Future battery upgrades possible?

[Kaddy]

Does anyone know if there will come a time when we can upgrade our battery? Or will we be locked in with the one we have for the life of the vehicle?

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[ndmiller]

I think the question is will it be a financial option someone in the future would pay for. I'm going to say it's ~$10K to replace a faulty battery based on my last EV and stories of the charge listed under warranty work. That would be for an OEM like for like battery.

In 10 years, let's say your battery is at 85% capacity, would you pay $10K for an OEM replacement?
I'm guessing no.

Would you pay over $10K for an aftermarket replacement if available in better chemistry?
I'm guessing no.

Would an aftermarket or OEM even make batteries in the same format with upgraded chemistry?
I''m guessing no.

It's more likely in 10 years the mass market design and safety features in cars evolve as they do every few years so current EV's will be as non-upgradeable as current ICE vehicle. You'll just trade it in on a new vehicle (ICE/EV/Flying?).

BUT no-one really knows, so invest $5K now and in 10 years you'll have the $10k to see what's available to upgrade your battery.

 

[240vPlug]

Unlikely as a software change would be needed. Battery failures will likely be repaired in the future vs complete battery replacement. For example the Rivian Large packs have 9 modules. So identification of the problem module and subsequent replacement of said module will dramatically reduce repair cost and significantly extend the service life of the battery.

If cost were no issue I'm sure someone could figure out to way to put a different battery in there and mod the software to use it but it's unlikely to be feasible for 99% of owners.

 

[lefkonj]

I don't believe any EV maker offers after market battery upgrades but I am sure someone will figure it out. The question is cost.

 

[KBabione]

Oh - come on! You're bursting my bubble...I've been hoping that in 9.5 years (when my Rivian battery warranty expires) I'll be able to spend $10K and get a new battery pack with a range of 1,000 miles that will charge completely in 10 minutes

 

[bike123.com]

Does anyone know if there will come a time when we can upgrade our battery? Or will we be locked in with the one we have for the life of the vehicle?

From the start I’ve been noticing all the real estate in the unserved spare well.
Some genius ought to come up with a drop-in aux pack.

 

[JRock]

My experience with my ‘22 Volvo XC90 Recharge has been that the battery that came with the vehicle is a 20 mile charge. The new Volvos have a 40 mile battery. When I asked about a swap out, I was told that the size and shape were proprietary for each battery, eliminating the possibility of a battery switch. Sounded to me like the good folks at Volvo were consulting with Nikon and Apple, because those two companies pull the same thing with batteries and charging cords. So, im not holding my breath that Rivian will make batteries interchangeable in size, scope or tech as that technology progresses.

 

[Krs71]

Will Rivian via software give us more range with our existing batteries as other manufacturers have done?

 

[veyron63]

NIO is offering swappable batteries

 

[mkg3]

I think the question is will it be a financial option someone in the future would pay for. I'm going to say it's ~$10K to replace a faulty battery based on my last EV and stories of the charge listed under warranty work. That would be for an OEM like for like battery.

In 10 years, let's say your battery is at 85% capacity, would you pay $10K for an OEM replacement?
I'm guessing no.

Would you pay over $10K for an aftermarket replacement if available in better chemistry?
I'm guessing no.

Would an aftermarket or OEM even make batteries in the same format with upgraded chemistry?
I''m guessing no.

It's more likely in 10 years the mass market design and safety features in cars evolve as they do every few years so current EV's will be as non-upgradeable as current ICE vehicle. You'll just trade it in on a new vehicle (ICE/EV/Flying?).

BUT no-one really knows, so invest $5K now and in 10 years you'll have the $10k to see what's available to upgrade your battery.

Spot on.

Battery is the most expensive single subsystem on the vehicle so if replacement is possible, which probably is not, will cost as much as the value of the vehicle - if not more by the time you need new batteries.

It is planned obsolecense by the mfg.

 

[Robin]

Oh - come on! You're bursting my bubble...I've been hoping that in 9.5 years (when my Rivian battery warranty expires) I'll be able to spend $10K and get a new battery pack with a range of 1,000 miles that will charge completely in 10 minutes

 

[HaveBlue]

The standard and plus versions seem to be software locked according to the EPA content filing. Performance mode as well.

 

[ukyank]

Unfortunately the company wants to sell vehicles, not just batteries so doubtful future battery tech will be backwards compatible

 

[zymolysis]

Will Rivian via software give us more range with our existing batteries as other manufacturers have done?

I think that Rivian already did this (so it is unlikely to happen again). It is my understanding that available kWh (now listed as 131 kWh) is higher that it was previously (estimated at 128 or 129).

 

[zymolysis]

I don't believe any EV maker offers after market battery upgrades but I am sure someone will figure it out. The question is cost.

I'm not an expert on Tesla, but apparently they do (or can - at least for some models). The owner of this high mileage Model S was offered the option to purchase a new (larger - 90 kWh) battery, when his battery (75 kWh) wasn't giving full charge anymore. As I recall, the new battery would have cost something like $20,000, so he elected to have his battery replaced under warranty with an equivalent refurbished battery (75 kWh). But, to his surprise, Tesla installed the new, larger battery at no cost. Note: I read a different article that had more details, but here is a link to an article about it:
https://insideevs.com/news/717654/tesla-model-s-400k-mile-battery/

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