EV battery warranties: 8 years, 160,000 km, and what 70% means

Skoda rates the Elroq 85 at 576 km WLTP. Put a 70% line on that and the rating becomes 403 km. Allow for the calculator's 25% real-world uplift first, and it's about 323 km.

That's the figure to picture, as an illustration only: Skoda's German overview prints no percentage, so I can't say 70% is this car's line. Under a 70% promise, a car can lose nearly a third of its range before the capacity cover pays anything.

This is a reading of published terms, checked November 2, 2026. Nobody's battery was measured for it, and terms vary by country and by build date.

Which limit ends first?

Whichever comes first, say the makers, so divide the kilometres by eight:

• 120,000 km is 15,000 km a year. Dacia's German page lists up to 8 years or 120,000 km for the Spring, with no percentage.
• 160,000 km is 20,000 km a year. That's Skoda's German overview, Hyundai's European page and Renault's Spanish FAQ.
• 250,000 km is 31,250 km a year. That's BYD, on its Dutch list and in its Belgian press release.

The running-cost calculator uses 11,400 km a year, the German average for 2025 as reported by web.de. Over eight years that's 91,200 km. So an average driver hits the time limit on all three, with kilometres to spare, and the bigger number on the brochure does nothing for them.

It matters if you drive a lot. At 30,000 km a year, a 160,000 km limit is gone in under five and a half years. Check the start date too: EVKX points out that a car may have entered service before you bought it.

What does 70% measure?

Capacity against the original, usually called state of health. It isn't range, and a dashboard range guess won't settle a claim. EVKX says the contract may use measured energy, an approved estimate or a specific dashboard indicator, so an app's percentage counts only if the maker accepts it.

BYD's Dutch list does state 70% for the plug-in BYD Seal U. As a rough picture, 70% of the 80 km of electric range on that list is 56 km.

The threshold isn't a forecast either. EVKX calls it a contract line, not a predicted lifespan. A pack sitting at 75% has no claim and may simply keep going.

What each maker actually says

Here's what I could read, and the gaps.

Skoda. The German overview says 8 years, up to 160,000 km, for high-voltage batteries. It doesn't print a percentage, and I couldn't read Skoda's full terms, so I don't know its capacity line. Get the wording from the service booklet.

Hyundai. The European page gives 8 years or 160,000 km, and for battery EVs repairs needed to bring health back to at least 70%. It warns that production date and country can change this.

Renault. Renault's Spanish FAQ gives 8 years or 160,000 km with at least 70% kept, on the three Renault 5 batteries it lists. That's Spain. Renault.de's pages I read don't state it, so ask a German dealer.

BYD. The Dutch 2026 list for the Seal U shows 8 years or 250,000 km at 70% for the battery, against 6 years or 150,000 km for the car in general. BYD's press office for Belgium and Luxembourg said in January 2026 that the term covers EVs and plug-ins, including cars already sold, and gave no percentage. BYD's Swiss page says up to 8 years or 250,000 km, also with no percentage. I couldn't open a German terms page. So the 70% is Dutch, and it applies there.

A fault is a different claim

Capacity is only one route. EVKX notes that a failed sensor or connection can need repair while the pack still holds plenty of energy. So check that your terms cover faults as well as capacity. A battery fault at 90% shouldn't have to wait for 70%.

Then there's the law. EU consumer rules give you at least two years against the seller, Your Europe says, and a maker's warranty can't reduce that. It's a separate right, against a different party. EVKX adds that these rules don't cover a car bought from a private seller.

Euro 7 isn't a warranty

A Polish law firm, Dudkowiak, summarises Euro 7 as requiring 80% health at 5 years or 100,000 km, and 72% at 8 years or 160,000 km, for cars. New types need it from November 29, 2026, and all new cars from November 29, 2027. A car registered today can fall outside it.

That firm reads the rule as giving owners a claim against the maker. I couldn't open the regulation itself, so I wouldn't lean on that. It's a type-approval test, and your service booklet is still the document that pays.

What I'd do with this

Buying new at average mileage, I wouldn't choose a car on 160,000 against 250,000 km. Neither limit is the one you'll reach. I'd read the capacity wording instead, and I'd skip any used car whose seller can't show the warranty start date.

Chemistry affects how a pack ages, which is a separate question from what the warranty says. And don't take a winter range reading as proof of wear: cold cuts range on a healthy pack too.