This is the discussion I had with the Mini-dealer earlier this year. So he quoted me the price of a battery changeover, which Mini was saying their original battery would last seven years. I asked about the then replacement, and Mini was quoting this second battery (figuring 7 years for it too) would be around 1,900 Euro (figure $2,000). So I asked....if I kept this car around for 15 years, would this guaranteed price/battery 3rd pack be around. Salesman didn’t want to imagine or quote that.
The problem I see, you get into this, and the battery-pack folks quit selling pack version 1.0 and you wake up at 12 to 14 years....with a car in great mechanical shape, but no battery to fit the type. We will end up with millions of cars in good mechanical shape sitting in a junkyard because you can’t get the appropriate batteries for the model.
Did they offer a 7 year warranty on the batteries? Or just say it should last 7 years.
Also, no car dealer wants a buyer to show up every 15 years. By having a second battery pack installed in year 14 would mean everything else being functional and well maintained, the earliest you would be back is 21 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if the car makers like the fact that they givernment is dictating they must exit internal combustion engines and EVs battery replacement costs are very high that people will buy another car instead.
...or Saturn, or Oldsmobile...
At least with an internal combustion engine car, you could rebuild an engine. With an electric vehicle, the custom parts would cost a fortune.