What happens to a Chinese EV battery after 8 years?
The 8-year warranty is not a battery expiry date. Here's what actually happens to a 2018-era Chinese EV pack in 2026.
Empirical capacity data
BYD Tang (2018) — 100 units tracked by UK fleet operator to Q4 2025 — average 88% SoH at 7 years, 190,000 km. Worst 5%: 82%. Best 5%: 94%.
BAIC EU5 (2019) — 300+ units in Norway — average 85% at 6 years, 160,000 km.
Consistent finding: LFP packs degrade slower than NCM after year 3.
Post-warranty replacement economics
Full-pack replacement at OEM in China: USD 6,500–8,500 for a 60 kWh LFP.
In Europe: €9,000–14,000 including labour and freight.
Module-level replacement (only one bad section): often €1,500–3,500 — increasingly common as diagnostics improve.
Second-life pathways
Packs below 70% SoH have real value as stationary storage — BYD, CATL and independent recyclers pay USD 30–50/kWh for used LFP packs.
Full recycling recovers 95%+ of lithium, cobalt and nickel — required by EU Battery Regulation from 2027.
- 01Warranty ≠ end of life — expect 85%+ at 8 years.
- 02Module-level repair is often available.
- 03Real residual value in the pack even after replacement.
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