I don't own a car that old, but actually, you might be shocked by how well they hold up. People immediately think electric car batteries decay like cell phone batteries, but most electric car owners don't regularly abuse the battery in the same way that cell phone users do, largely because the batteries are expected to last for over a decade and not just be replaced in two years.
These habits include:
- Rarely charging the battery past 80%, except for newer batteries that use a lithium ferrophosphate chemistry
- Not depleting the battery below 20% charge.
- Charging the battery slowly. Most cell phone chargers will fully charge the phone in two hours. Typical electric cars are charged at a rate that would take 12 to 16 hours, but overnight is enough for most people since they're only charging from 20% to 80%.
- Not exposing the battery to extreme cold or heat. The car will automatically apply A/C to the battery cells to keep them the optimal temperature.
- Warming up the battery to 20 degrees before charging.
The standard warranty length on an electric car's battery is eight years. If the battery loses more than 30% capacity in eight years, that's consider a defect, and they'll give you a new battery.