IS MY ELECTRIC VAUXHALL CORSA’S BATTERY DEGRADING TOO QUICKLY?

QI bought a new Vauxhall Corsa-e in July 2020. I have driven only 6,300 miles, yet the indicated range on a full battery has dropped from 205 miles to 195 after a full overnight charge on my home wall box. It seems like a big drop for so few miles. Is this normal?

– TM

AI hate to be the bearer of bad news, but battery degradation is a part of life with electric cars (EVs). A study in 2019 of 6,300 used EVs revealed that degradation of about 2.3 per cent per year on lithium-ion batteries – the type fitted to almost every modern electric car – was about average.

As it happens, that’s almost exactly what you’ve experienced; a 2.3 per cent per year drop would reduce your Corsa’s range from 205 miles to 200 last year, and then to 196 by July this year.

At this rate, you can expect your car’s range to drop to 182 miles by the time it’s five years old and 162 miles at 10 years.

You can reduce the amount your battery degrades, however. One easy way is to make sure you only charge the car when the battery level has dropped to 20 per cent, rather than simply plugging it in every time you get home; the other is to set a charge limit of 80 per cent (you can usually do this through the entertainment screen).

Charging between 20 and 80 per cent usually prolongs battery life and i should provide more than enough range for your local journeys – and you can still cancel the charge limit and access the full 100 per cent if you have a longer trip ahead.

You should also try to avoid frequent rapid charging. The occasional top-up from a rapid charger won’t cause any harm, but using them every time causes batteries to wear more quickly. You mention you’re using a home charger, so this shouldn’t be a concern.

If you use your car infrequently, as your low mileage suggests, try not to charge it fully if it’s going to sit idle for any length of time. It’s better for battery life if you charge it just before use.

Not only will following these steps mean your Corsa will retain more of its range than one that, for example, has spent most of its life being rapidcharged to 100 per cent each time, it will also hold more of its value and be more desirable if you decide to sell it.