By EV Charge Cost Editorial Team. Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026.
What degradation changes, and what it does not
Lithium-ion batteries degrade gradually with time and use. The main effect is lower usable capacity: the same full charge stores fewer kWh, so the car goes fewer miles per charge.
What mostly does not change is how much energy the car needs to move a mile. Motor, weight, aerodynamics and tires are the same. So the cost per mile, kWh per mile × price per kWh, stays close to where it was. A smaller full charge also costs less to fill; you just fill it more often.
Illustration: a 10% capacity loss
The table applies an illustrative 10% capacity loss to popular models. It is not a prediction for any car; real degradation varies with climate, charging habits, mileage and chemistry.
| Model | EPA range | Range after 10% loss | Full charge now | Full charge after loss | Cost per 100 mi (both) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 346 mi | 311 mi | $16.57 | $14.91 | $4.79 |
| Tesla Model Y | 337 mi | 303 mi | $16.44 | $14.80 | $4.88 |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV | 307 mi | 276 mi | $18.18 | $16.36 | $5.92 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 269 mi | 242 mi | $16.85 | $15.17 | $6.26 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 240 mi | 216 mi | $14.66 | $13.19 | $6.11 |
| Nissan Leaf | 149 mi | 134 mi | $8.23 | $7.41 | $5.53 |
The per-100-mile cost column is identical before and after because efficiency is assumed unchanged. In reality an aged battery can have slightly higher internal resistance, which may add a little to charging losses, but that effect is small next to price differences between states.
Where degradation can raise your costs
More public fast charging
The real cost risk is behavioral. If lower range means you can no longer cover a regular long day on a home charge, you may add fast-charging stops. Public DC charging usually costs much more per kWh than home power. The table shows what shifting part of your energy to an example public price of $0.45/kWh does to a year of driving (13,500 miles, typical 33.5 kWh/100 mi EV).
| Public share | U.S. average (18.16¢) | Nevada (12.72¢) | Hawaii (47.18¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $821.29 | $575.26 | $2,133.72 |
| 10% | $942.67 | $721.25 | $2,123.86 |
| 20% | $1,064.05 | $867.23 | $2,114.00 |
Replace the example public price with what you pay. Wherever home power is cheaper than public charging, a few extra fast-charging sessions matter more to your bill than the capacity loss itself. The exception in this table is Hawaii, where the average home price of 47.18¢/kWh is above the example public price, so shifting energy there changes little; check your own rates.
Charging to 100% more often
Owners with reduced range sometimes compensate by charging to 100% daily. That does not raise the price per kWh, but for many battery types it can speed further aging. See should you charge your EV to 100%.
A quick way to check your own numbers
Track two things over a few months: kWh per mile (from your charger or utility meter divided by miles driven) and the share of energy you buy in public. If kWh per mile holds steady and your public share does not rise, degradation is not raising your cost, whatever the range estimate says. At 18.16¢/kWh, a change of 1 kWh per 100 miles is worth about $24.52 a year at 13,500 miles, which gives you a sense of scale for any drift you see.
How to keep degradation from costing you
- Keep charging at home. Home power is the cheapest energy most owners can buy; plugging in nightly makes range loss less noticeable.
- Follow the manual's charge-limit advice and avoid leaving the car full or nearly empty for long periods, especially in heat.
- Use DC fast charging when you need it, not as a daily routine.
- Measure before you worry. Range estimates swing with temperature and driving. Compare like-for-like conditions over months.
- Check warranty coverage in your own paperwork; terms differ by manufacturer and model.
To see how a public-charging share changes your own yearly cost, use the charging cost calculator, which lets you set a public share and price.