Could a Used EV Still Be Reliable for Your Business?

If you run a Malaysian SME, a vehicle is more than transport. It may carry stock between outlets, send staff to customer sites, deliver food, visit project locations, or support daily sales. When you consider an electric vehicle (EV), one question often comes first: will the battery still perform after years of work?

That concern is reasonable. Replacing a vehicle is disruptive, and battery condition is not always obvious from a dashboard display or a seller’s description. A used EV may look clean while having a battery that performs very differently from another vehicle of the same model and age.

A large independent study offers useful guidance. Austrian battery diagnostics company AVILOO analysed more than 500,000 battery tests across 20 popular EV models, covering vehicles used up to 150,000 kilometres. Its findings suggest that many EV batteries retain most of their original usable capacity, but the individual battery test matters more than the model’s average.

TL;DR

Several EV models retained more than 93% median battery health after 150,000 km, led by the Mercedes-Benz EQA at 94%. However, individual vehicles of the same model can differ significantly, so you should request an independent battery health report before buying a used EV.

For a Malaysian SME, battery condition should be treated like a commercial vehicle inspection item: measurable, recorded, and linked to the vehicle’s actual daily duties.

What This Means: Battery Health in Plain Language

Battery health is commonly expressed as state of health, or SoH. It describes how much of the battery’s original usable capacity remains. For example, a battery showing 94% SoH should hold roughly 94% of the energy it could store when new, although real-world driving range also depends on speed, traffic, air-conditioning use, tyres, weather, and driving habits.

AVILOO’s study measured median SoH at 50,000 km and 150,000 km. A median is the middle result in a group. It is useful for comparing models, but it does not tell you the exact condition of the vehicle you are considering.

At 150,000 km, the Mercedes-Benz EQA recorded median SoH of 94%, followed by the Hyundai IONIQ 5 at 93.8% and BMW i4 at 93.6%. The Hyundai Kona EV and Volvo XC40 Recharge were also above 92.7%. These results indicate that high mileage does not automatically mean an EV battery is near the end of its useful life.

The important buying lesson is simple: use model rankings to narrow your shortlist, but use an independent battery test to choose the actual vehicle.

Selected battery-health results

EV model	Median SoH at 50,000 km	Median SoH at 150,000 km
Mercedes-Benz EQA	96.6%	94.0%
Hyundai IONIQ 5	97.1%	93.8%
BMW i4	95.6%	93.6%
Hyundai Kona EV	96.3%	93.0%
Volvo XC40 Recharge	95.2%	92.8%
Tesla Model Y	94.4%	90.3%
Tesla Model 3	93.8%	88.9%
Nissan Leaf ZE1	91.2%	86.7%

Source: Electrek summary of AVILOO Certified EV Battery Report.

How This Applies to Malaysian SMEs

If you operate a delivery business, battery health affects route planning. A vehicle with lower usable capacity may still be perfectly suitable for short urban routes, but it may need more frequent charging during a long day. In Klang Valley traffic, frequent stops and air-conditioning use can make the practical range lower than the official figure. Before assigning an EV to a route, record the typical daily distance, number of stops, loading weight, and available charging time.

For contractors, maintenance companies, and sales teams, reliability may matter more than maximum range. A technician travelling between Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, and Kuala Lumpur may have a very different requirement from a salesperson driving between states. A used EV with strong battery health can suit local work well, while an older model with a smaller battery may create scheduling problems for intercity travel. Match the battery’s tested condition to the job rather than choosing based only on the badge or advertised range.

Retailers and food businesses should also think about parking patterns. If your premises allow charging overnight, an EV can fit naturally into a predictable operating schedule. If vehicles return at irregular times or remain away from the premises for long periods, charging access becomes an operational question. Map where each vehicle starts and ends its day, then identify whether charging can happen during non-working hours without affecting deliveries.

For businesses considering a used EV, do not rely solely on the dashboard SoH reading. The source article notes that manufacturers calculate and display battery health differently. An independent diagnostic test can provide a more consistent basis for comparing vehicles. Keep the report with your vehicle records, just as you would retain inspection documents and service history.

Why Small Batteries Need Closer Attention

The study found that several lower-ranked models had relatively small battery packs. The Nissan Leaf ZE1 recorded median SoH of 86.7% at 150,000 km, while the MINI Cooper SE recorded 87.1% and the Renault Zoe 87.3%. A smaller pack may need more charging cycles to cover the same distance as a larger pack, which can contribute to greater capacity loss over time.

This does not automatically make a smaller-battery EV unsuitable. It means you should judge it according to your route. A compact vehicle used for short daily trips may remain practical, especially when charging is available at your premises. The risk appears when a business expects a small-battery vehicle to handle long distances, heavy loads, or multiple shifts without sufficient charging time.

Practical Takeaways for Your Business

• Request an independent battery report before committing to a used EV. The AVILOO study describes a diagnostic process that plugs into the vehicle’s OBD port and calculates SoH using a statistical model trained on used vehicles. Source: Electrek.
• Compare actual usable capacity, not just the model name. Two vehicles of the same model can have materially different battery condition. AVILOO reported a gap of up to 13.5 percentage points between the best and worst individual examples of one model. Source: Electrek.
• Document your route requirements. Track daily kilometres, waiting time, payload, highway use, and charging opportunities for at least one normal working week.
• Choose a suitable battery size. Avoid assigning a compact, small-battery EV to duties that require repeated long-distance travel without planned charging.
• Check warranty terms carefully. Confirm what the battery warranty covers, its duration, and whether it transfers to a new owner.
• Monitor performance after purchase. Record energy use, charging behaviour, route distance, and unexpected range changes in a simple spreadsheet or fleet system.
• Build charging into your schedule. Set a standard process for plugging in after vehicles return, checking charging status, and reporting faults.

A Simple Used-EV Assessment Process

1. List the vehicle’s intended duties. Separate short urban routes from long-distance or multi-shift work.
2. Inspect the full service history. Look for accident repairs, charging faults, warning messages, and long periods of inactivity.
3. Arrange an independent battery test. Do this before finalising the purchase, not after the vehicle is already assigned to staff.
4. Compare the result with your operating needs. A battery at 90% SoH may be adequate for a short route but less comfortable for a long route with no charging access.
5. Run a practical test drive. Use air-conditioning, drive on representative roads, and observe the estimated range before and after the trip.
6. Record the baseline. Keep the battery report, odometer reading, test-drive notes, and warranty information together.

The Bigger Picture for Malaysian SMEs

The long-term message is that battery health should become a normal fleet-management measurement rather than a source of speculation. As more used EVs enter the market, businesses will need better ways to compare vehicles that look similar but have different histories.

This also supports a more disciplined approach to automation. You can connect vehicle records, driver checklists, charging logs, service reminders, and route assignments in one workflow. When a driver reports reduced range, your team can review the vehicle’s past data instead of relying on memory. That helps you decide whether the issue is battery degradation, tyre pressure, heavy loading, traffic, air-conditioning use, or a charging problem.

The study also suggests that the vehicle’s battery may remain useful for a long time, but averages should not replace inspection. Model-level data can guide your shortlist, while vehicle-level testing supports the final decision. For a growing SME, that distinction can prevent unsuitable vehicles from being placed on demanding routes.

Start with one vehicle if you are unsure. Measure its daily performance, charging routine, and maintenance requirements for several weeks. Once you understand how an EV fits your operations, you can decide whether a wider fleet change is sensible. The best choice is not necessarily the newest or highest-ranked model; it is the vehicle whose tested condition and charging routine match the work you actually do.

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