The longevity of electric vehicle batteries, just like the vehicles themselves, has been gradually improving and is expected to continue on this path of continuous improvement. But the truth is that, for the vast majority, the durability of an electric car is still a point of concern.
This situation will only tend to diminish with increased exposure to the technology. And with more stories like that of this German man, owner of a Tesla Model S elevated to the status of a true “mile-eater”. Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg is on his way to surpassing 1.2 million miles behind the wheel of his electric car, which is roughly 1.9 million kilometers.
Remarkable record, which is the result of many hours on the road, careful maintenance… and 13 new motors! The P85 Model S of this German man is on its fourth battery, and has already needed to change the motor thirteen times before. In an explanatory video, Hornberg claims to never exceed 100 km/h in his daily use, despite living in a country famous for having no speed limits on some of its highways, and charges the batteries to always maintain a charge between 15-70%.
As a result, he manages to keep the current battery degradation at just 8% after 150,000 km, announcing a range of 400 km. The previous battery (number 3!) was so degraded that it only provided enough energy for 260 km of driving. Doing the math, a battery in this Model S has traveled an average of 402,000 km.
