A major Swedish study has found that electric vehicles from Kia and Tesla maintain their battery health better than most rivals, underscoring the growing durability of modern EV technology.
The analysis, conducted by Swedish car broker Kvdbil, examined more than 1,300 used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids to identify which models best retain their battery capacity over time.
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According to the study, the Kia EV6 and Kia e-Niro ranked first and second, while Tesla’s Model Y placed third. Overall, the research found that eight out of ten used electric cars still retained at least 90% of their original battery capacity, a result that reinforces consumer confidence in the long-term performance of electric vehicles.
“They are actually better than we thought. We were a bit surprised that there were so many that were this good,” said Martin Reinholdsson, test manager at Kvdbil.
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Data from CarInfo show that Sweden currently has 12,148 registered Kia EV6s and 48,488 Tesla Model Ys. The latter’s strong performance is especially notable given its status as one of Sweden’s best-selling EVs, offering a broad data set for the study.
Kvdbil’s analysis suggested that battery longevity was largely supported by advanced battery management systems and robust engineering, while factors such as charging habits, driving style, and vehicle age also played a role in capacity retention.
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The top ten list was rounded out by models from Opel, Mazda, Audi, Fiat, Volvo, Citroën, and Volkswagen, according to CarUp. The findings add to Tesla’s reputation for battery endurance, following reports last year of a Model S 90D in the United Kingdom that had covered 430,000 miles on its original battery pack and motors, losing only about 65 miles of range over that time.
