A major Swedish study has revealed which electric vehicles hold their battery health the best, and Kia and Tesla came out on top.
Swedish car broker Kvdbil initiated a test of more than 1,300 used BEVs and plug-in hybrids to determine which models retain the best battery capacity over time. Based on the study’s results, the Kia EV6, Kia e-Niro, and the Tesla Model Y were deemed the best.
Kia and Tesla lead the pack
Kvdbil’s test results are bullish for electric vehicles as a whole. The study showed that eight out of ten used electric cars still had at least 90% of their original battery capacity. Kia’s EV6 and e-Niro finished first and second in the rankings, while Tesla’s Model Y came in third. As per CarInfo data, Sweden currently has 12,148 Kia EV6 registered, while there are 48,488 Model Y.
In a comment to the media, test manager Martin Reinholdsson stated, “They are actually better than we thought. We were a bit surprised that there were so many that were this good.”
In a way, Tesla’s strong performance in the test carries extra weight since the Model Y is one of Sweden’s best-selling EVs, giving the test a much larger sample size compared to Kia’s smaller but highly rated fleet.
Battery tech, driver habits, and age all play a role
Kvdbil noted that the test’s standout results could be attributed to advanced battery management systems and careful engineering, as noted in a report from the Sweden Herald. At the same time, the study also found that factors like charging routines, driving style, and the age of a vehicle can influence capacity retention.
Rounding out the top ten were entries from Opel, Mazda, Audi, Fiat, Volvo, Citroën, and Volkswagen, as noted in a CarUp report.
This is not the first time that Tesla’s battery prowess has shown its strength. Last year, reports emerged stating that a Tesla Model S 90D from Chesterfield, UK, had traveled 430,000 miles on its original motors and batteries. Over that period, which was comprised of constant Supercharging sessions due to the car being used as an airport taxi, the Model S 90D only lost 65 miles of range.
