Tesla battery degradation by model

What degradation is

Battery degradation is the slow loss of the energy a pack can store. A car that held 75 kWh when new and holds 69 kWh later has 92% of its capacity left. It shows up as less range on a full charge, not as a car that suddenly stops working.

Capacity is measured as a share of the original, so models with big and small packs can be compared. The same percentage means a different number of kilowatt-hours for each pack.

Fast early, flatter later

Lithium-ion packs tend to lose the most in the first two to three years and then settle into a slower decline. Recurrent’s analysis of about 14,000 Teslas showed the steep first stretch in rated range, and the studies behind the chart agree on the pattern even where they disagree on the exact figure (Recurrent, 2024).

This is why a straight line through two points can mislead. Geotab’s 81.6% after eight years is a projection of a steady yearly loss; a three-year-old car can be well ahead of that line and still follow the same long-term curve. The charts on this page mark where a line is drawn through published points and where it is measured. The longer guide Tesla battery degradation: how packs lose capacity explains the curve.

What pushes it up or down

Fast charging

Frequent high-power charging is the largest single stressor in Geotab’s data: 3% a year for cars that fast-charge above 100 kW in more than 40% of sessions, against 1.5% a year for cars that rarely do, a gap of 1.5 points a year (Geotab, 2026).

Supercharging

AVILOO’s 2023 study of about 160 EVs measured roughly 7.5 points lower battery health at 80,000 to 100,000 km, and about 17 points lower at 180,000 to 200,000 km, for cars that charged on fast chargers all the time (AVILOO, 2023). Occasional road-trip use is not that pattern.

Heat

Cars in hot climates (more than 35% of days above 25 degrees C) lost about 0.4 points a year more than the rest in the same Geotab study.

Chemistry: NCA and LFP

Nickel-based packs (NCA and NMC) hold more energy per kilogram. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) packs are heavier for the same energy. In 9,954 Swedish tests of used Model 3 cars above 62,000 miles, the CATL LFP pack averaged 93.3%; the nickel packs averaged 88.2% to 91.5% (Carla with AVILOO diagnostics, 2026).

Pack size and generation

The same car can come with different cells over its life. In the same Swedish data the smallest Panasonic pack (52.4 kWh) scored lowest. Pack size, supplier and chemistry change together there, so the study cannot separate them.

Common questions

How much battery capacity do Teslas lose per year?

Tesla does not publish a yearly rate. Across a large fleet study of 22,700+ EVs of 21 models, Geotab finds an average of 2.3% a year, which leaves about 81.6% after 8 years. That figure covers all makes, not only Tesla, and is a straight-line projection; real batteries usually lose more in the first two to three years and less afterwards.

Is 85% after 200,000 miles normal for a Tesla?

It is what Tesla reports as the average for Model 3 and Model Y Long Range cars in its 2023 Impact Report. Model S and Model X are reported at 88% after the same distance. About 68% of the Model 3 and Model Y fleet in that report stays above 80%, so a result below the average is common but not a defect.

Do Model S and Model X age differently from Model 3 and Model Y?

Tesla’s published figures are slightly better for Model S and Model X (88% against 85% at 200,000 miles). The packs, cells and charging habits differ, so the two groups are not a like-for-like comparison.

Does Supercharging damage a Tesla battery?

Frequent high-power charging is the largest single stressor in Geotab’s data: 3% a year for cars that fast-charge above 100 kW in more than 40% of sessions, against 1.5% a year for cars that rarely fast-charge. AVILOO’s smaller 2023 study of about 160 EVs points the same way. Occasional use on trips is a very different pattern.

Are LFP batteries better than NCA batteries?

In a Swedish set of 9,954 AVILOO tests, Model 3 cars with the CATL LFP pack above 62,000 miles averaged 93.3% battery health, against 88.2% to 91.5% for the nickel packs. Packs also differ in size and supplier, so chemistry is one reason among several.

When should I worry about my Tesla battery?

A reading far below the ranges on this page for the same age and mileage is a reason to ask for a fresh reading and, if you are buying, to negotiate. AVILOO found that good and bad examples of the same car can differ by as much as 13.5 points, so one car off the average is not proof of a fault.

Where do the numbers from this site come from?

From cars that owners and buyers have checked here. We only show a group when enough cars share it: a median needs 3 cars in an age band, the middle half needs 5, and a trend line needs 8. We never show a single car, a VIN or a mileage.