- A Hyundai Ioniq 5 has driven more than 500,000 km on its original battery
- Battery health degradation is considerably lower than expected
- You can find models of Nissan, Tesla and Chevrolet with high mileage
The news has emerged this week from an owner of Hyundai Ioniq 5 in South Korea who registered 360,000 miles (579,363 km) on the original battery of his EV.
The clock goes back until 2011 and the introduction of Nissan Leaf experts and the first generation industry were worried that EV batteries would not last five years before they need to replace … at a great cost.
However, the owner of Hyundai Ioniq 5, which he regularly publishes in a Facebook group called “Million Impossible”, says it covers about 10,000 miles, reaching 360,000 miles before Hyundai offered to replace the battery for free, although it is beyond its guarantee period.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is that the original battery still showed 87% of its original health, despite the fact that the owner only used the fast DC charging to recharge battery packages, according to Electrek. This was probably for Hyundai to execute battery tests for his own data records.
Still strongly, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has now reached 666,255 km (413,991 miles) and counting, although it has not been completely free of problems. The owner reported that the Integrated Position Control Unit (ICCU) broke, which means that it cannot be loaded in the low power outputs of level 1 and level 2, while standard maintenance and general wear will probably have probably thrown some invoices.
But Hyundai of high mileage is a brilliant example of how robust and reliable it can be a modern EV if it is properly taken care of. And it’s not alone …
Electric vehicles continue to rolling
For data nerds, Hyundai’s example of high mileage is an anomaly and it is much better to see the numbers obtained from the broader EV industry to obtain a more reliable image in the battery and health of the electric motor after vehicles reach a very high mileage.
That said, the news is not flooded with EV battery reports that fail after a few years (you know it would be if that were the case). And there are numerous reports of owners who maximize their mileage in several electric vehicles with very few problems.
Here are only a handful of examples …
1. Tesla Model S 70D
Inside EVS executed a story on how a Tesla owner, who used the vehicle as a taxi service, covered a gigantic 70,000 miles (112,650 km) a year. In the last count, the car showed an amazing amount of 424,000 miles on the clock (682,361 km).
According to the report, the battery was replaced under a guarantee of 250,000 miles (402,335 km), as well as a new front engine of 380,000 miles (611,550 km).
Surprisingly, it still uses its original rear motor unit, but, like any counterpart of the combustion engine, it has also received a series of new parts to keep it on its way.
The rear axes, the components of the suspension and the CA compressor require replacement, which is understandable in a vehicle that has gone that type of distance. I bet this is not the only example of a S model that fixes them to overcome the combustion engine counterparts.
2. Tesla Model 3
Although it lacks the evidence of video of the M model mentioned above, an owner of Model 3 resorted to Twitter in 2022 to publish an image of its Dual Model 3 engine long range 500,000 km (or 310,685).
According to the owner, he was still using the original battery, the engines and even the brakes, which is slightly worrying. Although the owner admitted that they led 90% of the time at road speeds.
The only maintenance, apart from the tires and other commonly replaced pieces, was a new transmission oil pump at 286,000 miles (460,000 km), which, according to reports, cost only 250 Canadian dollars ($ 194).
3. BMW I3
BMW published a press release in 2019 to celebrate the achievements of Shaun Maidment, an owner of I3 in South Africa who had registered 200,000 km in a 60AH first generation model in just three years of property.
According to an update in 2022, the vehicle had accumulated 187,000 miles (301,998 km). However, it is worth noting that Shaun’s i3 was the range of range extensor, so the smallest battery is capable of 126 miles only in electricity, with gasoline used to feed the range extension system to around 200 miles.
Anyway, it is another great example of a car that was not designed to hit a mileage so high that it shows that the detractors are wrong.
4. Chevrolet Bolt
The Chevy Bolt forums are flooded with the members trying to overcome in the mileage, but a video arose that showed an owner who administered the amazing 138,000 miles (222,089 km) in its original battery, and the second is still strengthened in 122,000 miles (196,339 km).
The vehicle is still sailing happily to 300,000 miles and counting, with the owner of the content documenting the life of its 2019 model in several videos on YouTube.
5. Nissan Leaf
A driver in Washington managed to accumulate 150,000 miles in his first -generation Nissan Leaf Leaf, with the original battery pack that managed to go to the distance, although the owner reported that battery fading has been considerable.
But considering that battery technology is now 16 years old, it is surprising that packages still offer a capacity of 60%, which is good for about 35 miles in a warm climate.
The owner Steve Marsh told Inside Evs that he now has a newer sheet of 2014 for daily use, with the latest clicks to reach 150,000 miles in his original model, plus a “capacity test” than a conscious decision to use the car.
