How Much Does an Electric Car Battery Cost? (UK; 2023)

The average cost of an electric car battery in 2021 was c.£87 per kWh. While this is still expensive, it is much lower than in 2010 when an electric car battery cost c.£763 per kWh.

Unfortunately, this does make an electric car battery replacement a very expensive job. As of March 2023, the average electric car battery costs £5,378.43 in the UK (estimated).

 

Estimated Costs to Replace Every Electric Car Battery Currently Available in the UK

The following figures are based on the average figure of £87 per kWh. We have only calculated the cost for the smallest available battery on the standard model of every car. All figures correct as of March 2023 and are sourced from the manufacturer’s website.

Prices do not include removing the old battery or fitting the new one. This will mean your electric car battery replacement cost is higher. The number in the brackets represents the size of the battery in kWh.

• Audi e-tron - £6,194.40 (71.2)
• Audi e-tron GT - £8,125.80 (93.4)
• Audi Q4 e-tron - £4,524 (55)
• BMW i4 - £7,299.30 (80.7)
• BMW i7 - £9,195.90 (105.7)
• BMW iX - £6,664.20 (76.6)
• BMW iX1 - £5,916 (68)
• BMW iX3 - £6,960 (80)
• Citroën Ami - £445.50 (5.5)
• Citroën ë-Berlingo - £4,350 (50)
• Citroën ë-C4 - £4,350 (50)
• Citroën ë-Spacetourer - £4,350 (50)
• Cupra e-Born - £5,046 (62)
• DS 3 Crossback E-Tense - £4,350 (50)
• Fiat 500e - £3,654 (42)
• Ford Mustang Mach-E - £6,525 (75)
• Genesis G80 - £7,586.40 (87.2)
• Genesis GV60 - £6,733.80 (77.4)
• Genesis GV70 - £6,733.80 (77.4)
• Honda e - £3,088.50 (35.5)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - £5,063.40 (58.2)
• Hyundai Ioniq 6 - £6,699 (77)
• Hyundai Kona Electric - £3,410.40 (39.2)
• Jaguar I-Pace - £7,830 (90)
• Kia EV6 - £6,733.80 (77.4)
• Kia e-Niro - £5,637.60 (64.8)
• Kia Soul EV - £5,568 (64)
• Lexus UX300e - £4,724.10 (54.3)
• Maxus eDeliver 3 - £3,045 (35)
• Maxus eDeliver 9 - £4,480.50 (51.5)
• Mazda MX-30 - £3,088.50 (35.5)
• Mercedes-Benz EQA - £5,785.50 (66.5)
• Mercedes-Benz EQB - £5,785.50 (66.5)
• Mercedes-Benz EQC - £7,395 (85)
• Mercedes-Benz EQE - £8,700 (100)
• Mercedes-Benz EQS - £10,440 (120)
• Mercedes-Benz ESQ SUV - £9,430.80 (108.4)
• Mercedes-Benz EQV - £8,700 (100)
• MG4 EV - £4,437 (51)
• MG5 EV - £5,307 (61)
• MG ZS EV - £4,445.70 (51.1)
• MINI Electric - £2,836.20 (32.6)
• Nissan Ariya - £5,742 (66)
• Nissan Leaf - £3,393 (39)
• ORA Funky Cat - £4,176 (48)
• Peugeot e-208 - £4,350 (50)
• Peugeot e-2008 - £4,350 (50)
• Peugeot e-Rifter - £4,350 (50)
• Peugeot e-Traveller - £4,350 (50)
• Polestar 2 - £6,003 (69)
• Polestar 3 - £9,657 (111)
• Porsche Taycan - £6,890.40 (79.2)
• Renault Kangoo Van e-Tech - £3,915 (45)
• Renault Master e-Tech - £4,524 (52)
• Renault Megane e-Tech - £5,220 (60)
• Renault Zoe - £4,524 (52)
• Škoda ENYAQ iV - £5,394 (62)
• Škoda ENYAQ Coupe - £7,134 (82)
• Smart fortwo EQ - £1,531.20 (17.6)
• Subaru Solterra - £6,525 (75)
• Tesla Model 3 - £5,220 (60)
• Tesla Model S - £8,700 (100)
• Tesla Model X - £8,700 (100)
• Tesla Model Y - £7,134 (82)
• Toyota BZ4x - £6,211.80 (71.4)
• Toyota Proace Electric - £4,350 (50)
• Vauxhall Combo-e Life - £4,959 (57)
• Vauxhall Corsa-e - £4,350 (50)
• Vauxhall Mokka-e - £4,350 (50)
• Vauxhall Movano Electric - £7,830 (90)
• Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life - £4,350 (50)
• Volkswagen ID.3 - £5,046 (58)
• Volkswagen ID.4 - £4,785 (55)
• Volkswagen ID.5 - £7,134 (82)
• Volkswagen ID.Buzz - £7,134 (82)
• Volvo C40 Recharge - £6,003 (69)
• Volvo XC40 Recharge - £6,003 (69)

 

How Does an Electric Car Battery Work?

Lithium-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles. These are the same kind of batteries you might have in your smartphone or your laptop.

They run on the principle of circulating electrons. Two electrodes, one negative, and one positive, sit in a conductive ionic liquid called the electrolyte. They circulate the electrons between them, which powers the battery and allows it to power the vehicle. You can read more about electric car batteries here. 

 

Why Does an Electric Car Battery Cost So Much?

EV batteries are still developing at a rapid pace. Capacity and range are much higher than the first all-electric models and Research and Development is still ongoing to improve them further. However, they are also still very expensive to build - a cost that gets passed on to the consumer.

Secondly, there are a limited number of companies that make these batteries. In the second half of 2020, 6 companies produced 85% of the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars. Limited supply, high demand and expensive mining and manufacturing costs make EV batteries expensive to buy. As manufacturers don't want to make a loss on their cars, this cost is passed on to the customer.

 

How Can I Keep the Cost Down?

Naturally, paying several thousand pounds for a replacement battery isn’t ideal. While our figures quoted above give a good estimate of how much a battery costs, they are not official figures. They also don't include labour costs. This means your EV battery replacement cost will be even higher.

To keep the cost as low as possible, we recommend sticking to a strict service schedule and comparing deals when you need a battery replacement. That way, you keep your car in top condition and also avoid unnecessary expenses.

 

Can You Repair an Electric Car Battery?

You can repair an electric car battery rather than replace the whole thing. Sometimes, if it is just one singular module that is defective, a specialist would be able to replace the module. Due to the design of an electric car battery, it is easy to identify which module is causing the issue and replace it where necessary.

 

How Often Will I Need to Replace an EV Battery?

Fortunately, electric car batteries are built to last. Most new cars come with an 8-year or 100,000 mile battery warranty for your peace of mind. This means that the manufacturer will cover the replacement cost if there is a mechanical fault within this timeframe.

They also guarantee their batteries will hold around 70% of their total capacity after 8 years. At 70% capacity, an electric car is still very usable, so you may not need a replacement battery for ten years or more. The exception is if you own a small EV that has a low range to begin with.

However, the technology is still constantly evolving, so we may reach a point where the batteries outlive the vehicles.

 

Read More

How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?

As we mentioned, you may never need to replace an electric car battery. Find out more about how long they last in this article.

 

Electric Car Service

If you own an electric car, you can find out more about your servicing requirements here. You can also book a service at a specialist electric car service centre near you.

 

How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Car? (Vs an ICE)

Maintaining an electric car battery is only one part of EV ownership. If you’re looking to buy an electric car, you need to know how much you will spend on insurance, servicing, road tax and charging. Find out more in this article.