Cadillac, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz hold good range after 3 years

According to Recurrent, Cadillac, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz are among the EVs with the lowest range loss after three years of ownership. Tesla also performed well, retaining more than 96 percent of its real-world range compared to when it left the dealership. On the other hand, Volkswagen, BMW, and Jaguar lost more, but still retained more than 90 percent, enough to keep users from having trouble with daily use.

Actual data from Recurrent, not EPA

Recurrent says the data is compiled from hundreds to thousands of vehicles, depending on the brand. The range analyzed is real-world user experience, not EPA-rated data. This helps to better reflect performance in everyday driving conditions.

Names that hold their range well after 3 years of use

The results show that the low-attrition group includes Cadillac, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz. Tesla performs exceptionally well, retaining more than 96% of its real-world range three years after leaving the dealership. These figures reflect real-world experience, not lab-based benchmarking.

Recurrent notes that range loss can vary by vehicle model, climate, charging method, and driving style, but the overall trend from the broad data still shows some brands maintain better stability over time.

Why do some companies barely reduce their range according to measured data?

The fact that some manufacturers barely record range loss in their data doesn’t mean that batteries aren’t aging. Recurrent explains that this may be due to the way manufacturers build in battery buffers and gradually unlock capacity over time, so users don’t notice a noticeable change at first.

Additionally, software updates over time, optimizing regenerative braking or fine-tuning acceleration performance can also contribute to maintaining a more stable operating range in real-world use.

Brands in more decline and the tech landscape

Volkswagen, BMW and Jaguar were in the more range-depleting group in Recurrent’s study. However, retention rates remained above 90% after three years, which is enough to cover the daily travel needs of most users.

Recurrent also provides technological context for some of the results:

• Chevrolet ranks lower than Cadillac despite being from the same group, because the Chevy Bolt model uses older technology.
• The Jaguar I-Pace, launched in 2018, is based on an old battery platform.
• The BMW i3 (sold 2014–2022) drags down BMW's overall performance in the statistics.

Law of decline: fast at first, then slows down

Research shows that electric vehicle batteries tend to degrade faster in the first few years, then slow down. Much of the decline seen in the first three years is the “peak decline” in the battery’s lifespan.

Recurrent notes that many vehicles can exceed their EPA ratings in the first 1–2 years. After a few years, the range can still be at or above the EPA rating, making the real-world driving experience better than the common concerns about degradation.

Quickly view results by group

Conclusion: Worrying about range loss is unnecessary

Liz Najman, Recurrent’s director of market analysis, says the data shows that range anxiety is unnecessary. For most vehicles, you can expect real-world range to be consistent in the first few years, even exceeding the EPA standard at some point, and after three years it will still be high enough to meet your daily driving needs.

With an approach based on real-world data rather than lab estimates, Recurrent's report helps EV buyers and users better gauge range expectations over time, as well as better understand the role of software updates and technology differences between models.