Guides
Guides
Last verified 2026-09-13
In this section
- Good State of HealthEvery page answering this question is American or British. Here is the Australian version — what SoH is normal by age and kilometres, what heat does to a pack, and when to walk away.Verified 2026-09-13
- Test methodsFour ways to assess an EV battery are sold in Australia, and nobody has compared them honestly. Here's what each can and cannot tell you — including the limits of a quick diagnostic test.Verified 2026-09-13
- Warranty deadlineFive of sixteen brands sold in Australia publish no battery capacity guarantee at all. For the rest, the clock runs out silently. Here's how to know where you stand before it does.Verified 2026-09-13
- Testing without drivingYou don't need to take a seller's car away to check its battery. A diagnostic read happens at the vehicle, takes minutes, and nothing is written to the car. Here's how it works.Verified 2026-09-13
- Asking a sellerThe practical guide to the conversation that decides whether you get to check a used EV's battery — what to say, when to say it, and what a refusal actually tells you.Verified 2026-09-13
- Your certificateWhat the EV Battery Lab grade means, what the five-year projection is built from, what it cannot predict, and how anyone can verify your certificate independently.Verified 2026-09-13
- Battery test vs inspectionA mechanical inspection won't measure the battery. A battery test won't check the brakes. Here's what each covers on a used EV, and which to book first.Verified 2026-09-13
- Used EV vs used hybridThe battery risk on a used hybrid and a used EV are completely different sizes, and so are the repair options. An honest comparison, with real Australian replacement costs.Verified 2026-09-13
- How long EV batteries lastModern EV batteries typically outlast the warranty and often the vehicle. Fleet data shows roughly 1.8% capacity loss a year. What that means for a used buyer, and the exceptions that matter.Verified 2026-09-15
- EV battery degradation per yearFleet data puts average EV battery degradation at around 1.8% a year, but the spread between cars is wide. What drives the difference, how to read a State of Health figure against age, and when to worry.Verified 2026-09-15
- How to check EV battery healthThe dashboard range estimate, a phone app and OBD dongle, an independent diagnostic test, and a full lab cycle. What each actually measures, what each costs, and which one you need before buying a used EV.Verified 2026-09-15
- Tesla battery health checkTesla now offers an in-app battery health test that takes up to 24 hours. How it compares with an independent diagnostic read, what a "degradation" percentage means, and what to check on a used Model 3 or Y.Verified 2026-09-15
- Does fast charging damage an EV battery?DC fast charging ages a lithium battery faster than home charging, but modern battery management limits the harm. How much it matters, which chemistries care, and how to tell if a used EV lived on fast chargers.Verified 2026-09-15
- Should you charge an EV to 100%?On a lithium-iron-phosphate battery, charging to 100% is recommended. On a nickel-based pack, it's the habit that ages it fastest. How to tell which you have, and what it means when buying used.Verified 2026-09-15
- EV batteries in Australian heatHeat is the biggest single accelerator of EV battery ageing, and Western Sydney summers are hot. What parking in the sun, charging when hot and living in a hot climate do to a pack, and how to tell.Verified 2026-09-15