- The Tesla Model 3 with an LFP battery pack is still perfectly usable after 110,000 miles.
- That’s what one owner says about his car.
- Despite constantly DC fast charging it to 100%, the battery has minimal degradation.
Some of the biggest advantages of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, compared to nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells, are lower production costs and minimal degradation over time, even if fully charged on a regular basis.
Granted, LFP batteries more often than not have a lower energy density than their NMC counterparts, but the fact that most EV makers recommend charging them to 100% sometimes makes up for the lower density. Meanwhile, NMC batteries should be regularly charged to 80%, leaving full top-ups for long journeys only–this way, the degradation should be minimal. (One study found that fully charging LFP batteries can also lead to more degradation, though.)
But how does an LFP-equipped EV actually fare in the real world? Quite good, as it turns out. As you’ll see in the video embedded below, published by Brandon Kipp on YouTube, this particular 2022 Tesla Model 3 has proved to be a completely stress-free ownership experience.
The car was built in Fremont, California, and has so far driven nearly 110,000 miles. It’s powered by an LFP battery pack that sends juice to a rear-mounted electric motor. The car has been used extensively as a ride-sharing vehicle in Texas, with lots of DC fast charging and lots of city driving.
In total, the car has been DC fast charged with a whopping 22 megawatt-hours of energy and nearly 8 MWh of AC charging. However, the drivetrain is original and the car has never needed any repairs–just new tires and washer fluid, according to the owner.
The car’s battery originally had a usable capacity of 57.5 kWh. Now, after doing some quick maths where the total driving range of the car was taken into account after a full charge and a long trip, the theoretical battery degradation is quite impressive, at just 5%.
According to Kipp, the maximum driving range is now 258 miles, down from the 272 miles when the car was new.
The car has been constantly charged up to 100%, as per Tesla’s recommendations, meaning the whole pack has been used extensively and with minimal degradation. That’s good news for anyone looking to get an LFP-equipped EV, which is usually cheaper than an NMC-powered one.
Similar results were achieved by several other Tesla Model 3 owners, with some reporting degradation as low as 2% after 20,000 miles and around 5% after 85,000 miles.
LFP batteries usually have a lower energy density than their NMC counterparts, which leads to a lower range rating, but the upside is that they’re cheaper to make and most carmakers recommend charging them to 100% to preserve their life. Meanwhile, NMC batteries offer more range when fully charged, but the industry-standard recommendation is to only charge them up to 80% if you want to minimize degradation and to go up to 100% when you need to take a long trip.
All this being said, Tesla discontinued the LFP-powered Model 3 in the United States in October of last year, leaving just NMC-powered models in the portfolio. But if you’re looking for a used EV, this might be a great choice.
