EV battery warranties: What eight years and 70% really cover

A buyer comparing three US warranty pages will not find one battery promise. Tesla's support page sets eight years and a 70 percent capacity floor, then splits the mileage by model. Kia and Hyundai both print 10 years or 100,000 miles, and they do not describe the remedy the same way.

On Tesla's current US page, Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive, Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive and Model Y All-Wheel Drive are listed at eight years or 100,000 miles. The Premium and Performance variants, including the Model Y L Premium Launch Series, are listed at eight years or 120,000 miles. Model S, Model X and Cybertruck are listed at eight years or 150,000 miles. Each of those terms keeps the 70 percent floor. The warranty supplied with the car controls.

Kia splits the hardware from the capacity number. Its EV system warranty names the motor, the high-voltage battery, the power control unit and the on-board charger, for 10 years or 100,000 miles from the date of first service, whichever comes first. Separate battery coverage applies when capacity falls below 70 percent of the original figure. Kia says a repair or replacement is meant to bring the pack back to at least 70 percent.

Hyundai's US warranty page lists 10 years or 100,000 miles for hybrid and EV batteries, and it shows that term for a later owner as well as the first. The degradation sentence is easy to misread: the pack "will not degrade more than 70 percent of the original capacity" during the warranty period. The 2025 US handbook is plainer about the remedy. A covered repair or replacement should leave no less than 70 percent of the original battery capacity. A used Hyundai follows the handbook for its model year.

The booklet for that car can still differ. Get it, and the vehicle identification number, before an offer.

Capacity is the energy the pack can deliver under the manufacturer's test. Range also moves with speed, temperature, tires, cabin heat and terrain. A pack can sit above 70 percent of its original capacity and still miss the original advertised range on a cold freeway.

A 70 percent floor does not turn a modest loss into a claim. A pack at 71 percent has given up 29 points and remains above the line. Falling below 70 percent is not an automatic approval either. The manufacturer chooses the measurement. Consumer Reports, in its warranty guide updated on 9 August 2024, says these warranties vary by manufacturer. Most, the guide says, cover hybrid and EV batteries for at least eight years or 100,000 miles, and many makers will replace a battery that falls below a 70 percent charging-capacity threshold.

A range number on the dashboard follows recent trips and the weather. Ask for a battery-health reading and any diagnostic record. A third-party report can screen a car. It does not decide the claim.

Cover does not mean a brand-new pack. Kia allows a repair or a replacement, aimed at 70 percent. The failed part may be a module, a sensor, a contactor, cooling hardware or software.

Three questions get folded into one. Is the high-voltage battery still inside the time and mileage limits? Is this fault covered? Does the car still have the range for the trips you drive? The third can be a reason to walk away while the warranty is in force.

Before signing, write down the in-service date and the odometer. Confirm the VIN with the manufacturer or an authorized dealer, and ask whether a branded title, salvage history, commercial use or a modification changes the cover. Ask for service invoices and completed recall work. On a drive, watch for warnings, power limits and charging faults.

Price the car as it is. The warranty covers an eligible defect or a stated capacity loss. It is not a promise of a new pack, and it is not proof that the range left in this car fits the route.