Hyundai just topped the world’s largest EV battery study — analysis of 500,000 tests sees it beat Tesla to the long-term battery health title | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Hyundai just topped the world’s largest EV battery study — analysis of 500,000 tests sees it beat Tesla to the long-term battery health title
The surprising EV battery winners and losers after 93,000 miles
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Analysis of more than 500,000 used EV battery tests reveals long-term health
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 emerges as one of the strongest performers
The study also reveals huge variation between individual cars
A new study, which has looked at 500,000 independent EV battery health tests, has revealed which electric cars boast the most battery capacity as they age — and which models suffer the biggest losses over time.
The data comes from Austrian battery diagnostics company Aviloo (via Inside EVs), which has analyzed used EVs across 20 popular models between 2022 and 2026.
The company says the new Aviloo Certified EV Battery Report is the world's largest independent study of used EV battery health, drawing on a wider database of more than one million tests from across the globe.
And while the results are broadly good news for EV owners, there are some surprisingly big differences between models.
Cutting to the chase for a second, the standout performer is the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which recorded a median State of Health (So H) of 97.2% at 50,000 m (31,000 miles) and 95% at 100,000km — or around 62,000 miles. Even at at 150,000km (93,000 miles), it still retained 92.8% of its original Sate of Health.
New EV data shows most retain 95% of their battery health after five years
Aggressive driving could shorten your EV battery life, new study claims
The best EVs I've driven in 2026 – from Honda to Hyundai
That puts it comfortably ahead of the Tesla Model Y, which recorded a median So H of 90.3% at 150,000 km. The Tesla Model 3 was lower still, at 88.94%.
At the other end of the table, smaller EVs with relatively small batteries performed less well.
The Nissan Leaf ZE1 generation with its smaller 40k Wh battery, for example, recorded 86.67% at 150,000 km, while the Renault Zoe of the same era managed 87.33% and the first generation Mini Cooper SE 87.11%.
Analysis: Battery health is more complicated than mileage
The really interesting part of Aviloo’s data isn't simply which model wins. It's how much individual cars can vary from the median.
For example, at 150,000km, 99% of Tesla Model Ys in the dataset fell between 82.9% and 94.9% battery So H. For the BMW i 4, the range was 87.5% to 96.9%.
I tested the Volvo EX60 and BMW i X3 — and range anxiety is officially dead
Forget range anxiety: this new EV claims 683 miles between charges
Sodium-ion could be the battery tech that takes over from lithium-ion
That means two seemingly identical used EVs with the same mileage can have "dramatically different" battery health — and therefore potentially very different real-world ranges and performance.
Marcus Berger, CEO of Aviloo said: "The truth in this data is that averages hide a lot. Yes, EV batteries are aging better than the ‘they wear out fast’ myth suggests — but that's not the most useful thing this report tells you.
"What matters is that battery health varies significantly between models, and even more between individual cars of the same model".
This is where Aviloo says its independent Flash tests are important, rather than used car buyers relying on the State of Health figure displayed by the vehicle’s computer systems.
The company says that climate, charging behavior, battery chemistry and keeping a vehicle at high charge for extended periods are all factors that can easily influence degradation.
But as we have seen with plenty of other EV battery reports like this, the overall message is reassuring.
Most of the EVs in the study retained around 90% or more of their original battery capacity after 150,000km (around 93,000 miles), suggesting that fears of EV batteries clogging up landfill sites are increasingly difficult to square with the real-world data.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Lockheed carries out missile launches directly from a drone boat - will the US Navy be next?
17 best Labor Day TV deals I recommend — expert picks from $99.99 on 4K, QLED and OLED TVs
Tesla Autopilot and FSD face fresh scrutiny after two fatal freeway crashes where cars came to a complete stop
Over 5,000 Dropbox accounts have been hacked, and the attackers only needed an email address
5 new features coming to Android — including improvements to Google Messages, Gemini Live, and Find Hub
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
