90%+ Battery Capacity After 250K

[JoeDimwit]

The vehicle I sold after acquiring my MME was a 2001 Toyota Tacoma S-Runner with 285,000 miles on it. Aside from the paint, which was dull and ugly, that thing was still in great shape and ran like a Swiss watch. I don't plan on ever going back to ICE, and Toyota's BEV offerings have not impressed. But they really knew their ICE engines and vehicles.

I didn't even do a lot of the routine maintenance on that thing, and it just kept going anyway. I bought it used at 50,000 miles and mistreated it for the next 150,000. I really only treated it well AFTER it passed 200k. Didn't even replace the timing belt until 250k, and that was supposed to be done at 90k.

Sold it to a guy who was going to take it down to Mexico and put it to work on a farm. It'll probably pass half a million miles before giving them any real trouble.

I hope my MME does as well as this guy's, and I probably won't even put a tenth as many miles on it in the same time.

I’m not saying that you’re wrong, but I think it’s kinda like losing weight. Your partner sees you every day, and doesn’t notice the changes over time because the change between times they see you is very slight. Whereas the friend you see twice a year sees you and is shocked by the same changes.

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[BigHandHandyMan]

Get a bluetooth OBD2 scanner, download the Car Scanner app for your phone, it'll be listed as HVB Health.

Is this listed anywhere in FDRS?

 

[SteveUk]

My 2022 MME AWD Premium ER is exactly 3 years old, just over 47k miles, and Car Scanner shows 91.5% SOH. I rarely fast charge, and almost always keep it between about 20 and 85%. I'm also in New England and put a lot of miles on in the winter, with occasional overnights around 0 degrees F when I can't leave it plugged in. These are things that may or may not contribute to degradation, but just another data point for those interested. It's beginning to seem like age is the dominant factor in degradation.

4 years old and 97.5% with 31k miles on it

I have fast charged about once a year!

 

[RacerX]

Ok, maybe a little off-topic, but does anyone know how/where to see Battery SOH (state of health) in the "Car Scanner" app when connecting an ELM327 to the MachE?
Long story short, my son just bought a 23 Lightning with 99% SOH with 1/2 the mileage as my MachE, and made me curious. I have had the ELM327 OBDII connector for some time, to use with my old ICE vehicles (still have the 05 'Stang convertible), so I should be able to get to SOH, right? I do NOT have the premium service for the Car Scanner, and maybe that is required? TIA.

 

[Mach1E]

It’s age, not mileage folks. Age. Use it or lose it.

It’s both, but point taken.

BEVs are much like ICE these days in that the rest of the car falls apart well before the powertrain.

Why do you think the most expensive parts (powertrain) have the longest warranties? They’re the least likely to fail.

Now that being said, age is way meaner to a BEV powertrain than an ICE.

My 1969 Mustang with a 1969 engine runs just fine. I doubt my 21 Mach E will have any chance of an original powertrain in the year 2077.

 

[bbulkow]

Cool but a bouncy ride MME might not be the best ride hail option ?.

https://electrek.co/2025/07/22/afte...ord-mustang-mach-e-still-has-92-battery-life/

This article didn't state how they came up with 92 percent SoH. I am quite sure i saw this article a few days ago and it said "range indication is blah at 100 percent change". Now it just makes a claim.

If they took the BMS number, good! That's the way to do it. Something tells me they didn't.

 

[corradoborg]

My 1969 Mustang with a 1969 engine runs just fine. I doubt my 21 Mach E will have any chance of an original powertrain in the year 2077.

I don't know why people insist on making this comparison.

Your 1969 Mustang - if it's been treated like a typical car - does not have a 1969 engine. Sure, most of the metal may have been cast or forged in 1969. But that engine has had countless oil changes, oil filter changes, air filter changes, and spark plug changes. It's probably had its distributor cap and rotor replaced more than once, its carburetor worked on, its water pump replaced. It's likely to have had gaskets replaced and seals redone, valves reseated, and maybe even a warped head resurfaced, if not even more serious work than all that. And if it *hasn't* had much of this work done and still runs well, then it's an atypical outlier for its age.

My point is that a decades-old ICE engine that has been kept up to date on its maintenance is not comparable to a modern BEV drivetrain that is basically maintenance-free. Age and mileage are both at least as hard on an ICE vehicle's drivetrain as on a BEV's. You just don't notice it because you're constantly refreshing the ICE to new (or new-ish) status with fresh parts and labor.

If you spend half as much to keep the BEV up to date as you have on the 1969 ICE, then in 2077 the BEV will be running off whatever ultra-light solid state battery is in fashion at the time, boasting a 1000 mile range between 5-minute charges, and reasonably expecting it to still have a SOH of 97% in the year 2097.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

It’s both, but point taken.

BEVs are much like ICE these days in that the rest of the car falls apart well before the powertrain.

Why do you think the most expensive parts (powertrain) have the longest warranties? They’re the least likely to fail.

Now that being said, age is way meaner to a BEV powertrain than an ICE.

My 1969 Mustang with a 1969 engine runs just fine. I doubt my 21 Mach E will have any chance of an original powertrain in the year 2077.

Longevity is not the point. The point is how well the car performs during the first 10-15 years. If people had a car that performs like new for say 10 years and the software updates are delivered regularly, most folks would be happy. Folks don’t care if their EV survives 40+ years. That’s a problem for owner #7 (I guy I don’t know or care about).

It’s like when they talk about advancement in medicine. The goal is not to make a few more people live to 115. It’s to make most people live to 85+. And yes, as a consequence, some would live a very long life.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yup, battery will probably be junk after 12-15 years no matter if you drive the car a lot or not.

Life of EV batteries is measured in years, not really miles. So if you don't hit 100,000 miles in the 15 year lifespan of the EV, it's sort of a waste of a battery. It's like buying a carton of milk that you know will expire in two weeks—you don’t just let it sit in the fridge untouched. You drink it every day to get the most out of it before it spoils.

LFP and emerging solid-state batteries have a better chance of still having useful capacity after 15+ years compared to NCM batteries.

 

[Mach1E]

I don't know why people insist on making this comparison.

Your 1969 Mustang - if it's been treated like a typical car - does not have a 1969 engine. Sure, most of the metal may have been cast or forged in 1969. But that engine has had countless oil changes, oil filter changes, air filter changes, and spark plug changes. It's probably had its distributor cap and rotor replaced more than once, its carburetor worked on, its water pump replaced. It's likely to have had gaskets replaced and seals redone, valves reseated, and maybe even a warped head resurfaced, if not even more serious work than all that. And if it *hasn't* had much of this work done and still runs well, then it's an atypical outlier for its age.

My point is that a decades-old ICE engine that has been kept up to date on its maintenance is not comparable to a modern BEV drivetrain that is basically maintenance-free. Age and mileage are both at least as hard on an ICE vehicle's drivetrain as on a BEV's. You just don't notice it because you're constantly refreshing the ICE to new (or new-ish) status with fresh parts and labor.

If you spend half as much to keep the BEV up to date as you have on the 1969 ICE, then in 2077 the BEV will be running off whatever ultra-light solid state battery is in fashion at the time, boasting a 1000 mile range between 5-minute charges, and reasonably expecting it to still have a SOH of 97% in the year 2097.

Yes, plugs and maintenance.

But it’s a valid comparison because you CAN’T do basic maintenance and have your battery last 57 years, let alone 100 years that you see in the ICE world.

Not that they need to, but you just won’t see “classic BEVs” in the same sense that classic cars have lasted for the last century.

It’s just different that’s all. Not many ICE vehicles of the last 50 years have turned into classics either. Most cars are “throw aways” at the end of their lifespan.

 

[corradoborg]

Yes, plugs and maintenance.

But it’s a valid comparison because you CAN’T do basic maintenance and have your battery last 57 years, let alone 100 years that you see in the ICE world.

Not that they need to, but you just won’t see “classic BEVs” in the same sense that classic cars have lasted for the last century.

It’s just different that’s all. Not many ICE vehicles of the last 50 years have turned into classics either. Most cars are “throw aways” at the end of their lifespan.

You're saying that its a valid comparison and yet you're making my argument for me. Cars of the last few decades generally aren't being held onto because they're more "throwaway." They're made out of plastic instead of metal. With a few exceptions, they're made more cheaply, with less durable components (planned obsolescence). It has little to do with their type of drivetrain. It has a lot to do with the shift in manufacturing to making goods as cheaply as possible and ensuring future sales by designing disposability into things. It's more a peak capitalism thing than a car thing or a BEV thing.

I will say it again - any car that someone deems a "classic" and worth keeping around for decades (even if only to them) will be kept in working order. That will take a little more effort and expertise now that there's a software angle to everything in addition to the hardware, but it will still happen. There will be BEV "tuners" and aftermarket suppliers. I have no idea whether any Mach-E's will still be around in 50 or 100 years, but SOME current BEVs undoubtedly will. They won't have their original batteries, of course. But it's also rare for an older ICE vehicle to have its original "matching numbers" engine if it's of a certain age.

 

[Teslaeata]

Ok, maybe a little off-topic, but does anyone know how/where to see Battery SOH (state of health) in the "Car Scanner" app when connecting an ELM327 to the MachE?
Long story short, my son just bought a 23 Lightning with 99% SOH with 1/2 the mileage as my MachE, and made me curious. I have had the ELM327 OBDII connector for some time, to use with my old ICE vehicles (still have the 05 'Stang convertible), so I should be able to get to SOH, right? I do NOT have the premium service for the Car Scanner, and maybe that is required? TIA.

Don’t think it’s the premium option required.

I seem to remember just setting up a dashboard for my car in the Car Scanner app, making the right selection/s for the values you want to see and Presto! You’re there.

 

[bbulkow]

Yes, plugs and maintenance.

But it’s a valid comparison because you CAN’T do basic maintenance and have your battery last 57 years, let alone 100 years that you see in the ICE world.

Not that they need to, but you just won’t see “classic BEVs” in the same sense that classic cars have lasted for the last century.

It’s just different that’s all. Not many ICE vehicles of the last 50 years have turned into classics either. Most cars are “throw aways” at the end of their lifespan.

What, you haven't seen the electron purge instructions?

Usually, when you charge and discharge your battery, the electrons stay in the battery, moving from anode to cathode, and they get dirty over time. They pick up charge elements and aren't like the fresh electrons built into the pack. Their ability to move back and forth becomes more difficult, resulting in more heat during operation (charge or discharge), which requires more cooling and eventually decreases both running and charging performance.

Dealers are now offering electron purge service, where they will entirely remove the electrons, provide an electron flush, then replace with factory fresh electrons. They state that, like an oil change, this is best done every 3,000 miles. They are claiming a likely increase in range and performance, and less battery wear over time.

I think doing this process at home and not having the inconvenience of going to a dealer would be great

 

[Mach1E]

You're saying that its a valid comparison and yet you're making my argument for me. Cars of the last few decades generally aren't being held onto because they're more "throwaway." They're made out of plastic instead of metal. With a few exceptions, they're made more cheaply, with less durable components (planned obsolescence). It has little to do with their type of drivetrain. It has a lot to do with the shift in manufacturing to making goods as cheaply as possible and ensuring future sales by designing disposability into things. It's more a peak capitalism thing than a car thing or a BEV thing.

I will say it again - any car that someone deems a "classic" and worth keeping around for decades (even if only to them) will be kept in working order. That will take a little more effort and expertise now that there's a software angle to everything in addition to the hardware, but it will still happen. There will be BEV "tuners" and aftermarket suppliers. I have no idea whether any Mach-E's will still be around in 50 or 100 years, but SOME current BEVs undoubtedly will. They won't have their original batteries, of course. But it's also rare for an older ICE vehicle to have its original "matching numbers" engine if it's of a certain age.

It’s ok that BEVs aren’t direct replacements for ICE.

FWIW, there are classic 100 year old electric cars out there. Incredibly rare, but they exist…… just not with original working batteries. https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/sj16/lots/r134-1920-detroit-electric-model-82-brougham/

Unfortunately, the “tuner world” in BEVs is completely nonexistent. I think the tuner industry will go the way of Blockbuster video and Radio Shack.

Super sad about that too. Because extracting more power out of these cars should be super easy. A simple tune to add 100 hp to my Mach E is possible or a swap out of electric motors for even more.

Way simpler in theory than the supercharger on my 2011 Mustang GT.

 

[Fixbear]

The vehicle I sold after acquiring my MME was a 2001 Toyota Tacoma S-Runner with 285,000 miles on it. Aside from the paint, which was dull and ugly, that thing was still in great shape and ran like a Swiss watch. I don't plan on ever going back to ICE, and Toyota's BEV offerings have not impressed. But they really knew their ICE engines and vehicles.

I didn't even do a lot of the routine maintenance on that thing, and it just kept going anyway. I bought it used at 50,000 miles and mistreated it for the next 150,000. I really only treated it well AFTER it passed 200k. Didn't even replace the timing belt until 250k, and that was supposed to be done at 90k.

Sold it to a guy who was going to take it down to Mexico and put it to work on a farm. It'll probably pass half a million miles before giving them any real trouble.

I hope my MME does as well as this guy's, and I probably won't even put a tenth as many miles on it in the same time.

I also had a mid 80's Corolla wagon that I had to replace the front fenders on due to rust, but ran like a clock. At 298,000 miles I was 15 miles in the back woods on a week long scout trip. Being the Scoutmaster, I had the gate keys and needed to be the last one out. After everyone else was gone I double checked the camp and started out. That's when the metal heater tube burst and i loss coolant. Had no choice but to get water from a stream and try to get to civilisation. 30 miles away. Many stops and fillings, I did make it halfway home, but I ruined a beautiful engine. Hated the car when I bought it, but learned to love it's engineering over time. Really wanted to see how far I could make it go. But the BZx with it's wheels falling of isn't it.

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