How much does an EV battery replacement cost?

Electric car battery replacement costs outside of warranty typically range from $5,000 to $16,000, depending on the pack size and manufacturer, but these out-of-pocket repairs are extremely rare.

  • If you buy a new EV, you will probably never have to think about battery replacement or even battery maintenance.
  • If you buy a used EV, you're probably still in the clear, although it is recommended to check a car's Recurrent Report before purchase.

EV batteries are generally lasting longer than many people expected. While the overall rate of replacement in the Recurrent community is only 2.5%, the highest rate of battery replacements come from the very first generation of EVs on the road. These cars are now 14 years old and many of them still have their original packs.

Newer generations of EVs should have even more robust and resilient battery management systems, allowing the lithium ion packs to outlast the car itself.

Are replacement costs going down?

Yes, battery costs — including replacement packs — are falling quickly. Since the original mass market EVs in 2012, battery prices have fallen from over $400/kWh to  $111/kWh by the end of 2024. That's a massive drop over just 12 years.

As battery prices continue to decline, the price you would pay today is different than the price you would pay next year or in 5 years. For instance, back in 2019, the Mack Institute for Innovation Management at the Wharton School for Business found a 16% decline in battery pack cost between 2007 and 2019, with an estimated cost for of $161/kWh for battery packs. With that estimate, in 2019, the cost of an out-of-warranty 100 kWh battery, as is common in Tesla long range vehicles, would be at least $16,100 before labor, taxes, etc.

Meanwhile, in 2024, Goldman Sachs projected the cost of batteries to hit $111/kWh by the end of the year. That would make the same 100 kWh pack $11,100 — $1,000 cheaper per year!

The $111/kWh is a global average, too. For instance, in early 2024, LFP cells made by CATL and BYD were seem as low as $56/kWh. While the cell price is cheaper than the pack price, and although US prices tend to be 10-12% higher, the news out of China offers a promising glimpse of the battery future.

Just imagine how little an EV battery will cost to replace in 5 years!

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Do warranties cover an EV battery replacement?

All new EVs come with separate battery warranty which tends to last at least 8 years or 100,000 miles - longer than the standard body and comprehensive warranty. However, there are many terms and conditions for battery warranties, and there are stories about accidents that damage the battery pack and render the warranty void. In these cases, the driver may be on the hook for replacement costs, or the driver's insurance may pick it up.

Unexpected battery failures would be covered by the manufacturer warranty. Some drivers who drive or want to purchase an older EV may decide to get an extended warranty specifically to cover the battery— Recurrent has several partners who offer extended EV warranties if you are concerned about battery health.

What are some real-world cost examples?

The real-world cost of an electric car battery is more than simply the battery pack. The total price tag would include labor costs, taxes, and other externalities such as shipping.

Note that our data doesn't cover things like business profits and markups, nor do we project how much a car bought in 2017 will benefit from lower battery prices in 2030. It is also difficult to anticipate the development of third party battery replacement services independent of the original manufacturers. 

However, in order to get a glimpse into some real world examples of battery replacement costs that EV drivers have experienced, I found some helpful examples. The bad news today is that US EV owners don't yet seem to be benefiting from the record low battery prices that are being reported and forecasted. Part of this is low demand and low supply of replacement packs.

The good news is that inexpensive replacement packs may only be a matter of time. In other countries, there are a ton of third party shops that sell compatible batteries that can replaced in a day or so. This is particularly true for older "cult classic" vehicles like the BMW i3 and Nissan LEAF. The third party market in the US is still growing, but we mention some options below.

Here is what I found on the following electric vehicles. 

There is lots more on each one of those vehicles. Keep scrolling to see the details!

BMW i3 Battery Replacement Cost

  • A BMW i3 battery pack with an original 22 kWh of capacity, but with approximately 17.14 kWh of capacity today, is selling for $2,500 on ebay. This equates to roughly $145/kWh. 
  • In 2016, BMW reported that replacing an i3 battery would cost about $16,000. This was for the 2013-2016 model years which have 22 kWh packs, equating to $727/ kWh in real 2016 dollars. 
  • Unfortunately, as the i3 is no longer being produced, the battery replacement prices quoted by BMW have reportedly been in the $33,000+ range. One customer was even quoted $71,000 by a BMW dealership! This is despite modules running around $3,500, which leads many drivers to find third party shops to replace the packs.
  • Third party manufacturers advertise supposedly compatible 54 kWh upgrade packs for $6500.
  • We wrote a full guide to i3 battery replacements.

Chevy Bolt Battery Replacement Cost

As you may be aware, all 2017 - 2021 Chevy Bolt batteries were set to be replaced for free under a recall for a manufacturing defect. There are very few reported replacements outside of the recall, but here is some information.

  • According to a post on chevybolt.org, a dealership quoted a Chevy Bolt owner in November 2018 $16,250 for a battery replacement, with $870 for labor. Given that Chevy Bolt batteries are rated at 60 kWh, that equates to approximately $271/kWh, almost 2.5x higher than the average cost today.
  • According to Chevrolet themselves, in 2017 they reported that the price of a battery pack for a Chevy Bolt was $262/kWh.
  • Although $16K seems to be the unverified but often quoted cost for a Bolt battery, there are used ones available for between $5,000-$9,000 (although their capacity and power are unknown)

Chevy Volt Battery Replacement Cost

  • According to a 2020 Greencars report, 16 kWh Chevy Volt batteries cost ~$4,000 to replace, about $240/kWh. 
  • A remanufactured battery pack is priced at $8,499 at Greentec Auto. These batteries have 17 - 18 kWh of capacity, putting this price around $475/kWh.  
  • For the 2016-2018 Chevy Volt, battery packs are priced at roughly $3,000 on ebay. These batteries are 18.4 kWh, equating to $163/kWh to $152/kWh. 
  • There can be a long waitlist for Volt batteries!

Nissan Leaf Battery Replacement Cost

We also wrote an entire LEAF guide to battery replacement. While it has some of the same info, it could be helpful to dive a bit deeper.

According to a post in the MyNissanLeaf.com forum, as of Jan 30, 2020, the cost of labor and replacement of a 24 kWh battery in a Nissan Leaf was $5,500. It appears the battery itself would cost $4,500, placing the $/kWh at $187/kWh, which was 36% above the 2020 industry price $137/kWh price. 

And unfortunately, demand for LEAF batteries remains strong, keeping prices high - and unpredictable.

Matt Lamontagne, of specialty EV repair shop Leo & Sons, says despite falling interest in battery replacements in other models,

The Nissan Leaf is still the most popular EV receiving battery replacements and upgrades

His price list for LEAF batteries depends on the quality of the cells and the size:

  • ‍24 kWh Battery - $4,000-$6,500 ($166-$271/kWh)‍
  • 30 kWh Battery - $5,000-$8,000 ($167-$267/kWh)‍
  • 40 kWh Battery - $8,000-$12,500 ($200-$312/kWh)‍
  • 62 kWh Battery - $12,000-$15,000 ($194-$242/kWh)

All the batteries that Leo & Sons source are genuine, used Nissan packs. The shop also offers upgrades to older LEAFs to retrofit new packs. In this case, the labor and additional work would be extra.

There are also battery specialists, such as Greentec Auto, who offer refurbished packs. These run $167/kWh to $242/kWh, again depending on state of health and battery size. Greentec also offers Nissan LEAF BMSs and kits to turn an old battery into home storage!

Tesla Model 3 Battery Replacement Cost

Since Tesla Model 3s are still fairly new, there is limited data on non-warranty repair costs.  The data that is out there often comes from rideshare drivers who put on enough mileage to exceed the warranty, or from the occasional accident that requires a battery replacement. Based on data we've seen for more recent, accident-related replacements, the total amount has come down to $10 - $12,000, with 80-90% of that going for the battery itself.

In 2020, Current Automotive posted the receipt of one customer’s replacement of a remanufactured 75kWh battery in a Tesla Model 3:

  • Battery: $13,500
  • Labor $2,299.27
  • Total: $15,799.27

This equates to $180/kWh which is about 31% higher than the Bloomberg cited average price of $137/kWh in 2020.

More recently, a Reddit reader added that a Long Range battery replacement (75 kWh) cost them around $13,000 - including labor - in 2023. Another reader gave a similar quote. That still works out to $173/kWh. However, third party retailers, such as Greentec Auto, offer refurbished OEM packs for $9,000, which works out to $120/kWh. These packs are warrantied for 48 months/50,000 miles. Another third party that refurbishes and replaced packs is re/cell, which offers 250 kWh packs at $6995 and 340 kWh for $7495 - $8999. They offer an add-on extended warranty on their battery packs with coverage for 2 years or 24,000 miles.

See the full breakdown of Model 3 replacement costs.

Tesla Model S Battery Replacement Cost

We wrote an article dedicated to Tesla battery replacements, but you can get the summary here.

  • In April 2021, FindMyElectric reported that there were a few cases where the price of the batteries cost $12,000 to $15,000. 
  • A used 2014 Tesla Model S owner reported that a full battery pack replacement would have cost $20,000, including labor, in Dec 2020. 
  • On Tesla motors club in 2021, there are two reports of owners of (2012 and 2013) Model S’s being quoted $22k for full battery replacements out of warranty. 

Like with the Model 3 above, the same third parties offer refurbished batteries for less than new (or refurbished) packs from Tesla. At re/cell, prices start at $115/kWh and go up to $135/kWh for performance and longer range. Greentec offers refurbished packs from $118/kWh to $145/kWh.

VW e-Golf Battery Replacement Cost

A replacement battery for a 2017 to 2018 VW e-Golf is quoted as $23,442.91 by Pignataro VW as of August 2021. Given that the 2017 e-golf battery pack is 35.8 kWh, that equates to $654/kWh -- far more than current lithium ion battery prices. Like the BMW i3, prices for the e-golf battery pack are high since it is out of production and considered a "cult classic."

Other findings across the internet:

It's hard to find any reliable data about battery replacement costs, especially for newer models. We haven't been able to verity these costs, but we'll collect them for you in one place.

  • A new Rivian battery seems to have been quoted at $18000. It's unclear what size the battery was.
  • The VW ID.4 is reportedly designed to have modular battery repair capabilities, with individual modules running around $2K from Volkswagen.
  • A Ford Mustang Mach-e battery pack claim was billed by Ford at over $34,000, despite the battery pack potentially costing only $18K.
  • After a few click-bait articles about Ioniq 5 battery replacements costing CAD $60K, internet sleuths have found packs that cost between $6334 and $36,000 -- still quite a wide range!

Proactive tips to avoid replacement and costly service

It should not be a surprise that treating your battery nicely can expand its life and delay replacement. Here are some tips on how to give your battery the TLC it needs. 

  • Avoid extreme high or low battery levels.
  • Limit DC fast charging to special occasions.
  • Small, frequent charges are better than large, infrequent charges. 
  • Get your battery to room temperature before charging when possible. Usually this is accomplished by your vehicle automatically once plugged in. 
  • Park in the shade during warm months to keep your battery cooler. 
  • A/C and heat use a lot of energy so consider preheating your car while it’s plugged in or using seat warmers.
  • Accelerate slowly to increase range. 
  • Avoid excessive highway speeds.
  • Check out your manuals battery maintenance tips.
  • Swap your tires for more efficient tires; seasonally appropriate.

Are you an EV owner concerned about how much an EV battery costs?

Join the Recurrent EV community for free personalized battery reports on your vehicle. Not only do you get reports that offer insights into how well your EV is doing, but you contribute to a fast growing community of EV drivers who want to help others benefit from EVs, too! ‍

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