The Used-EV Battery Is Becoming a Measurable Asset—Not a Mystery
This may be one of the most consequential weeks yet.
A major independent battery-health study analyzed more than 500,000 tests across 20 popular EV models and found something reassuring: most EV batteries in the study retained around 90% or more of their original capacity at approximately 93,000 miles. But the study also uncovered something every used-EV buyer should understand—two examples of the same model with similar mileage can have materially different battery health.
That changes the used-EV buying conversation.
Mileage tells you how far the car has traveled. Battery State of Health helps tell you what you’re actually buying.
Meanwhile, the charging environment continued improving. New NEVI-backed fast-charging projects are moving forward, retailers are expanding charging at everyday destinations, San Francisco is tackling the difficult problem of charging for residents without driveways, and AAA reported public charging averaging about $0.42/kWh nationally as gasoline reached $4.14 per gallon going into Labor Day weekend.
The emerging formula is increasingly clear:
Vehicle Price + Battery Health + @Home Charging Readiness = Smarter Used-EV Purchase.
Top 10 Stories You Should Know About This Week
1. 500,000 Battery Tests Give Used-EV Buyers New Data
AVILOO’s newly released battery analysis draws on more than 500,000 independent battery tests conducted between 2022 and 2026 across 20 EV models. The dataset includes vehicles from North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia, making it unusually broad evidence on how EV batteries are actually aging
Source: Electrek: These EVs retain their battery best, largest ever study finds
2. Most EV Batteries Still Have Around 90% Capacity Near 93,000 Miles
Perhaps the week’s most reassuring finding for Marcus: the study suggests most EV batteries retain around 90% or more of original capacity after 150,000 km—approximately 93,000 miles. That provides evidence against the assumption that an EV approaching 100,000 miles automatically has an exhausted battery.
Source: Used EV Batteries Retain Around 90% Health After 93,000 Miles
3. Same Model + Same Mileage Does NOT Mean Same Battery
Here’s the finding Marcus should remember.
AVILOO found battery State of Health could vary by as much as 13.5 percentage points among examples of the same model and mileage. That means mileage and model averages cannot tell a buyer the precise health of the battery in the specific EV sitting on the dealer’s lot.
Source: Independent Used-EV Battery Study Findings
4. Some EV Models Are Demonstrating Particularly Strong Battery Retention
The study found meaningful differences among models. The Mercedes EQA, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and BMW i4 were among the strongest battery-health performers in the analysis, reinforcing the idea that battery durability could eventually become an important differentiator in the used-EV marketplace.
Source: Largest Independent Used-EV Battery Study
5. U.S. Fast-Charging Expansion Continues Through NEVI Projects
Summit Charging and BTC POWER are developing a pipeline of 17 sites, 107 chargers and 135 charging ports across multiple states. Eight sites in Washington, D.C., Texas and California are backed by NEVI awards, with additional projects planned in California, New York and Pennsylvania.
Source: U.S. Fast-Charging Network Expands Across Multiple States
6. Retailers Are Becoming EV-Charging Network Operators
Walmart, Buc-ee’s, Circle K and other retailers are increasingly installing chargers on their own properties rather than treating EV charging merely as third-party equipment in their parking lots. For Marcus, that means public charging is increasingly being integrated into places drivers already stop for shopping, food and services.
Source: Retailers Charging Ahead With EV Stations
7. Walmart Reaches 100 Branded Charging Locations
Walmart’s own charging network reached its 100th location, demonstrating how quickly retail-based charging is moving from experiment to recognizable infrastructure. Existing store parking lots give the retailer an enormous potential footprint for convenient public charging.
Source: Walmart Hits 100 EV Charging Stations
8. San Francisco Tackles the EV Driver Without a Driveway
San Francisco plans to expand curbside Level 2 charging toward 100 public curbside chargers by 2030. The strategy targets one of the biggest gaps in the residential EV ecosystem: drivers who live in apartments or homes without garages or dedicated off-street parking.
Source: San Francisco Wants to Expand Curbside EV Charging
9. Public Fast-Charging Reliability Is Improving—but Failure Hasn’t Disappeared
The latest J.D. Power data put unsuccessful public charging visits at 12%, the lowest rate in the study’s six years of tracking. That’s significant progress, but it also illustrates why dependable residential charging remains valuable: public charging is improving, not becoming infallible.
Source: Latest Public Charging Reliability Findings
10. $4.14 Gasoline Strengthens the EV Operating-Cost Conversation
AAA reported a national gasoline average of $4.14 per gallon on September 3, the highest ever heading into Labor Day weekend. The national public EV charging average remained approximately $0.42/kWh that week, adding another useful benchmark for consumers comparing operating costs.
Source: AAA Labor Day Fuel and EV Charging Report
We’ve talked about battery health before. This week, the data made the issue much harder to ignore.
Imagine two identical used EVs.
Same model. Same model year. Same mileage.
One battery could still be meaningfully healthier than the other.
So why should they automatically have the same value?
They shouldn’t.
That’s where I believe used-EV shopping is headed.
We should increasingly expect the conversation to include:
Vehicle mileage.
Battery State of Health.
Remaining battery warranty.
Real-world range.
Charging capability.
Recall history.
And then something the battery report can’t tell you:
Can I conveniently and affordably charge this vehicle where I live?
The odometer isn’t going away.
But for a used EV, battery health deserves a place right beside it.
Bought a used EV? Still planning your week around public charging? Looking for a practical way to make EV ownership easier?
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