Arval confirms EV battery longevity beyond expectations

Arval publishes new analysis based on 24,000 State of Health (SoH) certificates for electric vehicle batteries.
The results, drawn from a unique sample in Europe, confirm a longevity far superior to market perceptions and reassure buyers of used electric vehicles.

AFTER having issued more than 30,000 State of Health (SoH) certificates for EV batteries before resale, Arval says that actual EV battery degradation is low, predictable, and far below common misconceptions.

Arval was the first leasing company to offer a battery State of Health certificate when reselling an electric vehicle. This edition of the study is based on an extended sample of 24,000 certificates—three times more data than in the study released early 2025 -allowing the consolidation and refinement of the initial insights related to battery performance and durability.

These new results confirm, reinforce, and refine the initial findings: batteries retain an excellent performance level over time, far beyond market perceptions and buyers’ concerns.

Key data

At 43,495 miles (70,000 km), the battery displays 93% remaining capacity on average
At 99,419 miles (160,000 km) or after 6 years of use, SoH remains above 90%
New‑generation vehicles show a SoH 2 to 3 points higher than older models
Degradation is slow and progressive: around 1% every 15, 534 miles (25,000 km) after a slight initial decrease

Gary Burns, Director of Procurement and Remarketing, Arval UK , (left) said: “As electric vehicles move into the used market in greater volumes, transparency around battery condition is increasingly important. We want our customers to be able to purchase our vehicles with confidence, which is why battery health testing has become a significant part of our Remarketing process. Encouragingly, the results we’re seeing show that batteries in used electric vehicles stand up well in real-world use, helping to reassure buyers considering this fuel type.”

New‑generation electric vehicles, benefiting from improvements in design, cooling, and energy‑management systems, tend to show slightly better performance over time. These advancements contribute to the observed durability and may help reinforce confidence in the electric used‑car market in the coming years.

Future European regulations (Euro 7 and battery regulation) will introduce a standardized display of the state of health, which will become SOCE – State of Certified Energy.

By 2027, battery health will be visible directly on the dashboard of new models, and each battery will have a Battery Passport tracing its history and certified capacity.

The analysis is based on 24,000 certificates carried out in 11 countries, covering a mix of BEVs (66%) and PHEVs (33%).

The evaluated vehicles come from around thirty brands and were marketed by Arval between March 2023 and September 2025.