declines over time.
Duration:
Manufacturers typically offer battery warranties that last 8 to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Coverage:
Unsurprisingly, the battery warranty in electric cars will provide extended protection for the most crucial component of the vehicle - the battery. The repair or replacement will take place mostly when there are manufacturer defects or excessive loss of battery capacity due to the manufacturer’s mishandling during service.
Degradation policy:
Within the scope of battery warranties, manufacturers will often commit to either repair or replace your electric car battery if its usable energy capacity dips below a certain threshold. The industry standard for this benchmark figure is 70%, although batteries can still be used beyond this point in second life applications.
With that being said, the lifecycle of an electric car battery contains a critical juncture similar to a tipping point, often referred to as the ‘knee point’. Before reaching this stage, the battery’s degradation follows an almost perfect linear pattern. However, once this knee point - which commonly occurs around the 60-70% mark of the battery’s original capacity - is reached, the rate of degradation accelerates significantly.
Be aware that not all car models come with a clearly stated maximum degradation threshold from the manufacturer. Therefore, it's advisable to inquire about this detail before making a purchase. For continuous and precautionary monitoring, download our easy-to-use, self-service EV Battery Health Checker, which will give you an independent and impartial assessment of your vehicle’s battery performance.
Battery and manufacturer warranties for top 5 most selling Electric cars in the UK
Here are warranty durations for the best selling cars in the UK:
- Tesla Model Y and 3: Tesla provides a warranty of 4 years (or 50,000 miles) for the manufacturer/vehicle warranty and 8 years (or 100,000/120,000 miles - depending on the model) for its battery warranty
- Kia E-Niro: Kia provides its cars with a vehicle and battery warranty of 7 years (or 100,000 miles).
- Volkswagen ID.3: Volkswagen cars come equipped with a 3 years (or 60,000 miles) manufacturer warranty, in addition to the battery warranty that lasts for 8 years (or 100,000 miles)
- Nissan Leaf: Like Volkswagen, Nissan also provides a 3 years (or 60,000 miles) of manufacturer warranty, and the battery warranty is for 8 years (or 100,000 miles).
- Mini Electric: Mini’s 3 years of manufacturer warranty comes with no limit to the mileage, however, the battery warranty will last 8 years (or 100,000 miles) too.
Conclusion
Early detection of battery issues, facilitated by our flagship EV Battery Health Checker app, is crucial for timely warranty claims and extending the lifespan of your car. Join our growing community of testers now to monitor and maintain your electric car’s battery health effectively!
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