Volvo XC40 aka Geely full electric car has battery life predicted of only 3 to 5 years

Electric vehicles are being made and marketed as the ultimate 'throwaway' item.

They are claimed to have a theoretical lifetime of the battery module between 3 and 10 years depending on brand, there is no way to tell what the 'servicability life' is when buying a used electric car, and the costs for a replacement battery module are horrendous, plus (at least here in Australia) there is zero recycling for them.

Volvo XC40 full electric is a Chinese made Geely product, and it's battery lifetime is predicted to only be 3 to 5 years before it has to be replaced to maintain full charge capacity and range as per the published specs.

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

This is a serious problem - and hardly unknown but brushed off by the all-electric enthusiasts. I think that predicted average of 5 years is typical, not purely that of the particular Volvo.

Proponents of battery cars reply to those saying they can never afford such a car, that the second-hand costs will make them affordable to many. Perhaps - if you ignore the replacement battery cost and that if a battery-powered car is being re-sold only a few years old, it is probably because the batteries are expiring.

The batteries can and should be salvaged, as far as practical. The metals within them are recoverable but I do not know if the materials of the cases can be - possibly not.

The car itself can be scrapped in the normal way; although modern cars use a lot of plastics that might not be recoverable except in very limited ways.

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Volvo: Swedish. MG: British. Both now owned by China!

(MG has introduced a rather ironical product, a battery car with near sports-car performance which seems hardly meeting the virtuous point of it all!)