Study: Average EV Still Has 97% of Its Range After 5 Years

What Cars Shoppers Need to Know

• A recent report by battery analytics company Recurrent shows that the average electric vehicle retains 97% of its range after five
• Range and charging speeds have increased in many EVs, with Recurrent saying many now have over 300 miles of real-world observed range.

Despite a downward trend in the sales and investment of EVs, most electric models in the market are some of the most advanced and powerful vehicles their automakers have ever built. That advanced technology has paid off in the battery department, where ranges and charging speeds have been steadily improving. Most surprising is that after years of ownership, most EVs are holding on to nearly all their original range, according to Recurrent.

Range Retention

In its recent report, Recurrent analyzed 1 billion miles driven by EVs and found that the average EV still held on to 97% of its original range after five years of ownership. This is important for a number of reasons, but it also throws the argument of severe range degradation out the window. Recurrent says an EV that has 325 miles when new today will still have 309 miles of range by 2031.

This range retention shows up better in some makes than others. According to Recurrent, there are five brands with “no apparent range loss” in the first five years: Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Rivian.

Related: Here’s Every All-New or Redesigned EV for 2026

Average Range, Charging Speeds Have Also Increased

Recurrent says the average range of popular EVs has increased, going from an average of 261 miles in 2020 to 325 miles today. Improved battery technology plays a part in this, but Recurrent says this increased range is also due to things like improved aerodynamics and battery thermal management, which also improve efficiency.

Charging speeds are also up, with Hyundai taking the top spot. The automaker’s 800-volt architecture means models like the Genesis GV60 and Hyundai’s Ioniq line are some of the fastest charging EVs on the market.

Not everything about longer EV range is great, however. Efficiency is a problem many EVs still struggle with, particularly models with massive power and equally massive batteries. GM’s Ultium EVs such as the Cadillac Escalade IQ, Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC’s Sierra and Hummer EVs have some of the longest ranges on the market — over 400 miles — but these large SUVs and trucks also carry large batteries that add weight and compromise safety. In our testing of the Silverado EV, for instance, we discovered that it has a curb weight of over four tons, an amount of weight that has potential repercussions for collisions with smaller vehicles.

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