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Can I upgrade the battery in an electric car?
I’m thinking of buying an electric car, but it seems like they advance so much every year. I don’t know if I should get one now or buy one in a few years when they’ve reached their full potential. Will it be possible to upgrade a current model’s battery later?
Andrew Koole · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
You’re right—electric cars are improving dramatically every year. Because of this, you’d think that most automakers would develop their batteries so they could be swapped out for the better ones later, but as of now, you can only upgrade the battery in a few
electric cars
.
Tesla offers battery upgrades for older models, but there are a few stipulations. The company’s biggest battery, the 100 kWh unit, is too heavy for older Teslas, so your upgrade would be limited to a 90 kWh pack.
The new battery will also be quite expensive. It costs $14,000 and an extra $2,000 to get it installed.
The only other EV with an upgradeable battery pack is the Nissan Leaf, and getting the job done isn’t easy.
Nissan is hesitant to sell new batteries independent of their cars, so your replacement will have to come from another Leaf that’s been written off. On top of that, the purchase and installation of your not-so-new battery will likely cost you thousands of dollars.
All that said, electric car batteries should last about 10 years, and most of the new electric cars on the market have more than enough range to make them dependable vehicles.
For less than $40,000, you can buy a Chevy Bolt or a Hyundai Kona Electric, both of which offer about 250 miles from one charge.
If you decide to dive into electric car ownership, be sure to use Jerry
to find the best deals on car insurance
.
A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. The average Jerry user saves $887 a year on car insurance.View full answer
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