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What was once a checklist becomes muscle memory. Heel-toe downshifts, throttle modulation mid-corner, knowing the torque curve without looking at a spec sheet. For EV owners, it’s no different. Except instead of spark plugs and wires, we’re talking kilowatts, charge times, and the alchemy of long-term battery health. Rick Malek, a four-time EV owner and now the pilot of a Chevrolet Equinox EV, is the kind of man who’s put in the miles, literally. His Tesla Model 3 has clocked 203,000 miles with only 9% battery degradation. And he has some thoughts on this obsession with charging only to 80%.
“I’m pretty new in this group, but I’m not new to EVs. My EQEV will be my 4th, and I have done a seemingly endless amount of reading and research about good practices regarding battery health.
There seems to be a large number of people in this group who are seemingly new to EVs and are not really grasping the entire story regarding the best ways to take care of their battery. My current M3 has 203K miles with about 9% battery degradation.
First off, the absolute happiest state a battery can be in is either charging or discharging. I try to live by the ABC rule: always be charging. Sitting, at any state of charge, is sub-optimal compared to being charged or discharged. For most people, spending the money to be able to charge at home at 32 or 48 amps, you are spending money unnecessarily and shortening the life of your battery.
Charging the battery at home as fast as possible just means it is going to sit at a higher state of charge for longer before you use it. No good. If your Level 2 charger doesn’t have the ability to adjust the amperage, get one that does and extend the life of your battery. Only charge at the amperage that has the car ready to leave at around your normal departure time. If that’s too many amps, use a Level 1.
Another point that goes hand in hand with the first one is this weird obsession with the number 85% for charging. Why? If you drive 60 miles a day, charge to 60, discharge to 40.
If you drive 100 miles, go 70-30. If your car is a grocery getter or a car for local driving, leave your car around 50. Also, don’t be so afraid to charge past 85 if you need it, even every day; however, using the ABC rule is critical when using the entire pack, although I personally still avoid going beyond 95% or below 5% pretty much ever.
Remember, the battery in your car is not fully charged when your dashboard says 100%, nor is it fully discharged at zero. The manufacturer includes an extra buffer on each end of the pack, so even a high state of charge is not as high as you’d think.
Your battery will generally still be fine if you don’t follow these rules, because EV batteries are so much more robust than even the batteries of 5 years ago. My advice is only for people who really want to go above and beyond for battery longevity.
The bulk of battery failures in EVs seem to happen in the first 50K miles of driving, and are almost always a manufacturing defect or a single cell gone bad. Once you get past the point that manufacturing defects are evident, you’ve got a good pack that should last you 300K, with proper care.
Of course, there is not enough “experienced” Ultium packs out there to really know the longevity of these dudes, but Chevy says 150K-250K, so with good care, 300K should be achievable. I guess we’ll see.
Happy EVing!”
“I try to live by the ABC rule,” Malek wrote in a detailed and refreshingly thoughtful post in the Equinox EV Facebook group. “Always Be Charging.” His argument? Keeping your EV’s battery actively charging or discharging is better than letting it sit. “Sitting, at any state of charge, is sub-optimal,” he continued. “Charging fast at home just to let it sit fully topped off is no good. If you don’t have adjustable amperage on your Level 2 charger, get one. Or go Level 1 if you must.”
EV Battery Degradation Explained: Key Causes, Capacity Retention & Best Practices
- EV batteries gradually lose capacity over time, typically 5–10% after 100,000 miles, depending on usage, heat, and charging habits.
- Frequent fast-charging at high C-rates (+80%) can mildly accelerate degradation compared to slower home AC charging.
- EV manufacturers use battery management: thermal controls, charge balancing, and software limits to mitigate faster battery wear.
- Real-world studies show most EVs retain 80–90% capacity after 8‑10 years, making degradation significant but not prohibitive for daily use or resale.
It’s a rhythm, one you develop, slowly but surely, like learning a racetrack corner by corner. You start by following manufacturer guidelines, blog posts, and Reddit threads.
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But eventually, as Kevin Wall (another longtime EV veteran) pointed out, you simply “know” how your battery behaves. “Outside of road trips, I drive less than 10 miles a day. All of my current and past EVs live/lived the 50% lifestyle.” For longer trips? “You paid for the whole battery, use it.” Wall sold his 2015 Model S at 100k miles with 95% battery health. His garage now houses an Equinox EV, an EV6, and a Model X.
The mythical “80% Rule” has been the EV world’s version of an old wives’ tale, part truth, part misunderstanding, and mostly well-intentioned caution.
But Malek’s post skewers it with practical nuance: “If you drive 60 miles a day, charge to 60, discharge to 40. If you drive 100, go 70-30.” The whole battery’s usable, and the vehicle’s software buffers the extremes. Don’t fear the 85%. Just don’t park it there for 12 hours.
Fellow group member Joseph Cool summed it up:
“Most people shouldn’t stress… just keep it between 80-20 or 70-30 and you’ll do just fine. Even within these ranges, time will be your biggest degrader.”
How to Maximize Your EV’s Lifespan: From 9% Degradation at 203K Miles to 300K‑Mile Goals
Battery degradation, like rust in the old days, is inevitable. But the rate at which it occurs can be massaged. Malek notes that most EV battery failures happen early, within the first 50,000 miles, usually due to a manufacturing defect or a bad cell. Once past that, you’ve got a good pack that can go the distance. For GM’s Ultium platform? Malek believes 300,000 miles is achievable if you drive smart. Bart Spainhour, another Equinox EV owner, echoed this sentiment, warning against discharging too low. “I try not to go below 15–20% ever,” he said.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Specs & Pricing: Range, Performance, Charging & Trim Comparison
- EPA-estimated range for 2025 FWD is about 326 mi; AWD trims get roughly 307 mi
- Powered by GM’s Ultium battery, with 220 hp (FWD) or 300 hp/346 lb-ft torque (AWD); supports 150 kW DC fast-charging and up to 11.5–19.2 kW Level 2 AC
- Pricing starts under $35,000 before incentives; with the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit, some trims go below $30 k
- Trim options include LT and RS; AWD adds performance and heat but lowers range slightly; interior has ~57 cu ft cargo but lacks a frunk
Some of this might sound obsessive, but in reality, it’s simply responsible ownership. Just as you wouldn’t redline a cold engine, smart EV owners learn to manage heat, state of charge, and charging rate. It’s not anxiety, it’s understanding. And like any seasoned driver, once you’ve done it enough, the knowledge lives somewhere just behind your sternum.
You start to feel when it’s time to plug in, how long to leave it, and when to wait for a cooler day.
The 80% rule is not gospel. It’s a guideline, useful for rookies, but not the final word for those aiming to get 200,000+ miles out of their Ultium packs.
The technology has matured, and so have the drivers. What matters now is personalization, pattern recognition, and respect for the system under your floor. It’s the same old dance, different music, same rhythm. You don’t need to fear your battery. You just need to learn its language.
Image Sources: Chevrolet Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
