A sign offers parking and charging facilities for electric cars at a retail park in Berlin in 2023. Evidence from the oldest generation of electric vehicles suggests their batteries are lasting longer than was expected in the early days of the EV industry. Odd Andersen/AFP
Odd Andersen/AFP
Fifteen years ago, when modern electric vehicles were just hitting the road, no one knew exactly what to expect from their giant, expensive lithium-ion batteries.
As batteries age, they hold less and less power. Anyone who’s ever had a dying smartphone, or had to replace a vehicle’s 12-volt starter battery, knows this painfully