Taking Care of the Battery - Suggestions from Battery Engineer from Lucid

[joec]

This question comes up a lot for people new to EVs, for good reason. It can be daunting trying to learn how to take care of such an expensive piece of kit.

But let me settle your mind quickly: Unless you are a complete dolt who treats the battery with zero regard, you'll be just fine.

All of the advice given by the experts is true. But none of it really matters that much in the scheme of things.

It's not like constant DC fast charging will drop your battery percentage to 10 percent of what it used to be. It'll just drop it to 89% percent of what it used to be instead of 90%.

The battery is guaranteed for 8 years. The car's computer won't let you do anything to damage it too badly, unless you are really trying. Lucid are on the hook if it goes bad for a long time. They have a vested interest in protecting your battery, too.


So take a deep breath. Charge as needed. Stop worrying.

For daily use, set the charge limit to 80%. (If you have a level 2 charging station at home, just plug it in every night and let it top off to 80. Set it and forget it.)

On the occasional road trip, use fast charging to get where you need to go. If that means you need to charge to 100% in order to get to the next charger, or you need to drain down to 6% to reach the next charger, so be it. IT WON'T MAKE ANY APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE. I promise you.

The bigger problem with charging to 100% is that it takes too long and will inconvenience others. That's a way better reason to charge to 80 or 85 on a road trip. If you can get to another charger with only 80%, by all means, only charge to 80%. It'll be faster to stop twice, anyway. And the rest of us will thank you.

Constantly fretting about the battery takes away the single biggest advantage of owning an EV. If you can charge at home, you'll quickly learn that you just about never have to think about power at all. The car will have 80% every morning, which is further than you are likely to go on the vast majority of days.

I'll take that over going to a gas station 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Did I teach you nothing? More speed!
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[pjdcorp]

I cannot swear to the accuracy of this report, but it's worth considering. It's from INSIDE EVs dated June 19, 2025:

According to Geotab, a United Kingdom company providing vehicle telematics, most EV batteries can last 20 years with minimal annual degradation. That’s six years more than the average car age in the United States.

Over this generous timespan, EV batteries suffer from about 1.8% degradation per year. This means that you’ll lose 1.8% of the original range every year–not ideal, but certainly not a dealbreaker. After 20 years, if nothing goes catastrophically wrong, you can still enjoy 64% of an EV’s original range. The data comes from analyzing over 10,000 EVs.

 

[californiaboy935]

I cannot swear to the accuracy of this report, but it's worth considering. It's from INSIDE EVs dated June 19, 2025:

According to Geotab, a United Kingdom company providing vehicle telematics, most EV batteries can last 20 years with minimal annual degradation. That’s six years more than the average car age in the United States.

Over this generous timespan, EV batteries suffer from about 1.8% degradation per year. This means that you’ll lose 1.8% of the original range every year–not ideal, but certainly not a dealbreaker. After 20 years, if nothing goes catastrophically wrong, you can still enjoy 64% of an EV’s original range. The data comes from analyzing over 10,000 EVs.

Think also about the transmissions and oil changes you’d have paid for in a ICE vehicle over 20 years.

 

[TahoeMichael]

I cannot swear to the accuracy of this report, but it's worth considering. It's from INSIDE EVs dated June 19, 2025:

According to Geotab, a United Kingdom company providing vehicle telematics, most EV batteries can last 20 years with minimal annual degradation. That’s six years more than the average car age in the United States.

Over this generous timespan, EV batteries suffer from about 1.8% degradation per year. This means that you’ll lose 1.8% of the original range every year–not ideal, but certainly not a dealbreaker. After 20 years, if nothing goes catastrophically wrong, you can still enjoy 64% of an EV’s original range. The data comes from analyzing over 10,000 EVs.

This is one of the reasons why I want an EV with a large range. I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time, and I'd like to be happy with the range after 10 years of degradation, even on a cold winter day.

 

[L-Dude]

The average age of a car in the US is 14 years?!?!? Wow.

 

[TahoeMichael]

The average age of a car in the US is 14 years?!?!? Wow.

It's a product of two main factors:

1) The typical ICE vehicle has become much more durable, and maintains reliability into higher milage than used to be the case.
2) Vehicles are a lot more expensive these days, and lower and middle income people cannot afford to buy new or low mileage used vehicles as easily as used to be the case.

Near as I can tell, my 120k mile 7 year old Highlander is still worth about $17K.

 

[Bus Driver]

It's a product of two main factors:

1) The typical ICE vehicle has become much more durable, and maintains reliability into higher milage than used to be the case.
2) Vehicles are a lot more expensive these days, and lower and middle income people cannot afford to buy new or low mileage used vehicles as easily as used to be the case.

Near as I can tell, my 120k mile 7 year old Highlander is still worth about $17K.

Good for you. The best price I can expect for our 7-year-old Tesla Model X100D, with 124,000 miles on it and 200 miles of real world range (259 EPA rated), is $15K to $16K. That's according to KBB. According to Tesla telemetry, the car's main battery has degraded approximately 10%.

I really can't wait to get rid of our Model X, even though it's come in very handy recently as our paw smudged, doggy-smelling, fur-all-over-everything, dog-hauler.

 

[TahoeMichael]

Good for you. The best price I can expect for our 7-year-old Tesla Model X100D, with 124,000 miles on it and 200 miles of real world range (259 EPA rated), is $15K to $16K. That's according to KBB. According to Tesla telemetry, the car's main battery has degraded approximately 10%.

I really can't wait to get rid of our Model X, even though it's come in very handy recently as our paw smudged, doggy-smelling, fur-all-over-everything, dog-hauler.

Yeah, and my Highlander was about $43K, if memory serves. I'm assuming your X was quite a lot more. The benefits of buying a mature technology is that it retains its value. A seven year old EV is notably inferior to what's available today, so the depreciation is killer. On the flip side, it's possible that as more of the world sees the value of EVs, old ICE vehicles might suddenly drop in value.

 

[Bus Driver]

Yeah, and my Highlander was about $43K, if memory serves. I'm assuming your X was quite a lot more. The benefits of buying a mature technology is that it retains its value. A seven year old EV is notably inferior to what's available today, so the depreciation is killer. On the flip side, it's possible that as more of the world sees the value of EVs, old ICE vehicles might suddenly drop in value.

Yes, I was going to add that factoid after posting, but then I got timed out. Yes, approximately $120 K, all the way back in mid-2018. Model X with everything on it except Plaid and FSD (which I bought at a much reduced price later). The depreciation definitely hurt, it still does, now that I’m confronted with it again.

Coincidentally and apropos of one of your points, that an “older EV is notably inferior to what’s available today”, my Gravity GT on order and as configured, prices out at $119 K. To think that I’ll be getting a car with almost twice as much range than our Model X, bristling with more creature comforts, and even more technology (except for Tesla’s more sophisticated user software, and Tesla’s FSD), for a thousand dollars less than what I paid for the X.

 

[SouprMatt]

I just traded in a 2016 VW e-Golf when I got my Lucid Air Pure. It only had 100 mile range (EPA 85, but I drove 10 years mainly in the city with regen on highest so regularly got between 90-100). Because of its smaller battery (24.2 kW), I charged it to 100% every night on a 120V "trickle charge" so I wouldn't end up stranded if I needed to take a detour from time to time.

When I traded it in today after 10 years, I think the battery still had easily 90% or more of its capacity. So I am inclined to do the same with my Lucid Air. However, since I don't NEED to worry about range anymore, I wonder if it will actually make a difference to stop at 80% instead of 100%.

 

[DeaneG]

I just traded in a 2016 VW e-Golf when I got my Lucid Air Pure. It only had 100 mile range (EPA 85, but I drove 10 years mainly in the city with regen on highest so regularly got between 90-100). Because of its smaller battery (24.2 kW), I charged it to 100% every night on a 120V "trickle charge" so I wouldn't end up stranded if I needed to take a detour from time to time.

When I traded it in today after 10 years, I think the battery still had easily 90% or more of its capacity. So I am inclined to do the same with my Lucid Air. However, since I don't NEED to worry about range anymore, I wonder if it will actually make a difference to stop at 80% instead of 100%.

Different EVs are designed differently, have battery cells with markedly different chemistries, and they manage the battery differently. Some are designed to be OK with charging to 100% every day. These cars generally have a relatively large battery buffer (headroom) at the top of the charge curve, so you are really only charging to 80-90% of the battery's maximum capacity when the car is telling you it's at 100%. Or they are using LFP cells, which don't mind being charged to 100% every day.

Most other EVs, like Lucid's products, have high energy density cells that are designed to be charged only to 80% every day. They still have a small buffer at the top end for safety, but are not designed to tolerate charging to this level every day. Just once in a while at the start of a longer road trip.

It's important to follow the car manufacturer's recommendations for battery management, rather than using experience from one EV and thinking it can be applied to another.

As a career electrical engineer, I would guess that charging a Lucid car to 100% every day would increase battery degradation pretty significantly after a year or two.
If you don't need to worry about range any more, why intentionally damage the battery by keeping it at 100%?

 

[SouprMatt]

Different EVs are designed differently, have battery cells with markedly different chemistries, and they manage the battery differently. Some are designed to be OK with charging to 100% every day. These cars generally have a relatively large battery buffer (headroom) at the top of the charge curve, so you are really only charging to 80-90% of the battery's maximum capacity when the car is telling you it's at 100%. Or they are using LFP cells, which don't mind being charged to 100% every day.

Most other EVs, like Lucid's products, have high energy density cells that are designed to be charged only to 80% every day. They still have a small buffer at the top end for safety, but are not designed to tolerate charging to this level every day. Just once in a while at the start of a longer road trip.

It's important to follow the car manufacturer's recommendations for battery management, rather than using experience from one EV and thinking it can be applied to another.

As a career electrical engineer, I would guess that charging a Lucid car to 100% every day would increase battery degradation pretty significantly after a year or two.
If you don't need to worry about range any more, why intentionally damage the battery by keeping it at 100%?

Thanks so much for your post! I wasn't aware of these differences; I will follow the manufacturer's (and your) advice and set the max charge level to 80%.

 

[Saksak]

I can change the oil in my ICE vehicle once every 10k miles using normal oil instead of synthetic, and the engine will probably last the life of ownership. It just won’t run as well as the person who changes it every 3k-5k miles using synthetic oil.

The battery in the EV is like the engine. Take care of it and it will take care of you. While you can charge the battery way you like without worry, taking some simple steps can slow down the battery degradation.

I agree with the general advice to not stress over battery charge. Occasional 100% charge and 0% discharge is fine when you need every mile of range. Just avoid letting it sit at either extreme for long periods if you don’t have too, but if you have too, don’t worry about it.

For those who don’t need maximum range every day, a simple rule is to try not to go above 80% and below 20%. That’s why you see the “daily” charge range of 50% - 80% and “distance” charge range being 80% - 100%.

The next level of battery care is to keep it around 50%. For example, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, etc., depending on your daily driving habits.

Finally, for the enthusiasts, batteries degrade the slowest between 35% to 55% charge.

Note that this applies to NMC batteries only (all Lucid’s have NMC). LFP batteries have a different chemistry and like to be at 100% charge.

 

[californiaboy935]

I can change the oil in my ICE vehicle once every 10k miles using normal oil instead of synthetic, and the engine will probably last the life of ownership. It just won’t run as well as the person who changes it every 3k-5k miles using synthetic oil.

The battery in the EV is like the engine. Take care of it and it will take care of you. While you can charge the battery way you like without worry, taking some simple steps can slow down the battery degradation.

I agree with the general advice to not stress over battery charge. Occasional 100% charge and 0% discharge is fine when you need every mile of range. Just avoid letting it sit at either extreme for long periods if you don’t have too, but if you have too, don’t worry about it.

For those who don’t need maximum range every day, a simple rule is to try not to go above 80% and below 20%. That’s why you see the “daily” charge range of 50% - 80% and “distance” charge range being 80% - 100%.

The next level of battery care is to keep it around 50%. For example, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, etc., depending on your daily driving habits.

Finally, for the enthusiasts, batteries degrade the slowest between 35% to 55% charge.

Note that this applies to NMC batteries only (all Lucid’s have NMC). LFP batteries have a different chemistry and like to be at 100% charge.

120,777, and no battery issues. Charge to 100% often for range and have enjoyed no ill side effects. I bet @HC_79 could actually see what percentage I charge to 100%…

 

[Lycra]

120,777, and no battery issues. Charge to 100% often for range and have enjoyed no ill side effects. I bet @HC_79 could actually see what percentage I charge to 100%…

REally amazin!
almost 200k km
how long do you have the Lucid? how many km per year to do drive (or miles / year)

 

[californiaboy935]

REally amazin!
almost 200k km
how long do you have the Lucid? how many km per year to do drive (or miles / year)

Since 2022, and idk various amounts. Just go where the wind takes me. Some years more some less.

 

[Lycra]

Ok, that is great. Our sales reps are also doing roughly 40.000 miles per year on their EVs (MB EQA). But it would be better with better range in an lucid air

 

[Aka-none]

Think also about the transmissions and oil changes you’d have paid for in a ICE vehicle over 20 years.

Screw that
Think of all the clutches , brakes, transmissions, and engines
Yes I’m one of those people who pushes just a wee bit more.

 

[borski]

Screw that
Think of all the clutches , brakes, transmissions, and engines
Yes I’m one of those people who pushes just a wee bit more.

Oh god the brakes