Maintaining an electric car is more difficult than manufacturing one. Tesla's battery replacement costs 220,000 yuan, while the car is only worth 160,000 yuan...

A Tesla Model S purchased in 2018 has seen its battery capacity decline to only 60%. The quote for a battery replacement is 220,000 yuan, while the second - hand car recycling price is only 160,000 yuan. This dilemma is plaguing the first batch of new energy vehicle owners.

“Now, replacing the battery feels like spending a fortune on an old car. But if I don't replace it, the car can't be driven,” said a Tesla Model S owner helplessly. After his car had been driven for eight and a half years, the battery malfunctioned. The repair quote was 160,000 yuan, and the replacement cost was as high as 220,000 yuan, while the residual value of the car was less than 160,000 yuan.

As the national mandatory warranty period of eight years or 160,000 kilometers for the three - electric systems (battery, electric motor, and electric control system) has expired, the era of self - funded repairs has officially begun. Data shows that the number of out - of - warranty new energy vehicles will reach 320,000 in 2025, 980,000 in 2028, and rise to 7.2 million in 2032.

Battery costs can easily reach over 100,000 yuan, even exceeding the residual value of the vehicle

San Yan has learned that recently, many new energy vehicle owners have encountered the problem of needing to replace their batteries.

Mr. Lin from Shanghai bought a Tesla Model S in 2018, and its battery capacity has declined to only 60%. When he inquired at the store about the battery replacement price, it was unexpectedly as high as 220,000 yuan.

However, second - hand car dealers offered only 160,000 yuan for the car. The cost of replacing the battery is higher than the value of the car itself, which has put him in a dilemma.

In addition, Mr. Wang, a car owner from Hebei, has been driving a long - range Model 3 for four years. Recently, its range has dropped drastically to less than 200 kilometers.

The diagnosis result from the 4S store shows that the battery pack of Mr. Wang's car has severely deteriorated, and the replacement cost is as high as 157,000 yuan. “I spent over 300,000 yuan on this car back then. Now, replacing the battery costs half of the original price?”

It is understood that the cost of replacing the battery pack for the early versions of Tesla Model S/X is as high as 120,000 - 170,000 yuan; for the rear - wheel - drive version of Model 3/Y, it costs 126,900 yuan, and for the all - wheel - drive version, it reaches 146,700 yuan. Coupled with the labor cost that can easily reach tens of thousands of yuan, the total replacement cost of a long - range Model Y may approach 172,000 yuan.

Besides Tesla, domestic new energy brands also face similar situations. It is reported that Ms. Wang, an owner of a ZEEKR 001, has to spend 199,000 yuan to replace the battery, while the estimated price in the second - hand car market is only 170,000 - 230,000 yuan.

In addition, even for the affordable Weima EX5, the battery pack costs 100,000 yuan; for the micro - car Leapmotor T03, it costs 50,000 yuan to replace the battery.

According to data from the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index, the average parts - to - whole ratio of pure electric vehicle battery packs is 50.96%, which is equivalent to the price of half a new car. Even for some brand electric vehicles, the battery cost accounts for 98.72% of the total vehicle price. It can truly be said that “you buy the battery and get the frame for free.”

Why is battery replacement so expensive?

There are multiple factors contributing to the high price of new energy batteries. The cost of raw materials is the primary factor. Rare metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel are the main components of batteries. The global reserves of these metals are unevenly distributed, the supply stability is poor, and the mining and processing processes are complex and costly.

The R & D and manufacturing costs cannot be underestimated either. To improve the performance, safety, and durability of batteries, researchers need to continuously explore new material systems and manufacturing processes, which requires huge capital investment.

The battery production process is quite complex and requires a large number of advanced equipment and precise control to ensure safety and performance.

What is difficult for car owners to understand is that in recent years, the price of lithium carbonate has dropped sharply from 600,000 yuan per ton to 80,000 yuan, but the battery replacement cost has remained unchanged. There are also complex reasons behind this.

Three types of engines in fuel - powered vehicles support millions of sales, and the cost becomes lower as the production volume increases. In contrast, new energy vehicles introduce new battery models every year. Some electric vehicles launch new battery models every year. For example, Tesla always changes the battery cells when modifying the Model 3.

Another problem in new energy battery maintenance is the “replace only, no repair” situation. The Tesla 4680 battery is glued and welded, and 4S stores simply cannot disassemble it. Most battery packs are designed to prevent repair. Of course, this is not that car companies deliberately increase the maintenance cost for car owners but is based on considerations of battery safety.

In addition, there are very few third - party new energy repair shops across the country that are capable of repairing the three - electric systems. In contrast, there are a large number of fuel - powered vehicle repair shops, which relatively spreads the repair cost.

Although the warranty policies of some new energy brands have certain time and mileage limits, after the warranty period expires, car owners have to bear huge costs if the battery has problems. Even within the warranty period, in some cases, the brand may refuse to provide warranty service on the grounds of man - made damage by the car owner.

All these factors further drive up the maintenance cost for new energy vehicle owners.

The domestic battery recycling system is gradually improving

Facing the increasingly prominent problem of battery replacement, China's electric vehicle battery recycling system is gradually improving. In terms of policies and regulations, in February 2025, the Executive Meeting of the State Council reviewed and approved the “Action Plan for Improving the Recycling and Utilization System of New Energy Vehicle Power Batteries,” proposing to strengthen the whole - chain management.

As of the end of October 2023, 10,507 power battery recycling service outlets have been established in China. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has successively released five batches of a total of 156 “whitelist” enterprises for the comprehensive utilization of waste power batteries.

In July 2018, the “National Monitoring and Traceability Comprehensive Management Platform for New Energy Vehicle Power Batteries” was launched to collect information on the entire process of power battery production, sales, use, scrapping, recycling, and utilization.

In terms of technology, China has achieved industrialization in key technologies such as battery disassembly, material separation, and recycling, and large - scale industrialization bases have been established.

Building a car is easier than maintaining it

Currently, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China has exceeded 50%. However, maintaining a car is more difficult than building one.

Facing the dilemma of expensive battery replacement for new energy vehicles, all parties are looking for solutions. Some enterprises are starting to explore better service models.

For example, some third - party maintenance institutions are training professional technicians to enhance their ability to maintain new energy vehicle batteries. Well - known battery manufacturers such as BYD and CATL are also continuously researching and developing long - life batteries.

With the efforts of multiple parties, the problem of high battery replacement costs for electric vehicles is being solved. From the perspective of consumers, some car owners are also considering third - party battery repair and refurbishment services to reduce costs.

Are you considering buying an electric vehicle? Welcome to leave a message.

This article is from the WeChat official account “San Yan Finance” (ID: sycaijing). The author is DorAemon. It is published by 36Kr with permission.