Quote:
Originally Posted by JSH
You can crack open the battery and look for the cause of failure. Most likely a failed connection or a handful of weak cells. This is no different than how fixing / rebuilding an engine is way less expensive than buying a new crate engine.
Rebuilding a battery requires different tools and knowledge than a mechanical engine but it is well within the capabilities of someone that wants to learn how to do it.
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It is different because a properly rebuilt engine will last as long as the original. Replacing a few weak cells in a battery gives a very limited extended use. I've read about people replacing weak Prius cells only to have other cells frequently failing. When one goes, it's often an indication the rest are weak. If a car makes it through the 10 year battery warranty without any failed cells, you can fairly well assume they are reasonably well matched and will degrade at roughly the same rate.
All that said, the only EV with a decade old battery is the Leaf, so we won't know for a while how long a Tesla or Bolt pack will last, for instance.