Electric vehicle batteries need to undergo reliable standard tests before these cars are sold in the used market, say industry experts including the Belgium vehicle federation, Traxio. Calls have also gone out for a “battery health certificate”.

The battery constitutes half of an electric car’s value at times. Therefore Traxio argues for a battery certificate which would offer potential buyers a transparent response to whether this used car is truly a worthy investment.

Presently, it’s mostly company car drivers making the switch to electric vehicles. Private buyers constitute only about 10% of the market, partly due to a new electric vehicle often exceeding the average family’s mobility budget.

“Since worn-out battery performance tends to decline, mistrust amongst used car buyers remains prevalent. To deliver accurate information to consumers, it’s paramount to objectively assess both the car and its battery’s state,” explains Mich Vergauwen from the VAB motorists’ association.

“After several years of use and when selling a used car, a battery’s state of health (SoH) should preferably still be above 80%,” adds Filip Rylant from Traxio. SoH corresponds to the battery’s current capacity compared to its initial state. “If the range drops below 80%, it’s possible to replace the worn-out battery modules,” says Luc Claessens from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, “but of course this incurs additional costs.”