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July 15, 2025Insight
By Plug Technologies

Battery 101: What Dealers Need to Know to Price an EV Right

Battery 101: What Dealers Need to Know to Price an EV Right

In the world of EVs, the battery is nearly everything. It’s the new engine, transmission, and fuel tank rolled into one—and it's the #1 determinant of value.

Here’s what to know:

Capacity vs. Range: Capacity tells you how much energy a battery can store. Range tells you how far it can go on that charge. Both decline—but not evenly. Over time, an EV battery may not be able to charge to its full capacity.

Battery Degradation: Most of the decline in battery capacity occurs during the first 2-3 years.  That’s normal. What’s not? Sharp drops or abnormal wear, which signal underlying issues.

Warranty Coverage: Many OEMs cover EV batteries for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Knowing what’s still under warranty can give buyers (and you) value and peace of mind.

Charging Habits Matter: Frequent fast charging can degrade battery health. Ask about charging behavior, or use one of many battery health tools.

Understanding battery dynamics is critical to profiting from EV trade-ins. And Plug Trade Desk uses that data to price and value EVs accurately.  Want to move and make money on EV trade-ins? Plug is here to help.

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EV Battery HealthUsed Electric VehiclesEV Trade-In PricingEV Battery DegradationPlug Trade Desk
Battery 101: How to Price an EV Right - Plug