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EV batteries play a key role in the expansion of electromobility. In the context of the energy transition and climate protection, electric cars are becoming increasingly important and are expected to make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector in the future.
Electromobility is a decisive step towards a greener future. At the end of 2024, more than 203,000 electric cars had already been registered in Switzerland – a market share of 4.2 percent. The number is growing steadily, and by 2035 more than 2 million electric vehicles are expected to be on Swiss roads.
However, some progress is still needed in order to achieve this goal. It is particularly important to further increase the acceptance of electric cars and create attractive incentives so that more and more people choose an electric car.
In addition to financial and tax benefits, technology plays a key role. A key element is the battery, which is considered to be the most expensive component of an electric vehicle.
Everyone knows from smartphones and other devices that batteries lose performance over time. The same applies to electric cars – the battery plays a key role in determining the range. For many people, this is a decisive factor, because if you use your car every day or drive long distances, you need a reliable and powerful battery. In addition, charging takes considerably longer than refueling an internal combustion engine.
In order for charging to be optimally integrated into everyday life, not only will it take high-performance batteries, but also constant technological advances.
There are different kinds of batteries that are used for EVs. The most common is the lithium-ion battery. But there are also lithium-polymer batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries. These types of batteries mainly differ with regard to performance, capacity, lifespan and cost.
Due to their high energy density and capacity and long lifespan, lithium-ion batteries are the preferred battery technology for EVs. In the long run, however, solid-state batteries could very well be a viable alternative. The problem is that the technology is not market ready.
Electric car batteries have evolved in recent years. Lithium-ion technology has established itself on the market and is installed in most models.
When choosing your EV and a suitable battery, you mainly should focus on three things: Capacity, charging time and lifespan. How efficient are EV batteries?
The capacity of a battery depends on the model and manufacturer. Most electric cars have a capacity between 40 and 100 kWh (kilowatt hours). The larger the battery capacity, the greater the range. For example, an electric car with a battery capacity of 40 kWh can drive about 200 km or more, while an electric car with a battery capacity of 100 kWh can reach a range of over 600 km. Just as with gas-powered cars, the exact distances vary from model to model. According to the ADAC Ecotest, the values vary between 16.7 kWh/100 km and 30.9 kWh/100 km , depending on the manufacturer and the vehicle .
However, the range of an electric car also depends on other factors, such as the way you drive, the temperature or the use of air conditioning or heating systems.
An electric car with a battery capacity of 80 kWh can be charged to 80 percent at a fast charging station in about 30 minutes. A full charge with direct current cam take up to 90 minutes, however, depending on the charging station. There are many fast charging stations on Swiss roads, the network is being continuously expanded. Charging at an AC charging station or at your home wall box with alternating current takes much longer. But if you charge your car overnight, it’s ready to use the next day.
The lifespan of a battery preoccupies car buyers for many reasons. Over the course of its life, the battery loses capacity and performance. The type of battery, the usage, the ambient temperature: Many factors ultimately influence the lifespan. Depending on the model and manufacturer, a battery can have a warranty of up to eight to ten years . But at some point, performance will start to suffer. A battery will no longer reach the full 100 percent after 100,000 km. Nevertheless, modern batteries can have a long life and do not have to be replaced every two years, as many fear. By the way, charging slowly, usually with alternating current at home, is much more gentle on the battery.
Tip: If you take out the “e-mobility battery” add-on together with your electric car insurance , you provide additional protection for your battery. This service covers the repair costs if your battery is damaged due to operating errors or if the charging device malfunctions.
EV batteries have a limited lifespan and gradually lose capacity with constant charging, which is why manufacturers are working on improving batteries and offer a warranty for the life of the battery. Warranties generally cover up to eight years and 160,000 kilometers.
Buying a used car always involves a certain amount of risk. What condition is the car in and how long will the individual parts last? Electric cars have the added battery concern
because their performance inevitably decreases. This doesn’t have to be an obstacle to buying a second-hand car, but you should know as precisely as possible how much life the battery has left and whether it’s enough for you.
Ideally, the seller should use regular check-ups to prove what condition the battery is in and what performance can still be expected. If you do not have such documents on the State of Health , you should have the battery checked by a professional before agreeing to the purchase.
Tip: As an AXA customer, you can check the condition of your battery at any time for a minimal fee using AVILOO’s battery test box. This way you’ll know the current state of health of the battery.
Electric cars are considered an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional vehicles because they emit no emissions while driving, thus reducing your carbon footprint. But the manufacture and disposal of the batteries also has environmental impacts.
The production of electric car batteries requires large quantities of raw materials, which are often mined at high energy costs and sometimes under questionable conditions. In addition, there is the energy demand for the production itself, which currently relies heavily on fossil fuels – which contributes to carbon emissions.
Nevertheless, electric cars are a more environmentally friendly option in the long run. The key here is to charge with clean electricity. An electric car that runs on conventional electricity has to drive about 80,000 kilometers to be more environmentally friendly than a comparable diesel model. If you only use green electricity, you just have to drive 40,000 kilometers.
In recent years, electric vehicles have become increasingly popular and have seen steady growth in sales. However, there are still challenges related to the battery:
Incorrectly disposed of lithium-ion batteries pose a threat to our environment. Storage, disposal or recycling may only be carried out by trained specialists.
The aim of the recycling process is to achieve as high a recovery rate as possible (ideally 100 percent in future) of the recyclable materials contained. Recovery covers both valuable and environmentally harmful substances. Here is an overview of the recycled materials in an electric car battery:
Valuable components:
Environmentally harmful components:
Important raw materials from the battery housing:
Recycling companies around the world are working hard to recover a significant portion of these materials and prepare them for reuse.
Currently, there are three official recycling processes, with a maximum recovery rate of 96 percent. Two other processes with a higher recovery rate of up to 98 percent and lower environmental impact are still at the research stage as of January 2025:
With this type of recycling approximately 96 percent of all components of an electric car battery are recycled. For this purpose, the battery is first placed under nitrogen and then mechanically shredded in order to extract all the important raw materials.
In this recycling process, the battery cells are melted down by a targeted temperature increase and then ground. As a result, valuable materials such as copper, nickel and cobalt can be extracted and approximately 95 percent recovered. However, there is a substantial disadvantage to this method. Because it is not possible to recover all the components, aluminum, lithium and graphite are lost in the process.
The aim of the process is to recover reusable materials in the form of intact battery components . In this process, used battery cells are treated in a liquid with electric shock waves, which causes them to decompose. Subsequently, the individual parts, such as the electrode foils and the active materials, are separated in further steps. A key advantage of this method is that the chemically active materials can be used directly for the production of new batteries.
In the future, there will be even more environmentally friendly methods for recycling electric car batteries, such as the Flash Joule-Heating (lightning evaporation), , which Rice University in Houston is currently conducting research on. The battery is heated to over 2,000 degrees Celsius within a few seconds. This creates a black, sticky mass (also called black mass) in which the raw materials can be dissolved out with the help of inorganic acids. According to the researchers, the recovery rate is 98 percent. Researchers at the University of Chalmers (Sweden) are hoping for similar promising results. Instead of inorganic acids, they use plant-based oxalic acid. This not only benefits our environment, but also the recovery of almost all raw materials. It is still unclear how long universities will continue to research these methods before they are implemented.
The following tips for EV drivers can extend the life of the battery and ensure that it provides maximum performance even after thousands of kilometers:
In practice, it has been shown that the battery after 1,000 to 1,500 charging cycles is no longer powerful enough to power the engine of an electric car. Nevertheless, even after ten years of operation, it still has enough capacity for stationary use, for example as energy storage for electricity generated from solar cells.
In this way, the lifespan of an electric car battery is extended by an average of another 10 to 12 years before it goes into professional recycling . This means: Under normal use, the battery will last for more than 20 years. This is due to the fact that the battery for the electric vehicle is not exposed to any power-draining acceleration and braking phases during stationary use. Stationary operation is much more uniform. The result: a slower discharge, which has a positive effect on the life of the battery.
Range, charging time, lifespan: Many of the decisive factors when buying an electric car are directly related to the battery. Thanks to continued technological advances, electric cars are now a real alternative to conventional vehicles.
Nevertheless, there are still challenges to be overcome in order to make electric cars more attractive to a wider audience. In addition to the acquisition costs, the expansion of the charging infrastructure plays a key role. In addition, new technologies such as bidirectional charging open up exciting prospects for integrating e-cars more efficiently into the energy system.
One thing is certain: In the long term, the further development of batteries will make a decisive contribution to making transport more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
The lifespan of an EV battery depends on many things, including the type of battery, driving style and maintenance. A typical electric car battery can go up to 200,000 km or more before it needs to be replaced.
The cost depends on the size of the battery and the type of electric vehicle. A typical electric car battery can account for around 50 percent of the vehicle price, although prices vary by manufacturer and model.
Maintenance for an EV battery depends on the type of battery you have. Lithium-ion battery cells, which are most commonly used in electric cars, usually require only minimal maintenance, but once a year you should have a professional check it.
The price varies. Depending on the model it can be anywhere between CHF 5,000 and CHF 15,000.
Karin Stötzer is a Content Marketing Manager at AXA and researches interesting content for you on the subjects of mobility, sustainability and climate protection.
